🗓️ Trip Report: July 21, 2025 – 12:30 p.m. Whale Watch
🚢 Vessel: Jersey Girl | 📍Departure: Belmar Marina
🌊 Conditions: Calm seas, light breeze, excellent visibility
Today’s whale-watching trip aboard Jersey Girl offered the perfect mix of excitement, education, and marine life encounters, with a particular spotlight on one of our most dynamic navigation zones—SCO (Sandy Hook Channel Outbound)—and the rarely predictable path we took to reach today’s remarkable sightings.
We departed Belmar promptly at 12:30 p.m. under pristine summer conditions. As we exited the Shark River Inlet, passengers were treated to a calm Atlantic, shimmering under a bluebird sky. With visibility at a premium, it wasn’t long before we spotted our first marine activity—a large pod of approximately 50 bottlenose dolphins just off the coast of Asbury Park.
These dolphins were active and energetic, offering guests a perfect photo opportunity as they rode the bow wake and surfaced in synchronized arcs. It’s always a treat to encounter these intelligent, playful mammals so close to shore, and this pod didn’t disappoint. They lingered with us for a good while, moving with our vessel before gradually heading south.
After we left the dolphins behind, Captain made the call to head northeast, a calculated route that took us along a challenging but productive stretch of ocean—toward the Sandy Hook Channel Outbound (SCO) area, a known marine corridor where tidal changes, vessel traffic, and bait movement create ideal conditions for whales, albeit with the added challenge of navigating dynamic sea lanes and variable depths.
SCO is not always an easy choice for a tour, especially with recreational and commercial boat traffic funneling through the approach to New York Harbor. But on a day like today—with visibility clear and the water relatively calm—it was a strategic decision that paid off in a big way.
Roughly 4.5 miles off the tip of Sandy Hook, just past the main shipping channel but inside the 6-mile limit, our crew spotted the first unmistakable puff of white mist on the horizon—a whale spout. As we approached cautiously, we realized that not only was there one whale, but two humpback whales traveling and feeding together, exhibiting clear signs of cooperative behavior.
Both whales were actively lunge feeding—a dramatic and sudden burst to the surface with open jaws—and passengers got to see them working together. Even more exciting was the sight of bubble clouds rising from below, a feeding technique in which whales blow air in a circular pattern to corral bait fish upward, then strike. It’s rare to observe this behavior so clearly and so close to the Jersey Shore.
While we were still absorbing the awe of this encounter, our naturalists noticed another blow nearby—and before long, a third humpback whale entered the scene. This whale circled around and joined the initial pair, and for a brief but thrilling 10 minutes, all three whales were engaging in a feeding frenzy just off the stern and starboard side of the boat. The ocean surface boiled with bait balls, and seabirds joined the frenzy overhead.
The location was textbook-perfect: calm waters, rich with bait, and deep enough to support larger marine mammals, yet close enough for our passengers to grasp just how alive the waters off New Jersey really are.
Throughout the experience, we maintained a respectful distance in accordance with NOAA whale-watching regulations, allowing the whales to behave naturally while giving passengers front-row access to the majesty of the Atlantic’s top predators.
With satisfied guests and camera rolls full of whale action, we began our return trip south along the same SCO corridor—a reverse route that gave us time to reflect on the luck and planning that led us into such a hotspot. The trip back to Belmar was peaceful and scenic. Several ospreys were spotted diving successfully for fish, and a few lucky guests caught sight of a loggerhead sea turtle just below the surface.
As we approached the inlet, our captain and crew took a moment to thank all the guests aboard and remind everyone that sightings like today’s are not guaranteed—but always possible when you travel with a dedicated, full-time whale-watching crew that knows the waters, the patterns, and the science behind the search.
Naturalist Brooke with intern Hanna
July 17 Whale Watching Trip Whale tour