Jersey Shore Whale Watch Trip Report – July 26, 2026: Lots of Lunge Feeding Near Sandy Hook
Trip Report 7/26/2026 – LOTS of lunge feeding!
What an incredible summer Sunday on the Atlantic Ocean with Jersey Shore Whale Watch! Our passengers enjoyed two exciting wildlife cruises aboard the Jersey Girl, beginning with our affordable 9:30 a.m. morning ocean trip and continuing with an unforgettable 12:30 p.m. whale watching adventure near Sandy Hook, New Jersey.
During our 9:30 a.m. trip departing from Belmar Marina, passengers encountered a small group of bottlenose dolphins swimming along the beautiful Jersey Shore. The dolphins provided a wonderful introduction to the marine wildlife that can be found just offshore from Belmar, Asbury Park, Ocean Grove, Long Branch, Monmouth Beach and Sandy Hook.
Birdwatchers aboard the Jersey Girl also had plenty to enjoy. We spotted numerous seabirds throughout the morning, including an exciting sighting of a Cory’s shearwater. These impressive pelagic birds spend much of their lives over the open ocean and are always a special sight for passengers interested in New Jersey birding, pelagic birding and marine wildlife photography.
Our 12:30 p.m. Jersey Shore whale watching tour delivered one of the most exciting trips we have experienced this season. After traveling north toward Sandy Hook, our passengers encountered at least four humpback whales actively feeding. We focused much of our attention on two familiar whales identified through the NYC Humpback Whale Catalog as NYC0318 and NYC0014.
The action was nonstop as the humpback whales repeatedly demonstrated spectacular lunge-feeding behavior. During a lunge feed, a whale accelerates toward a concentrated school of fish and bursts through the surface with its enormous mouth open. Watching a humpback whale emerge from the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by splashing water, baitfish and diving seabirds is one of the most dramatic wildlife experiences available anywhere along the Jersey Shore.
While we observed NYC0318 and NYC0014, additional whales could be seen feeding and surfacing in the distance all around the Jersey Girl. Everywhere we looked, there appeared to be more activity. Whales were surfacing, birds were circling above feeding areas and the ocean seemed completely alive. It truly felt like we were surrounded by a massive offshore feeding event.
This was easily one of our most exciting whale watching trips of the summer. Every trip is different because these are wild animals living freely in the Atlantic Ocean, but days like this demonstrate why Sandy Hook and the northern Jersey Shore have become such productive areas for humpback whale sightings.
We have three trips scheduled for Monday, July 27, giving you several opportunities to get out on the ocean. Choose our affordable, family-friendly morning trip, our traditional 12:15 p.m. whale watching tour or our later 4:15 p.m. ocean adventure. Summer weather is looking beautiful, and with so many whales and dolphins currently feeding along the New Jersey coastline, this is a fantastic time to join us.
Jersey Shore Whale Watch departs from Belmar Marina and welcomes passengers from Belmar, Spring Lake, Point Pleasant, Ocean Grove, Asbury Park, Long Branch, Monmouth Beach, Sandy Hook and throughout New Jersey. Book directly at www.whalesnj.com and come experience the whales, dolphins, seabirds and unexpected wildlife of the Atlantic Ocean aboard the Jersey Girl.
Belmar Beach NJ | Jersey Shore Whale Watch | Gotham Whale | Sandy Hook Wildlife | Pelagic Birding
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