Dolphin Fleet

My girlfriend and I had a great time whale watching. The total time was about 4 hours out in the ocean. We had a great view of the shore lines on the way out and the guide was very knowledgeable about whales with the different species we might see. Where their breeding/​feeding grounds are. We saw about a dozen whales and some of which were 5 feet away from the boat. Those were the highlights of the cruise. There was 3 hours of daydreaming and sunbathing then that 1 hour of whale excitement.
There are food and drinks on the lower deck, which in my opinion is very expensive… a plain burger with just cheese is about $ 7 what a rip off! The size of the Dolphin fleet was decent and carried a few hundred people but I also felt that there were to many cause we didn’t have enough space to sit in different areas of the boat.
They also need to upgrade the speaker system. We couldn’t hear what the guide was saying over the loud motor noise near the back of boat.

This was a great time and we had so much fun! We saw different species of whales and even Dolphins! The tour guide was knowledgable and the ship was large and well-​kept! Highly recommend!

Thought this was a good whale watch tour, but with a few minor drawbacks.
First, the good:
1. Boat left right on time and was a nice-​sized craft with plenty of room on top and sides for viewing the whales, and also large enough to smooth out the rougher seas.
2. Whale guide was extremely knowledgeable about whales, not just in the local area, but also with the biology and migration pattern of the whales. These guys are real scientists, not just tour guides!
3. Boat captain was excellent at maneuvering the ship around to get right next to the whales and all the boat crew were very professional and courteous.
4. Front desk personnel were very accommodating and friendly. We had to change our tour time from 12pm to 1:30pm and they did it with no problem whatsoever. I was afraid they’d say no and we’d lose our money, but they were very cool about it.
5. Price was fair ($ 44 with a $ 2 coupon), given the amount of fuel and time they use on the tour.
Here are the drawbacks:
1. The speaker system on these boats should be updated with more speakers added, because if you’re on the bottom deck, you can only hear the guide in certain areas and in certain seats. In the seats we were in, in the middle of the boat, we couldn’t hear anything.
2. The tour is a little long: 3 – 4 hours. I know that at times they have to go further out in the ocean, however, it does seem like they could cut it down to 2 – 3 hours and at the same time cut the cost of the tour cause of less fuel used. Because at the current 3 – 4 hours, it takes up a lot of your daylight time during day, and on a weekend-​only trip, this is a lot of precious time.
3. Unless you get really lucky, you’re only going to see the tops and backs of the whales, or maybe a dorsal or tail fin. Otherwise, if you were in a breeding area, like the Caribbean or Cabo San Lucas, you’d see the whales jumping almost completely out of the water, which is way much more fun to watch. As the water is colder in the Northeast and food is plentiful, the whales are stocking up on fish and conserving their energy for the long trip down to the Caribbean to breed, so they don’t do much jumping. But once in the Caribbean where the water is warmer and they are trying to breed, they jump completely out of the water or do fin flapping to show off to potential mates. When the whales are in the Northeast, they’re pretty boring to watch to be honest. But this isn’t a fault of the tour operator, obviously.
Overall, this is a good tour with some minor drawbacks, and Dolphin Fleet is an excellent tour operator, and you’re almost guaranteed to see whales (albeit not much action from them as they don’t do any acrobatics). So, if you don’t think you’ll ever make it to the Caribbean or Cabo to do whale watching, then this is the next best thing.

I can’t say enough good things about Dolphin Fleet. I’ve been going on their whale watches every year and have never been disappointed!
The boat goes pretty fast, and that’s fun all by itself! I’ve never gotten sea sick, but if the water is really rough, they recommend you take Dramamine just in case.
If you are an animal lover, nature lover, interested I life in any sort of way, seeing the largest mammal launch itself into the air will take your breath away! I’ve always seen so many whales on every trip I’ve had with Dolphin Fleet and it’s amazing to watch these animals– well worth the trip, wherever you’re coming from.
The reason I’m writing the review today is because I had plans to go with friends this afternoon, but unfortunately there was a flight delay and blah blah blah. When I called to see if I could cancel the five tickets I purchased last week, I didn’t expect it to be so easy. The staff member I spoke to was so kind and friendly and they were able to refund me.
Couldn’t recommend this company more!

We were staying in Boston and wanted to go whale watching but read the leaving from Boston. they go to the same spots as Provincetown Ma but they have to go farther. So they have to go faster and it’s a bumper … ride which had a lot of people puking. My husband has a issue with that so we drove to Provincetown and went with Dolphin fleet. Only one person got sick but they puked right on a baby stroller with baby in it.
it was chilly so bring a jacket. We stayed up top for the view but when down after it got to going fast. One the first part of the trip you see a few lighthouses so have your camera ready. We didn’t see any whales breach but saw some tails and noses.

