Have you booked a whale watching trip on Captain John Boats out of Plymouth, Massachusetts? I recently went aboard and documented my experience so that you know what to expect on your trip! Let’s get into it!
Arrive Early!!!
This is my most important tip I can give you, for a few reasons. We arrived more than a half hour before boarding began and the line was already enormous!!! That means that the best seats up top were already taken, and we had to go down below. (In my opinion, this trip was possibly overbooked compared to other whale watching tours I have done). Our trip was in the morning, but we found folks scrambling for parking once we arrived back at 1pm and many cars stopped to ask us if we were leaving.
Choose your seat wisely.
First we opted for seats right at the bottom of the stairs. My family split up, with some staying here, and others leaving due to the smell of fumes, and the rest moving to the side of the boat. After we got out of the harbor, we sped up and although there weren’t huge swells, we ended up getting SOAKED. We eventually moved back to the back with my family, but seats were already full at this point. I would recommend sitting on top, or up in the front. We were unaware there was seating up here! (Don’t sit inside if you are nauseous!)
Don’t trap yourself in your seat
The whales on our trip popped up quickly, sometimes only visible for a few moments before diving back down. If you are in a row of seats try to be near the end so you can quickly scoot out to peer over the sides of the boat! We didn’t see very many whales, so the
Take your Anti-Nausea medicine!
I am blessed in not having seasickness. It quickly became apparent that MANY others on the boat were not blessed, both kids and adults had blue bags pressed to their faces, distributed by staff, with many leaning over the sides of the ship as well. Take medicine before boarding and a second dose as recommended by the bottle! Don’t underestimate the rocking of the ship on even the calmest of days.
Bring Layers
On the dock, I sure was hot. But once we were out on the water, I was glad to have my sweatshirt on and long pants! (And this was August!!)
Wear sunscreen!
Even though it can be cold out on the water, the UV is strong. Pack sunscreen and be sure to re-apply even if it doesn’t feel hot!
Bathrooms
There are two bathrooms located on the ship. They are small, but the crew did make an effort to keep them tidy. Parents of young ones, be warned, I did not see a changing table in the restrooms!
Eating
The ship is equipped with a small kitchen that serves a limited menu, which includes burgers, hot dogs, soft pretzels, pizza, and egg sandwiches. In addition to the normal drinks, they sell wine, beer, and hard seltzer.
My Honest Review
Although my whale watching trip in Vancouver had much more to see, I still enjoyed my time aboard Captain John Boats Whale Watching Tour. At $78 I think this experience was worth the cost. Will small children enjoy the trip? I would say that depends on their patience. We saw many young children who were excited as we left the shore, but began acting out after two hours without a sighting. I think your families enjoyment will depend on both the weather, and the number of whales you see! If you plan on going out, I wish you the best of luck!
Spend the rest of the day in Plymouth! Check out my blog post here on what to see and do! 🙂
