Sail With the Professionals
Our captains and crew members have over 100 years combined experience in operating passenger vessels. We enjoy our work and pride ourselves in being able to communicate our enthusiasm about the ocean environment to our passengers. Crew members and naturalists are always available to answer questions throughout the trip.
Captain Pete Reynolds
Owner/Captain
Pete began boating at the age of six weeks, when his parents took him for his first sail. Growing up, he spent his summers exploring the eastern seaboard from the Bahamas to Nova Scotia. Pete began tagging along on whale watches when he was twelve, and started working as a deckhand a couple of years later. At the age of nineteen, Pete obtained his captain’s license, and has been taking the Granite State in search of whales every summer since. In 2005, Pete and his wife Lindsay purchased the business from company founder and thirty year veteran Leo Axtin. In the offseason, Pete loves backpacking and hiking in the White Mountains. Pete has a B.A. in Communications from the University of New Hampshire.
Lindsay Reynolds
Owner/ Office Manager
Lindsay spends her summers managing the ticket office. You will find her there ready to answer your questions or help you with directions. While she doesn‘t get the chance to come out on the boat very often, she brings great luck when she does. When not at the harbor, Lindsay can be found at the barn, riding her 13 year-old Thoroughbred, Cody. And in the offseason, she’s probably up in the White Mountains! Lindsay has a B.S. in Animal Science from the University of New Hampshire.
Melanie White
Naturalist
This will be Melanie’s fifteenth year with us on the Granite State. Melanie is our senior staff naturalist and is a research associate with the Blue Ocean Society. In the winter months, Melanie works as part of a whale research team that conducts aerial surveys of the Right Whale population off the coast of Florida. She holds a B.S. in Biology from Ursinus College.
Captain Jonathan Gwalthney
Captain
With 25 years of experience as a whale watch captain and naturalist, we are thrilled to have Jonathan on our team. He brings with him a wealth of knowledge about Jeffreys Ledge and the whales that frequent it. He is especially knowledgeable about the more remote areas of northern Jeffreys Ledge. In the winters, Jonathan also works as an aerial observer, conducting surveys of the endangered North Atlantic Right Whales populations in their southern breeding grounds. Jonathan obtained his 100 ton captain’s license in 1997. He graduated from Roger Williams University in 1998 with a B.S. in Marine Biology.
Dianna Schulte
Naturalist
Dianna is a co-founder and the President of Blue Ocean Society. She also holds the titles of Research and Intern Coordinator. Dianna holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology with a minor in Marine Biology from the University of New Hampshire. During her undergraduate career, she enjoyed two summers taking courses at the Shoals Marine Laboratory on Appledore Island. She also holds a US Coast Guard captain’s license for 100-ton vessels. Dianna has over 15 years of experience in the field of marine science and education including serving as naturalist and research scientist aboard commercial whale watch boats in NH and MA. She implemented Blue Ocean Society’s research and education internship program in 2000, and has given many presentations to schools and groups pertaining to the marine environment.
Katie Murphy
Naturalist
Katie has been with Granite State Whale Watch for many years and has led over a thousand whale watches. As an experienced whale researcher, there aren‘t many questions that Katie can’t answer. Katie is also a seasoned boat operator, and holds a 100 ton captains license. Katie is a research associate of the Blue Ocean Society. When not on the Granite State, she is busy spending time with her three children. She graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 1993 with a B.S. in Marine and Freshwater Biology, and obtained her Masters in Education there in 1997.
Nice staff! I called several whale watch agency around and I think they are the only dog friendly one. Highly recommended!
Our trip with Granite State Whale Watch was a great experience. We were thrilled to see a Minke whale, a Humpback whale named Football, and two Finback whales during our excursion. The highlight was Football, the Humpback whale, who spent a lot of time swimming around our boat, giving us the perfect opportunity to capture numerous photos and videos.The staff were friendly and knowledgeable. We particularly enjoyed the staff member who came around with educational materials and answered all our questions, making the trip both fun and informative.We definitely recommend Granite State Whale watch!
My family had a great time! The crew knew their stuff. Saw a humpback whale, a fin whale, a minke whale, dolphins and even a tuna!