We bought our tickets online for the whale watch in advance since we were driving up to P-​Town from a couple hours down the Cape. The ticket had no specific instructions, but logically we decided to get there early and get in line without any guidance, basically common tourist-​type sense. Upon getting there we were told by a very abrasive and cranky lady that they had sold our tickets and we would not be able to get on the boat and there was no guarantee of us getting on a boat at all. Needless to say, we were shocked and unfortunately there were several other families that fell victim to this oddity. The girl was absolutely no help, but upon calling the main office they were more than accommodating. We didn’t get seats on the boat, but who sits down on a whale watch anyways? It was worth complaining to get on the boat as it was one of the best whale watches I have ever been on. We were out on the water for almost 3 hours and saw well over a dozen whales who were what seemed like within arms reach of the boat. If they get a better internet purchase policy or more competent people working the ticket windows at the dock, this is a can’t pass up thing to do in P-​Town.

We had a wonderful trip and saw tons of whales. Amazing!

We always really enjoy taking Dolphin Fleet trips. Very friendly staff and professional crew and this last trip was amazing. This is a must visit when you go to Provincetown!

My wife has never been on a whale watch, so we decided to give this a try.
Despite leaving early, we hit awful traffic and there was no parking available nearly. We ended up missing out 1:30 reservation. However, Dolphin has multiple boats (more than the other whale watch companies we have seen) and had another boat leaving at 2pm that we were able to take.
The overall experience was very positive. The sightings were unbelievable! The Captain and Crew clearly know what they are doing.
Food and drinks are available on the boat (cash only, and a bit overpriced).
Our only complaint is the sound system. There were very few places in the boat you could hear the commentary which was quite frustrating. Because of the wind, we were inside of the boat and it was impossible to hear what was being said (it sounded like the teacher from Charlie Brown). If you were on the right side of the boat, near the front, you could hear what they were saying. If you were not right upfront, you could not hear it. There was no speaker at all on the left side of the boat. We did not attempt to go on the upper deck because of the wind and sun.
The seas were rough on the way out (thanks for roller coaster ride at no additional cost!).

Best ever!!! So many whales, singles and groups of them! I cannot believe how close to the boat they were. An amazing family day and terrific crew! Thanks so much! Plenty of room to walk about, clean boat and bathrooms and super friendly staff. Weather was perfect and the whales came to play for sure! We would definitely do this again!

We booked the 1:30 pm tour on a Tuesday. The boat was not full, the scientist on board was amazing, she explained everything about the whales and their life. We saw about 40 – 50 whales, it was unbelievable, they jumped out of the water, and we really enjoyed it a lot.

What a great trip! The staff onboard (Dolphin VIII) were very friendly and accommodating. Be aware that the boat ride out to the «viewing area» is about an hour — each way. Pack a lunch or at least some snacks. The snack bar is cash only.
I read reviews of other whale watching companies and they complained of only seeing one type of whale or the same whales over and over. We saw about 11 whales in total — or maybe the same 5 over and over again. Either way, it was cool! This isn’t the zoo. The whales aren’t just out there waiting for us to show up. You may see several varieties or you may see just one. Enjoy the experience! These are special creatures!

I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure! Walking down MacMillian pier, we boarded a fairly packed, big ship we had a good captain, 70 degree weather and calm seas working for us. We saw maybe 5 – 10 humpback whales, a rare sighting of a full finback body, and a few seals. After a 45 minute comfortable ride out to sea, we starting seeing Salt’s grandchild very frequently. My favorite part was: following a jumping school of baitfish at the surface who was trying to evade an ensuing humpback. This whale was within 50 feet of the boat and leaped out of the water, open-​mouthed, catching a bunch of fish! Honestly, jaw dropping!
Recommendations:
–Order tickets online to ensure a seat at your desired time and *use coupon code «Whale,» for $ 2 off/​ticket.
–Pack a cooler with food and drink, it’s easy to stock up with goodies while walking along Commerical St.
–Pack warmly, and snag a rail spot at the bow for arguably the best views.

I had the best time on the whale watching. 3 hours of fun. Get the tickets online and you will save a couple dollars. I saw more then 7 whales multiple times, a baby whale, took lots of pictures and have unforgettable moments! A must visit in Provincetown.

Had a great time whale watching with Dolphin Fleet. We booked online but unfortunately our 1030am time was cancelled due to lack of tickets sold, therefore we were bumped to the 130pm slot. This worked fine for us as it allowed us to sleep in more and have lunch
The boat actually looks like the silhouette of a dolphin from a birds eye view due to the nose. The boat is large and has an area that is enclosed which worked out well because it was cold outside when we went. Luckily the tour was not that crowded and allowed us to move around the boat rather freely because sometimes you would have a whale on one side of the boat, then need to run to the other side for a glimpse of a different whale.
The company guarantees that you will see a whale and we saw lots. First we encountered some fin whales, that I learned was the second largest animal on earth just behind the giant blue whale. We also were fortunate enough to see humpback whales feeding and several calves of both fin whales and humpback whales.
The boat does offer snacks and drinks onboard in case you get hungry and has bathroom facilities. The whole tour takes about 3 hours and I felt like I got plenty of time out on the water. The water was fairly calm, so I had no problems with sea sickness. Still I would take a motion sickness pill before you go just in case. You don’t want to be sick while whale watching.

