belmar marina whale watching tour Archives - Bill McKim’s Jersey Shore Whale Watch Tour 2023 Season

Opening Day whale watching Success photos

April 9, 2022 // by bill mckim

Our whale watching season started off with a bang! We had perfect spring weather, calm seas and a small crowd. We left the inlet and headed north to search for humpback whales. We were only traveling about 10 minutes when we came upon hundreds of Atlantic Bottle Nose Dolphins. We saw so many dolphins all around the boat. We saw smaller family groups with babies and young dolphins and larger groups too. We spent a little while with them giving everyone on the boat plenty of time to take pictures and videos and just enjoy watching them. Our next stop was finding humpback whales. We continued north past Asbury Park and Deal. We were just off of Long Branch when we spotted our first humpback whale of the season! It was about a mile off shore and we could see it slapping its tail around. As we got closer we could tell that this was a younger whale based on its size. Everyone on the boat was in awe every time the whale surfaced. There is nothing like seeing a humpback whale in the wild! We had plenty of time with the whale so everyone was able to get photos and videos and great views of this majestic animal. The whale was mostly making shallow dives so we never did get to see its tail flukes, but we did get a good look at its dorsal fin that we can use to identify him. We have a database of all the whales we have seen on our trips and each whale is assigned a number. This number is used to identify them for research purposes. While numbering a whale for research is important, calling the whale by its number can be a little drab. So we decided to do something new and fun this year. We are going to allow passengers to name the whales we see on our trips! We often see the same whales numerous times during the season so now our guests will know which whale they are seeing. Joseph DeVoe had the honor of naming our first whale and the name he chose is “Squirt” because of the whale’s small size. We look forward to seeing Squirt many more times this season. If you want a chance to meet Squirt, or maybe to find a new whale you can name yourself, book your trip with us today! Jersey Shore Whale Watching-Guaranteed fun for everyone!
Trisha DeVoe, Naturalist,
Jersey Shore Whale Watch

Saturday June 12th whale watching trip review.

June 12, 2021 // by bill mckim

Saturday whale watching trip report June 12 2021
we left BELMAR marina with a good-sized group of customers headed toward Asbury Park Nj.
‘we had a mix of people on board, many regular repeat whales, many first-timers and a few who were back for their free return whale watching trip, because they had not seen a whale on their first trip this year.
‘We were all well rewarded, we saw three different humpback whales today, and the sea was more adventurous than normal, we all enjoyed a cool day on the ocean.

‘Many customers came up to me after the trip thanking me and the crew for fulling thier lifetime dream of seeing a whale in the wild!

join us soon

BillMckim

Jersey shore whale watching tour

Remember we guarantee you will see a whale on our trip..

Here are some photos

Just off the beach near pier village long branch a whale

A tail slapping good time was had by all

Plenty of room for -expletive of all ages to enjoy a day on the ocean

Amazing Sunday Funday Whale Watching Belmar

October 4, 2020 // by bill mckim

Another amazing whale watching trip we were just 2-3 miles off the coast of Belmar up to Asbury Park at one point we’re up near Long branch Humpback whales everywhere great day we all really enjoyed it and we got some beautiful photos of two whales swimming side-by-side. I love speaking to families on thier first whale watching trip enjoying the ocean.
As I was leaving the parking lot a car stopped, and thanked me for taking them whale watching.Folks you made my day!
I will have some more photos to add.
We will also be holding a whale watching photographing contest with many prizes and categories.

Beautiful October weather today. Https://www.jerseyshorewhalewatchingtour.com

Coming back to the marina after whale watching

whale watching trip 4 whales!

September 17, 2020 // by bill mckim

Wednesday was a great trip. We started with a Minke whale these whales are the smallest of the big whales and are very fast and difficult to photograph Here are a couple images of the Minke whale we saw off Asbury Park Wednesday

Below is a Minke whale off the coast of New Jersey

The minke whales are the second smallest baleen whale; only the pygmy right whale is smaller. Upon reaching sexual maturity (6–8 years of age), males measure an average of 6.9 m (23 ft) and females 8 m (26 ft) in length, respectively. Reported maximum lengths vary from 9.1 to 10.7 m (30 to 35 ft) for females and 8.8 to 9.8 m (29 to 32 ft) for males. Both sexes typically weigh 4–5 t (3.9–4.9 long tons; 4.4–5.5 short tons) at sexual maturity, and the maximum weight may be as much as 10 t (9.8 long tons; 11 short tons).

The minke whale is a black/gray/purple color.^{[clarification needed]} Common minke whales (Northern Hemisphere variety) are distinguished from other whales by a white band on each flipper. The body is usually black or dark-gray above and white underneath. Minke whales in New Jersey have between 240 and 360 baleen plates on each side of their mouths. Most of the length of the back, including dorsal fin and blowholes, appears at once when the whale surfaces to breathe.

