Jersey Shore Whale Watching
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Election Day Whale Watch – 4/11/25
We had an amazing group onboard today from the Manalapan High School science classes, and what a trip they picked! The students were treated to four different humpback whales, all feeding just one to two miles off the beaches of Spring Lake, Sea Girt, and Manasquan. Even with the breeze, the ocean stayed surprisingly calm,…
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A Day of Dolphins, Whales, and Pure Excitement – 16/8/25
Today’s trip aboard the Jersey Girl was one of those unforgettable afternoons that remind us why we do this every day. From the moment we left Belmar Marina, there was a sense of anticipation in the air. Passengers scanned the horizon, cameras in hand, wondering what amazing wildlife encounters the ocean would bring. None of…
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Humpback Mugging
I have so many, it was tough to pick, just one. But there was an encounter with a pair of humpback whales a few years ago. So in addition to being the director of research for Gotham Whale, I also work as a naturalist on • Jersey Shore Whale Watch. And one day we had a random trip in the middle of the week. And it was a high school, it was only a two hour, which is a shorter trip. And you know, high school kids, they’re just happy to be out of school, right? But little did they know, they would probably have this life changing experience with these two humpback whales. We came across them and they approached us, which does not happen all the time. It does happen, but it’s not often that they are watching you versus you watching them. And they decided to interact with the boat for about two hours. These two whales, they essentially rubbed their rostrums on the hull of the boat and were rolling upside down looking at these students that were looking over the side and could not believe what they were seeing. Basically were giving us all of these behaviors that we hadn’t seen for the entire year. And I know these things happen more often elsewhere, right. But for us, it was amazing to see them spy hopping next to the boat, looking at us. To see them lifting their flipper, practically touching these students. And to see them move away and then purposely turn around and come back while we were sitting there in complete neutral and watching these whales. It really was just one of the most incredible experiences. Them spouting on us and, you know, and me being able to actually show them parts of their anatomy up close, which was so cool. And then trying to explain to these students that this does not happen all the time. This is not normal. This is a very unique, very special experience. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that. -Danielle This post was adapted from a voice recording in episode 80 of the Whale Tales Podcast, listen here.
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Incredible Offshore Trip! – 9/10/24
Words cannot express how incredible today’s offshore trip was! As the owner of Jersey Shore Whale Watch, I’ve been fortunate enough to experience countless moments on the ocean, but today’s adventure was truly something special. We headed about 40 miles offshore into deeper waters, and what we encountered was beyond what any of us could…
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A Whale-Filled Monday on the Jersey Girl – 14/10/24
What a day Monday turned out to be! We ran not one, but two whale-watching trips, and the ocean didn’t disappoint—it was a whale-packed adventure from start to finish, even with the brisk wind and chilly temperatures adding to the excitement. Our first trip of the day brought out a lively holiday crowd, ready for…