granite state whale watch, inc.

i went with my best friend and she remarked how quickly we saw our first whale. she had been to another whale watch that took several hours to get to and from where the whales were. we were in a fairly small boat that maneuvered quite easily. we saw many whales and a few other animals as well that were fairly close between sightings. most were within 10 minutes of each other. it took maybe 30 min at most to get to the first sighting. if you were on boat facing the sun it was warm. at those points I took my jacket off. if you were facing away it was quite brisk/chilly and I replaced my jacket again. I went through several phases of this off and on. definitely bring a jacket as the wind is breezy even in august. they had amenities on board such as restrooms, drinks, snacks, souvenirs, and small necessities. there were several small laminated boards with various interesting info on them such as all the potential animals you might see while on board and facts about them as well as facts about recycling and other animal/ environmental type things. worth reading. staff was very friendly. I thought it was really cool when we stopped a few times to pull a balloon out of the water bc these apparently can kill ocean animals. there was a person on top of the boat who was looking for the animals who when we found one would announce it loud and clear and give interesting info on each animal as well as where specifically we could see them from the boat.

this company uses a boat that is somewhat smaller than the other company out of Rye, which makes it very maneuverable in order to get the best positions relative to the whales. We saw 10+ mostly humpback whales, a harbor seal and 2-3 groups of N. Atlantic white sided dolphins frolicking inthe ocean.The staff is very friendly and professional and the onboard naturalist was very knowledgeable and attentive, making an effort to answer all questions.price was very reasonable...a really good value. I would absolutely do another trip with them!

We went out on the 5 lighthouse cruise. The was was very choppy but we had a great time! It was nice to see the lighthouses from a different perspective! It was unfortunate that some people were seasick but it truly was a fun experience! It is nice that you take the time annually for this cruise. Thank you!

Very cool trip! It was a nice day out (Sept. 5th) and the water wasn't too choppy. We started off seeing a smaller Minke Whale, just past the Isle of Shoals, which we watched for a while until some activity was spotted further out. When we arrived at the area with the activity, it ended up being three Humpback Whales swimming together. One of them was being really active rolling on its side and slapping its fin on the water. We got some really good looks at them while they rested and then dove. When they dove their Giant tales came out of the water. We ended up leaving them after a bit and ended up finding two more Humpbacks together and then a loner a short while after. The naturalist on board and the crew were able to identify each individual by the markings on the tails and dorsal fins. The loner was the celebrity "Patches" which we were told is the whale that has its tail pictured on the front of the whale watch brochure. We ended up catching a brief view of a Finback whale and another Minke Whale just before heading back. We also saw a harbor seal and some harbor porpoise on the way back. The whale watch made sure we weren't disturbing the whales and they actually share their data with a marine research institute, and with everything I've read up on, I'm sure the data they provide is invaluable. If I had to give a negative, it would be that we never made it all the way out to Jeffrey's Ledge. I'm a bird watcher and I was thinking I would have a better chance at seeing some of the pelagic birds if we made it out there. I did see a Northern Gannet on the way out. The good news is that it is mainly a whale watch, and my family and I couldn't have been happier that the trip was so successful and that we didn't need to search all over. We were on the water for about 5 hours, and it was well worth the money.

This is a very educational trip with whales to watch in their natural habitat. We had no Humpback whale, which is one of those animals that show its flukes before diving, but the finbacks we saw, were huge! The crew took every chance to get near to the whales. Later on I read one of the books lying in the passenger room. I learned, that whales are disturbed by too many of those whale watcher boats and also a very special maneuver is necessary to approach the whales peacefully.As far as I could see, this crew took care, was proficient and acted exactly "by the book".Overall we had a great 5 hours trip. Btw: there is a small snack bar on board and the coffee was really good! Recommended adventure!

This was my first ever whale watch experience and it was a great one. The tour groups are kept small and since it is a science based excursion, it is extremely educational. Everyone on the ship was engaged with all the watchers. They were concerned about your safety and well being. For example, the day of our trip the weather was slightly off and they canceled the trip so that everyone would have a great experience. were also very concerned about the whales and made sure that we didn't motor to close to them. The whales came toward us as opposed to us motoring them down. I would definitely go out with this group again if we are ever in the New Hampshire area. I highly recommend the granite whale watch! Also the price was fair compared to other excursions.

Had never gone whale watching before. This was an excellent trip. There was a professional whale expert on board giving commentary on the whales and directing us on where to look. She was extremely well informed. The weather was great and the rest of the crew were equally helpful. Highly recommended if you are in the area.