Minke whales typically live for 30–50 years; in some cases they may live for up to 60 years.

bait fish long branch nj , whales love menhaden fish

breaching whale 2020 asbury park deal nj — I missed photographing this full out of the water breach, my camera was in stand by mode i wont make that mistake again, whale photography is always fun

Coming back to the marina after a very successful 3 hour whale watching trip

About Finback Whales

August 28, 2020 // by bill mckim

We did see a Finback whale this week off Asbury Park and Deal New Jersey.

CIRCE posted the image and a YouTube video to its Facebook page last week. The video footage shows two of three breaches–the first at 3 seconds and the second at 1:15–and reveal that the cetacean is almost leaping completely free of the water.

Fin whales are the world’s second largest whale species and can measure 80-plus feet, and weigh as much as 70 tons. Because of their immense size, they almost never breach, which makes the rare photo accompanying this story all the more striking.

The image was captured May 22 in the Strait of Gibraltar by a researcher for the Spanish cetacean conservation group, CIRCE (Conservación, Información y Estudio sobre cetáceos).

You never know that you might see on Jersey shore whale watch trips, join us maybe one day we will see it breach like this video,

A Finback Whale on our trip!

August 27, 2020 // by bill mckim

We were all excited to see a Finback whale on our trip. Danielle our naturalist had been talking for days about 2 Finback whales being off the coast of Sandy Hook. we found it Wednesday.The families on the boat went crazy see to humpback whales come close to the boat and then we saw the finback whale and we observed it just swimming along. The whale is so huge it did not fit in my cameras view here are some of the photos i took. Join us soon the trips get better as we head towards fall whale migration season.

The fin whale is the second largest animal to ever live, in the entire history of Earth. Reaching lengths of at least 85 feet (26 m) and weights of 80 tons, this species is second only to its close relative, the blue whale. Their incredible size is only possible because of their aquatic lifestyles and the buoyancy provided by seawater. On land, an animal as large as the fin whale would almost certainly be crushed under its own weight.

We have done over 80 trips this was our first Finback whale sighting! all the otther trips have been Humpback whales and some Minke whales

whale watching trip review August 19 2020

August 20, 2020 // by bill mckim

So Wednesday’s trip was interesting, the morning started with pouring rain possible tornado up near red Bank really dark skies for about an hour. The Jersey shore whale watch phone was ringing off the hook with people asking if their trip was on or off or we going what are we doing. Long story short the skies cleared we all met at the marina in the lightest of a drizzle we got onto the boat the skies continue to clear and we had the most perfect day on the ocean flat season one got sick just a great day too beautiful Wells off of Monmouth County and people were thrilled to be out and enjoy something they’ve never seen Wells frolicking in the ocean on a perfect August day come out and join us soon we have plenty of trips scheduled including this weekend we leave from Belmar we have some trips also from point Pleasant we run the best and safest we are watching trip in New Jersey we guarantee will see you a whale.

whale watching in new jersey best time of year

August 15, 2020 // by bill mckim

whale watching in new jersey best time of year
Peak times
The greatest whale activity at the Jersey Shore is between May and November. This time of year also coincides with the migrations of prey fish, as the water starts to warm in the spring.
I think the best time with the most whales and great weather conditions is September and October in Monmouth County NJ for whale watching.

Whales are usually spotted in New Jersey in the fall as they migrate from Canada to warmer waters near Florida and the Caribbean, and in the spring (April can be amazing)when they head back. The whale and dolphin watching season in New Jersey runs from March to December, and the peak time to go on a sea excursion is from June to begin of November, after that its too cold for most passengers, but the whales are still out there.We saw 4 whales in February 2023 in one day from the beach.

whale watching new jersey

August 11, 2020 // by bill mckim

We go whale watching in New Jersey from April till November, the best months for whale watching on the Jersey Shore.Whales follow the bunker fish and they are now plentiful in our area, join us bring your camera or cellphone, you will get great photos.

Spectacular Marine Wildlife On View For The Lucky Few

Imagine being just feet away from one of the world’s largest mammals in its natural habitat! Onboard our Whale Watching Cruise, you may see humpback whales, bottle-nose dolphins, pelagic birds, sea turtles, and many other species.We have the best Naturalist in the state on board our trips to inform you of the history of whaling in New York and New Jersey. Jersey Shore Whale watch is the leader in whale watching at the Jersey Shore.

best whale watching east coast

August 11, 2020 // by bill mckim

A lot of people ask the question who has the best, best whale watching east coast. I wiould say we are right near the top with over 80 trips and we usually see one or more whales in fact our record is over 80 trips and only 4 misses in 3 years so we ahace a pretty good idea. The whales are sometimes hard to spot in choppy seas or on a foggy day. We also rely on uour vast array of boat friends who might spot a whale and then tell us where they are. Fishermna seem happy to help whale watching boats as we are not competion for each other. Boats captains always return the favor to each other of all kinds of marine sights and fishing tips!

