Humpback Whale
Scientific Name: Megaptera Novaenglie
Length: 36-45 ft.
Weight: Up to 45 tons
Lifespan: approx. 50 years
Population: 20,000 worldwide
Humpbacks are known for their acrobatic and friendly nature. Their round body requires them to lift their tails out of the water when they take a deeper dive, making them a favorite of whale watchers everywhere. Other exciting behaviors include breaching, flipper slapping, spy hopping, and open mouth feeding. The Humpback is the most widely studied large whale species. The underside of each Humpback whale’s tail flukes are individually patterned, ranging from all black to all white. Researchers, therefore have identified and cataloged a large portion of the humpback whale population, allowing them to collect considerable amounts of research data.
Finback Whale
Scientific Name: Balaenoptera Physalus
Length: 65-75 ft
Weight: up to 80 tons
Lifespan: estimated to be between 50-100 years
The Finback is one of the most exciting whales to encounter. Its size is breathtaking-it’s the second largest animal ever to roam the earth. A full grown Finback can be 75′ long, which is larger than many whale watch boats! The Finback is also the only universally asymmetrically colored animal in the world. The whales right lower jaw is colored white, while the left is all black. It is thought that the whales use this coloring to confuse schools of fish, making it easier for the whales when feeding.
Minke Whale
Scientific Name: Balaenoptera acutorostata
Length: 26-36′
Weight: 10 tons
Speed: 24-30 knots maximum
Lifespan: 50 years
Minke Whales are one of the most frequently sighted animals in the Gulf of Maine. They are the most common whales on a world wide basis, found in all oceans. Minkes are the smallest of the great whales and are known for their erratic and unpredictable swimming patterns.
Atlantic White Sided Dolphin
Scientific name: Lagenorhyncus acutus
Length: 7-9′
Weight: 400-600 pounds
Speed: Up to 30 mph
Lifespan: 22 years for Males; 27 years for Females
Atlantic White Sided Dolphin add excitement to any trip we see them on. Traveling in pods of anywhere between two and two thousand they are often curious and playful. They are impressive swimmers, and truly amazing to observe in the wild!
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!
