Jersey Shore Whale Watch Trip Report — Wednesday, November 4, 2026

By Bill McKim aboard Jersey Girl

T-shirt weather in November, a beautiful ocean, and a humpback whale throwing its tail into the air. About 75 passengers joined us aboard Jersey Girl today, and what an afternoon we had along the Jersey Shore!

A Humpback Whale Right Outside Shark River Inlet

Just like yesterday, we spotted a humpback whale off Avon-by-the-Sea shortly after heading out of Shark River Inlet in Belmar. We didn’t have to travel far to find the action.

His first move? Throwing that big tail into the air! You see that and immediately think, “OK, this is going to be a great day.”

There was heavy boat traffic around the whale, and it wasn’t easy for Captain Charlie to maneuver Jersey Girl into position. But he did a great job working through the situation and giving our passengers a chance to enjoy the sighting.

Whale Watching Along Avon, Belmar, and Spring Lake

We followed the whale through the waters off Avon, Belmar, and toward Spring Lake, eventually getting away from the pack of boats. That made all the difference.

With more room around us, Captain Charlie could position Jersey Girl so passengers on both sides of the boat had a wonderful view. Everyone had a chance to watch, take pictures, and enjoy being out on the ocean on an unusually warm November afternoon.

Photos below by season pass holder Linda i have watch her photography skills really improve over the years.

A Message to Boaters: Slow Down Around Whales

    There’s something from today’s trip that’s worth talking about. At this point, most local boaters recognize our big, beautiful red-and-white Jersey Girl. “WHALE WATCHING” is written on the side in letters you really can’t miss! If you boat out of Belmar or Point Pleasant, chances are you’ve seen us.

So when we’re sitting still with 75 passengers looking over one side, that’s a pretty good clue there’s something in the water worth slowing down for.

Yet we watched some private boats speed right through the area where the whale had just surfaced and dived. Watching that happen makes you wonder whether they’re giving the whale any thought at all.

That certainly isn’t everybody. Plenty of boaters are considerate and give these animals room. But some of the behavior we see really makes you scratch your head.

    A Full Breach as We Were Leaving

Back to our afternoon: just as we were pulling away, the whale launched into a full breach! I caught the landing out of the corner of my eye, and then he started throwing his tail again.

Quite a farewell! You can spend all that time watching, and the moment you start to leave, the whale gives you another reason to keep looking.

A Beautiful Ride Along the Jersey Shore

We continued down toward Manasquan to look for dolphins. We didn’t find any today, but the ride back along Spring Lake was absolutely beautiful.

After about two hours and 45 minutes, we returned to the dock with a boatload of happy passengers. A wonderful whale encounter, warm November weather, and an afternoon on the ocean—it’s hard to ask for much more than that.

Photos From Our November 4 Whale-Watching Trip

Take a look through the photos from today’s trip! If you were aboard, you might spot yourself in the pictures or some of my videos. Thanks to everyone who joined us and helped make it such an enjoyable afternoon.

Thanks, everyone!

Bill & the Jersey Girl crew