The whale watching tour was great! You get an awesome tour for price. Parking $5 owned by city. Word of advice the porty pot on the city lot was the most absolutely disgusting one I have ever seen. It's totally full to the top. This was not owned by the whale watching tour but by the city. Maybe they should take the parking money and add another pot. Would totally do another tour.
Great price for the experience! Multiple sightings of whales, dolphins, and a shark. Very clean boat and excellent staff! Snacks and drinks too! Had an amazing time, highly recommended !!
This is our second experience whale watching and it exceeded the first one back in Maine.The booking process was super easy, they had to cancel the day before due to tornado warning and made it very easy to reschedule to the day and time of our choice. The check in process was smooth and seamless, within minutes we were on the boat with great seats and we left right on time. There was a whole crew on the boat coming around to explain to us all the different whales, dolphins and birds we could potentially sea. We saw 5 fin whales, lots of playful dolphins that hung around for a while, and to top it off we saw two humpback whales that came up multiple times and showed their tails. No breach but still an amazing time seeing them come up for air and feeding. All throughout, the marine biologist gave us information and told us where to look etc, everything came through very clearly. We cannot wait to come back and repeat the experience.
One of the best experiences of my life. The guides were very clear and constantly gave us valuable information about the whales and the ocean…. I recommend bringing snacks and drinks since the tour can last up to 5 hours, in any case you will find a store inside with hot dogs, snacks and drinks at a very good price. We stayed on the first floor and on a sunny day ☀️ like the one we had it was a good idea, since we could rest in the shade.
Fantastic! We got to see Minkes and Humpbacks breach. We saw Fin whales too. We saw a pair of mamas with their curious calves who liked to look at the boat when they jumped out. We also saw a great white shark on the way back. Definitely will go again!
We've whale-watched all over the North America! Alaska, California, Hawaii, California, Vancouver Island--this was the absolute best experience ever. Highly recommend!,
We thoroughly enjoyed the knowledge of the crew and the information they shared. They found the whales! And gave us lots of time to watch, enjoy and take pictures. We also saw dolphins and an eagle on our cruise!
Absolutely incredible experience! This was my first whale watch and it blew me away. We saw incredible marine life - a harbor seal, white sided dolphins, humpback whales and a fin whale - all incredibly beautiful. The crew were so friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. HIGHLY recommend.
Brought my family whale watching in early August. It was such an awesome experience. The boat was spacious and comfortable(and if you forget your sunglasses like me, they have some for sale at the little shop before you board the boat).The staff were super friendly and informative, and we were able to see tons of wildlife, including a pod of well over 100 dolphins!I would definitely recommend Granite State While Watch & will absolutely be returning in the near furture for more fun whale watching adventures! 🐋😊
I can’t say enough, we had an amazing time and I couldn’t have asked for better whale activity.
My family and I had such an awesome time! The crew was professional, friendly, and very knowledgeable. We saw not one momma and her baby but, two momma and baby pairs! They were soo active jumping out of the water and flapping around it was breathtaking. It was an experience we will never forget!
Amazing!!! Fastest 4 hours ever! Great boat, captain and very informative guide! We saw 3 different species of whales, dolphins and a harbor seal!
What a fun and absolutely amazing experience. They took the time to shift us around to see as much as possible, we saw Humpbacks, Minke whales, dolphins and a seal.......The captain moved the boat around so all passengers could see these beautiful animals. The staff were very friendly, knowledgeable, and fun. I can't wait to come back!
my first trip to the area, my first whale watch, and my three grown kids and one kid-in-law in tow for a summer reunion, so I was hoping this would turn out. boy, did it ever! perfect weather and calm seas got us off to a good start. and soon we were seeing pilot whales, sperm whales, finbacks and minkes -- puffing out breaths that shot spray high over the horizon, swimming briefly on the surface, and gracefully diving for another meal.best of all were the white-sided dolphins! we were lucky enough to visit two *massive* pods of these beautiful creatures, numbering in the hundreds! goosebumps, let me tell you! seeing so many at once was rare and breathtaking!thanks to the skilled and knowledgeable captain and crew for making this an adventure we'll never forget!