Join us whale watching we go just a couple miles off shore to where we expect to see the whales. Our trips are 3 hours long and are designed to give us enough time to spot the whales

FAQ Whale Watching

Whale Watching FAQ

Here are some of your most asked questions

Can I bring children?

All children are welcome! Please see pricing.

How Long is the Whale Watching Trip?

The trip is around 3 hours this gives us enough time to find and get to the whales. Call us anytime 732.592.6400

How do I get my Tickets for whale watching/ do you take large groups?

You can book your tickets online. You'll then be sent a reservation email; that's all you need. You can also buy tickets at the boat; however, the trip might possibly be sold out that day and there is a slight extra charge. You can purchase your tickets at: https://jerseyshorewhalewatchingtour.com/ If you need further assistance making your reservation or have inquires about larger groups or chartering the boat: Please call us at 732.592.6400

I need to change my trip date how do I do it ?

To change your trip date just email us a reply to your confirmation email telling us what you want to do and I am sure we can help you. We understand plans change and we want you to feel confident when you book with us. We will make sure you have a great trip even if you need to postpone for any reason.

Where do we park at the Belmar Marina?

There is plenty of free and paid parking. On a beautiful summer day the marina can be crowded so try parking at the Belmar Arts Center and just walk the 5 mins to the boat. You can also drive north along the marina and look for the signs that say additional parking. You will go under the RT.35 overpass; there you will see additional parking. It is a short walk back from that parking area to our boat. The docks for the charter boats are north of the Marina Grille building near the big bridge. Call us at 732.592.6400 if you are lost or need help. The GPS address for whale watching in Belmar is 905 Route 35 Belmar Marina.

Can you bring your own food and drink?

Yes! you can bring your own beverages and snacks. There are light snacks and soft beverages sold on board if you prefer. Please remember to bring your sunblock, camera or cellphone and don't forget to dress in layers! However, we do have t-shirts (long and short) and sweatshirts for sale if you need one on the trip or just want to take home a souvenir.

Will we really see a whale ?

Whale Guarantee Every Tour If you do not see a whale with us you can come again for FREE, on another trip that season prior to Labor Day. This is not a gimmick — our passion is to show guests whales. You can simply reply back to your "no whale trip" email or call us.

We're serious about finding whales.

Did you know that humpbacks, and Minke whales can travel more than 100 miles in a 24 hour period? To increase our chances of seeing whales each day, Jersey Shore Whale Watch uses a variety of tools. Over the past 6 years, our spotting network has evolved into the most sophisticated sightings network on the entire Jersey Shore. We work with other whale watch vessels, land-based spotters, researchers, dive boats, early morning fishermen, water taxis, tug boats, and ferry boats to help locate whales in the area. If the whales are here, we know it. We understand our guests’ passion to see whales in the wild — that’s why we’ve developed our guarantee. Please remember that we cannot control what the whales do or where the whales go each day. What we can give you is the highest possible chance of seeing whales due to our quick vessel speed and convenient departure locations. No company sees whales more than Jersey SHore Whale Watch — the proof is in our whale reports.

How long does the whale stay under water?

Our resident naturalist Danielle Brown will tell you that humpback whales can go as long as 45 mins without returning to the surface to breathe! We are in their feed area so being they are constantly feeding while here in New Jersey. They usually breathe every 2 to 5 minutes; making them easier to see and enjoy.

Do the tickets get mailed out fast?

Yes! The booking system is automated so you'll receive an email right away. All you need to board the boat is your paid reservation number. If you forget your number we can look it up prior to boarding. The boarding process is pretty simple! Please arrive 45 mins before departure we do not wait for late arrivals. The boat passes under a train bridge that is only raised once every 30 minutes, so we must leave on time.

Our resident naturalist Danilelle Brown point the way. She is working on her PHD at Rutgers in Marine Biology and loves whale research

just another day at the office for Danielle with a whale breach in the background August 2020

One of our whale watching boat captains and his beautiful daughter — One of our boat captains and his beautiful daughter

SO get your family or group together and join us we even have many people that come alone on our trips! Bring your sunscreen and camera dress in layers, the ocean is cooler than inland! Any questions call us at 732.451.6003 so yes you can see whales in New Jersey and New York, join us best whale watching east coast Jersey Shore Whale watch

Whale Watching Trip Report Belmar and Asbury Park NJ Sunday June 14th

belmar marina whale watching tour

FAQ Whale Watching

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