Amazing adventure , not touristy. The educational part of the trip was very informative and this vessel and co is part of a research Group and we felt they were in this for the whales. More laid back And less people than some of the other companies out there.

Thank you for taking the time to write a review of your recent whale watch. I'm glad your family had a great time- Dolphins are always a passenger favorite, and we haven't seen too many of them this season so it was a very exciting sighting!In terms of smoking on board the boat, our current policy is the same as every whale watch boat in the Northeast as far as I know. Passengers are only allowed to smoke on the lower deck at the back part of the boat.Having said that, I completely agree with your opinion. Starting next season, our whale watches will be smoke free.Hopefully we will see you on the water next year!Capt. Pete Reynolds

Hilyana,Thank you for taking the time to write a review of your recent whale watch. As a company we strive to be as honest as possible with our customers. I'm quite surprised that you found our website to be "misleading." There is a picture of the boat right on the front page of the website. Our boat has a very low center of gravity and is actually one of the most stable boats in the whale watch fleet. Sea sickness is really only a problem on very rough days.As we had warned you when you picked up your tickets, sea conditions were far less than favorable on the day of your trip. We had to work very hard to get looks at whales due to the conditions, but in the end we were able to get great looks on either side of the boat at two Fin whales, as well as a couple of Minke whales and Harbor porpoise.We issued free passes at the end of the trip because the group of people on board that trip were so nice and understanding of the conditions that we wanted them to be able to come back and experience the whales on a nicer more normal day.Again, I'm sorry you felt something on our website misled you in some way. Please let us know specifically what that was and we will correct it immediately.Capt. Pete Reynolds

If you ever have plans on going whale watching, you must go to Rye Harbor and go out with the Granite State. We had an amazing time. This was my first boat trip anything like this. We were relaxing on Hudson Beach and decided at the last minute to go Whale Watch. We took the afternoon trip on the Granite State and I am so glad we did. The day was warm, the water was like glass and that alone made for a nice boat ride. It did get chilly though on top so when I go again I will wear jeans, regardless of the weather, and I will make sure to have a light jacket. We headed out to Jeffrey's Ledge and after about an hour and a half later we were beginning to wonder if we were going to see anything. But then we finally got to see Winky Whales and that was great! Then a bit after that we got to see a pair of Humpback Whales. The most amazing thing I have ever seen!!! And then to hear these animals when they blow is awesome. Then a bit after that another pair of Humpbacks. I never imagined that Whale Watching would be so fantastic. While you are out there and so close to these animals in the middle of nowhere it makes you feel so small in this world.... we also go to see porpose, a shy shark and gray seals.... A very magical day for a first timer!!! Can not wait to go back and do this again. The cost is only $30. per person which is a crazy good price. The staff of this boat are some of the best I've seen... All very friendly and very knowledgable of the animals you may see in the ocean. There are lite snacks and beverages for sale on the boat.

This whale watch was so much fun and a great experience. Went with a group of four on 8/11 and did the morning whale watch. We saw a lot of whales and some interesting ocean sunfish! The staff know a lot about whales and taught us about them. The water was very smooth and the weather was great! Living in the area and working at a local hotel I would recommend Granite State Whale Watch to anyone who was asking about going on a whale watch! Great experience!

This was our first time whale watching and the experience was amazing!! The staff on the boat were very friendly and knowledgeable about the sea life. We saw several Minke's and 2 Fin whales. They came up very close to the boat. Closer than I thought they would. We actually were out a little longer than told because we ran into a whale on the way back. The staff stopped to give us the experience and weren't rushed at all. We will definitely be doing this again! This is the company to go with!

This was well worth the time and money. It was a great trip out to the feeding grounds and we saw many whales both Humpback and Minke. We definitly recommend and would do again.

While nobody can guarantee a sighting; the people in the business have pretty good educated guesses based on past sightings and known habits. This is a top notch, friendly and organized team of people. While a smaller vessel; it's easy to get around, there is a modest snack bar; clean bathrooms and great information is dispersed along the way.We had a smooth day, but lost the sunshine shortly after departure. I can't emphasize enough that you bring some layers just in case. It can be 90 at the dock; and 65 off shore, add to that the dampness and the wind of a ship cruising along; and if you're not prepared it can be uncomfortably chilly. Remember it's 90 minutes out to the area, and 90 minutes back; that's a long time to be chilled. Even late in July; this can be the case.We had a number of good humpback sightings, including a full breach where the whale nearly leaves the water. As exciting as it was; the crew/team kept the information coming; and also remained cautious in all approaches to these creatures. Engines were turned off on multiple occasions to insure safety of the whales. I've included one photo, we didn't go to the whale, the whale came to the boat ! Worth a morning or afternoon !