Whaler Central - Boston Whaler Boat Information and Photos

Posted by scrimshaw on 05/12/08 - 3:51 PM

My crew has requested a Whale watching trip this summer ! I'm able to travel to Mass. N.H. and Southern Me. easiest would be Portsmouth New Hampshire area as I have access to a dock all summer. Thanks for any tips , Jim and the crew of the Scrimshaw

Edited by scrimshaw on 05/18/08 - 6:19 AM

Posted by kamie on 05/12/08 - 4:59 PM

Do you want to do this in the whaler? Around lower Maine your looking at running about 20 miles out give or take and then finding whales. Same distance out if you go from Mass, Hyannis Port. I would suggest deciding on a vacation spot, find a whale watching tour in the area and let them drive and you just sit and watch. Lots of Humpbacks should be heading off the upper east coats about now.

I have been Whale Watching off New Brunswick and off Nova Scotia, sometimes the whales are close, sometimes not, but you need to know the local area to find them. Most Whale watching operators don't broadcast locations. You can always go on a tour, take a handheld GPS with you and mark some waypoints, coming back the next day in your own boat. Do remember that whales move a lot with the shifting food sources but it might get you in the general location.

If you have never seen them up close it's breathtaking. Especially when they surface close and upwind of you, imagine a truckload of open sardine cans :)

Posted by MW on 05/13/08 - 2:17 AM

I had a 10' Baluga Whale show up early one morning (many years ago) while fishing off a Jetty "Deb's Inlet", I thought it was some sort of "Dolphin" (found out it was a Baluga later on), it picked it's head up out of the water, it rolled over and left just as fast, it hung around for a day or two in the channel eating what it must have liked then left, that's what I LOVE about the "OCEAN", anything can show up, and many times it's in places that you think it would'nt. Amazing Creatures ! and one of my Favorites.

mw (Matt WHALEn)

Posted by danedg on 05/17/08 - 6:25 PM

Scrimshaw,
Went Whale(r) Watching out of Plymouth, MA....
105' ferry type cruiser...indoor/outdoor seating, snack bar...full service bar....
Went 25 miles out to Skellweggen Bank...and there be whales!
Came 25 miles back...4 to 6' swells......I was real happy to be on that 100 footer rather than my 16'7" Whaler......
Most of the passengers were looking a bit "whale like" entering Port......
The $50 for the ride was well spent.....

Posted by Phil T on 05/17/08 - 7:54 PM

Jim -

These guys are across the bridge from me http://www.odysseywhalewatch.com/watch.com/ out of Portland Maine. Their dockage is at the same pier I go to to catch a island ferry.

Portland is in southern Maine, not "lower" Maine. :D. Lower Maine.....now that is funny Kamie! .....lol..........

Posted by kamie on 05/18/08 - 5:22 AM

well since i'm from Virginia, your all Yankee's. Although the really funny part is I live in "Northern" Virginia and to the the folks in "Southern" Virginia, I'm a Yankee too.

Jim, the message is the same, find a tour to go out looking for whales no matter where you go. They know the locations, they know the rules about how close you can get, it is money well spent.

Posted by souweine on 05/18/08 - 5:10 PM

#12

The last whale watch I did was out of Provincetown. It didn't seem like it was too far from the coast either, maybe a couple of miles.

We left Cape Cod Bay around Race Point, and headed south along the National Seashore, then we headed out.

We saw lots of humpbacks that day, and the seas were nice.

Edited by souweine on 05/19/08 - 7:43 AM

Posted by Phil T on 05/18/08 - 6:20 PM

#13

Jim -

If you and the crew do venture up he-ah , please let me know. Maybe we can meet. There is a great local ice cream place right up the street from the Odessey's pier.

Posted by duf on 05/19/08 - 1:47 PM

#14

Ya know, about 2 months ago i was doing a little Kayaking in the intercostal close to the Packery Channel that lets out directly to the Gulf and a very large Porpose sounded right beside me and scared the beejeebees out of me as i could have touched him and he was at least a 8 to 9 footer. He swam next to me for a while and it was quite the rush having that large an animal hangin right next to you. I CANNOT imagine what kind of rush it is to have a WHALE pull up along side and blow. I jumped out of my seat from the Porpose, so i suppose it would be a spot in orbit if a whale did it.

Duf B)

Posted by Joe Kriz on 05/19/08 - 3:28 PM

#15

Jim,

Have you seen my adventure in the Movies & Podcast section?
The Killer Whales are in the second half of the movie. We had some swim right under the boat and others jumping right in front of the boat.

We were in my buddies Outrage 18' off San Juan Island.
http://www.joekriz.com/movies/Seattle...e2mov.html

Edited by Joe Kriz on 05/19/08 - 3:34 PM

Posted by kamie on 05/19/08 - 6:51 PM

#16

Duf,

here is one better, about 2 years ago a kayaker in the lower Chesapeake bay had a young humpback breach not 20 feet from him. Whale was fine, kayaker was scared beyond belief. Whole thing was captured on film by a homeowner who was sitting on his porch I was looking for the story on the web, if I find it i'll post it.

Posted by scrimshaw on 08/06/08 - 11:16 AM

#18

Monday 8/4 5 miles off of the Isle of Shoals off Portsmouth, New Hamshire stumbled upon this little guy. (Humpback) Kinda strange feeling when your sitting in a 21 foot Outrage !

Edited by scrimshaw on 08/06/08 - 11:28 AM

Posted by Binkie on 08/07/08 - 10:53 AM

#19

I`d love to try Whaling from my 13 footer, but I don`t know if I can fit the barrel, harpoon, and all the line needed into such a small boat. I should probably practice on the many manatees around here first.:D

rich