Whale Watching Tour in New York City

I would’ve never associated a whale watching tour with New York City. Pretty much everyone else I’ve talked to – even long-time residents of the Big Apple – had no clue a whale watching tour in New York City was a thing. Well, it is. My wife and I had a fabulous time traveling past the Statue of Liberty, under the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and out into the ocean to watch whales in their natural habitat.

If you have plans to visit New York City, I recommend breaking away from the normal touristy museums and trying something different – a whale watching tour with Event Cruises NYC. Here’s a rundown on what you can expect and how to book your reservation.

Tickets and Reservations for Your Whale Watching Tour

As you begin to plan your trip to New York City, check Event Cruises NYC website to see if they have a whale watching tour scheduled for when you’re there. Generally, the tours run late April through October and are available every Saturday and Sunday. We planned to visit the Big Apple on Labor Day weekend, so we scheduled our tour for a Sunday morning.

Each tour departs at 9 a.m. and lasts roughly 4 to 4.5 hours. You’ll need to make sure you arrive at Pier 36 (the departure point for the cruises) 30 minutes prior to the departure time. The cruise will depart at the scheduled time, and if you’re late, it won’t wait for you.

After you book your reservation online, you’ll want to download the Top View app for your phone (Apple or Android). Follow the directions in your booking to download your tickets into the app. You’ll use that as your scannable ticket when you show up to board your boat. Now that you’re booked, check the next section below so you can pack some essential items to enhance your whale watching tour in New York City.

What to Bring and Where to Go

As we were packing our bags for a trip to New York City, I found it a little odd that I was packing binoculars. With all the skyscrapers in the city, you wouldn’t be able to see very far – unless you went to the top of the Empire State Building or Top of the Rock. But they were a recommended item for whale watching. That said, I didn’t find myself using the binoculars much, if at all, during the tour. That may be because I had my telephoto lens on my Canon 6D camera so I spent more time looking through that.

Here’s a rundown of what you should bring with you on the tour:

• Camera w/zoom or telephoto lens (see note below about camera type)
• Binoculars (optional, but useful)
• Wide-brimmed hat to protect face, ears and neck from sun
• Sunscreen
• Sunglasses (optional)
• Weather-appropriate clothes (it may be windier and cooler on the boat than in the city)
• Cash/card to buy food onboard
• Dramamine (if you’re prone to getting seasick)

A Few Notes About Cameras & Cellphone Cameras

Most of the people on the whale watching tour were using their iPhones to capture photos of the whales. At one point, I was standing behind two women on the top deck, shooting the whales with my nice DSLR camera and telephoto lens. One of the women saw me shooting around them and offered to let me take her spot at the front. From that spot, I was able to capture some close-up photos of the whales. She later made a comment that the whales in her photos were mere specs, because a cellphone doesn’t offer the telephoto quality you need. I offered to email her some of my photos because she was super nice and allowed me to get a great view.

I use that story to illustrate the fact that a cellphone camera isn’t going to capture the ideal photo you would want to have to show off after your whale watching tour. Therefore, I recommend bringing a nicer camera with a great telephoto lens. You’ll be happier with the photos you capture.

But…

Don’t spend your entire trip looking at whales through your viewfinder or cellphone camera.

While we all want to capture the perfect photo to remember our experience, sometimes we just need to put our devices away. Be present in the moment and just enjoy being out on the water watching the whales in their natural habitat. You can also watch other boats or freighters, planes flying overhead with banners in tow, or even see if you can spot jellyfish in the waters around the boat.

What to Expect During the Whale Watching Tour

Our alarm clocks didn’t wake us up when we needed to be up. So we were running behind and so worried we were going to arrive just as the boat was leaving the pier. We were lucky and made it just in time. So when they say to arrive 30 minutes before your departure time, they mean it.

The closest metro stop is East Broadway on the F-Line (subway). It’s still a 10-minute (1/2 mile) walk from the stop to Pier 36.

Once they check your ticket, make your way onto the boat and find a spot. There are two decks on the boat, with exterior and interior options. My recommendation is to stay outside and don’t spend your time inside the vessel. During the actual tour, you’ll be moving around the boat. If you can board first and claim a seat in a prime location for viewing, more power to you.

Once the Boat Leaves the Pier

Once you depart, you’ll make your way down the East River and under the Brooklyn Bridge. You’ll also be able to get a great view of the Statue of Liberty as you pass by it on your way out to the ocean. Once you pass under the Verrazzao-Narrows Bridge, you’ll make your way toward the ocean and spend most of your time around West Bank Lighthouse and Romer Shoal Light.

There’s no guarantee you’ll see whales on your tour. It really is dependent on the captain’s ability to find where the whales are feeding that day. We were lucky enough to see a whale and follow it around for about an hour, before heading to another area to find a different whale. So when all was said and done, we saw two separate humpback whales.

Be courteous. If you’re tall and are standing in the front, maybe see if there’s a shorter person or child that would like a front-row view of the whales. Be kind.

At one point, we were told there were dolphins visible in the water, but I wasn’t able to see them. My wife said she saw them, but I didn’t.

When the whale watching comes to an end, you can grab a seat as you make your way back to the pier. But enjoy the views of the Manhattan skyline as you make your way back up the East River. It’s an amazing site to see.

Grab a Bite to Eat on Board

Since you’ll be on a boat for about 4 hours, you’ll be happy to know that there are food options onboard. I enjoyed a hotdog and chips. My wife just had something small to eat and a Ginger Ale. The menu on the boat typically includes:

• Hotdog
• Sandwiches (caprese or tuna salad)
• Popcorn
• Chips
• Chocolate bars/candy bars
• Cookies
• Muffins
• Alcoholic beverages (wines, beers, hard liquor, cocktails)
• Sodas
• Other beverages (Hot chocolate, tea, juice and coffee)

I find that having something in my stomach helps me avoid getting seasick. I debated whether or not I should take Dramamine before the trip and decided not to – I didn’t want to be drowsy. The boat wasn’t too rocky, so that probably helped. I also found it helpful to hang out on the exterior decks and focus on seeing all the amazing sea life, birds, lighthouses, city skylines and more.

The Details

Address: Pier 36, 299 South Street, New York City, NY 10002

How long to spend: Tours are roughly 4.5 hours.

Cost: Save money and purchase tickets online. Prices range from $55 for adults and $39 for children (ages 0-12).

Hours: Tours depart at 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Check their website for available dates and to confirm departure times for your whale watching tour.

Website: https://eventcruisesnyc.com/events/whale-watching-nyc-cruise

Phone: (917) 671-9710

DISCLOSURE: I received two complimentary reservations to Event Cruises NYC’s whale watching tour for the purpose of review. All opinions are my own.

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