Had a great time, on a great day, with a great boat. Lots of whales was the bonus. This boat is clean and comfortable. The guide was informative. I definitely recommend this if you happen to find yourself on Cape Cod in the summer. I will be back this year!

We had an amazing time on the Dolphin VIII this weekend. We decided to go whale watching last minute and signed up online. (Coupon code «whale» gives you $ 2 off)
Like most deep sea boat rides I expected to see very little. This is not the case here! In a three hour trip we saw lots & lots of humpback whales, minke and fin whales too. They know exactly where to go in the Stellwagen Bank Sanctuary.
I really enjoyed the commentary during the trip — they had a naturalist explaining each whale species, their behaviors and how to tell if a whale is about to break the water’s surface. They also knew the names of returning whales, their calves and history.
Tip: look for the jumping sand lances and blue green bubble spots! You can also pay attention to wear the birds are gathering — since the whales are pushing the food to the surface before they gulp, the birds like to hang out there too.
Food: there is food & beer on board which I had read in a previous review. I didn’t realize you could bring on your own food and beverage from local places. I’d do that and enjoy on the ride there or back.
Enjoyyyy!

We really got our money’s worth with the P-​Town Dolphin Fleet during our May vacation in New England. We saw so many whales it was like they had been trained and paid to put on a show for us. We saw more than 20, including several whale families that converged at one time. My cellphone camera is unfortunately not quite good enough to have taken good pictures, but I won’t soon forget the experience. The whale expert was friendly and engaging, interesting to listen to. I ended the tour fully satisfied with the experience.
The only thing for me was how choppy the water was, which obviously is not the fleet’s fault. The boat was really rocking for a lot of the tour, which didn’t feel great to me. I got pretty nervous with us being almost out of sight of land. But it still was very much worth doing.

Before going into a full review, let me say that this year has been an extremely good year for whale sightings (according to our ship’s crew), so my review is based on the fact that we had a great cruise with well over a dozen whales spotted, including a very large Fin Whale that circled our ship multiple times. Your mileage may vary, but if you want to know the specifics of the cruise, read on.
Now, the details: We were in PTown for a long weekend vacation and didn’t really have anything planned, so we stopped by the Dolphin Fleet ticket office to see if we could jump on ship without any advance booking. The main office is easy to find, right on the main road leading up to the wharf, and buying tickets took 30 seconds for a ship leaving a few hours later that day. So far so good!
We went on the 1 pm trip and it wasn’t too crowded. The lower deck was fairly full of people but the upper deck was more than half empty, so we gladly braved the ocean winds to have more space to move around and enjoy the sights. As it turns out, the ship’s naturalist/​tour guide starts out on the second deck, so if you want to chat with him/​her then that’s another reason to go up there. On our ship we had a really awesome woman who teaches high-​school science during the off-​season, she was extremely knowledgeable and kept things interesting throughout the cruise.
Make sure you have these things with you at a minimum: a jacket (the wind is cold even in august), sunglasses (the sun is blinding out on the ocean and you don’t want to be squinting when you’re whale-​spotting) and drinks/​snacks (unless you enjoy overpriced cash-​only snack bars). The cruise will be about 3 hours, maybe a little longer depending on how far out your ship goes to find whales.
As for the whales, which is really the whole point of the trip, it was everything I expected it to be and then some. After the initial 20-​minute ride to clear the bay, we started spotting whales almost immediately, and the sightings never stopped for the 2 hours following that. The majority of whales we saw were Fin Whales, with a couple Humpbacks and Minkes mixed in as well. The types and numbers of whales you will see can be completely different based on when you go, though, and it sounded like our trip was pretty exceptional and not the norm at all. Regardless, it was well worth the money and, in my opinion, a mandatory activity for anyone coming to this area.

Provincetown is one of the best places in the world if you are looking to go whale watching. It is very close to the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, an 842-​square-​mile federally protected area.
If you leave from a whale watcher in Barnstable Harbor, then your trip is just going to be an hour or so longer. If you choose the Dolphin Fleet (or another P-​town whale watch), your trip will be about 3 – 4 hours. You will probably see your first whale after an hour or so.
The Dolphin Fleet claims to be the oldest organized whale watching organization in Provincetown. The prices are a bit steep, but there are AAA and Internet coupon discounts available.
On my trip on July 5, 2013, we followed a humpback whale named «Nile» around for an hour. There were several other whale watchers around Nile, but we seemed to be in the best position.
Each Dolphin Fleet whale watch is led by a tour guide that gives a talk on the upper level and in the closed-​in area in the lower level. My group stayed near the bow of the ship, so we could only hear our tour guide – but honestly, we were not too interested in her lecture.
Tips: I was told that temperatures are about 10 – 15 degrees cooler when you’re out in the Sanctuary. On a hot summer day, you will be fine in shorts and T-​shirts. It will feel pretty nice. But, if your ship leaves later in the day or in the off-​season, then come prepared!