We opted for the 3-hour whale and dolphin cruise (as opposed to the 2-hour dolphin cruise), and we went on a Tuesday afternoon towards the end of June.
As the captain navigated through the inlet out into the Delaware Bay, we saw birds of prey in their natural habitatāa bald eagle and a few osprey (if I recall the latter correctly). In both cases the birds had nests there, so itās likely that for any given cruise, passengers would see these birds. They were a nice addition to the experience.
The captain narrated continuously throughout the cruise, pointing out sights and information about dolphins and whales. Whenever we encountered a pod of dolphins, the captain would steer the boat towards them and allow passengers plenty of time to see and photograph these wonderful creatures. The captain received a current report on the last known whale sighting and headed towards that area, but alas, the whales had already moved on. Here are some other things you may want to know:
Seating:
1) There is lots of outdoor seating, some of which is out in the open and some of which is under cover.
2) There is also indoor seating with plenty of windows and air conditioning.
3) There are seats on two levels of the boat: the main level and an upper level.
4) The seating goes around the perimeter of the boat. There are sections in the bow (main level) and stern (both levels) for multiple passengers. There are also benches along the outer and inner sides in some places.
5) All seating is first-come, first served.
Other Considerations:
1) You will see lots of other boats on the water (cruise ships, sail boats, sightseeing boats, and tankers), and they make for some nice photos. You also get really nice views of the coastline. For instance, you get some great views of the WWII Tower and the Cape May Lighthouse. It was also nice to see the marinas, houses, and wetlands along the inlet.
2) There really is no ābetterā side of the boat to sit. We saw plenty of dolphins on both sides.
3) Overall, the boat ride was rather steadyāvery little pitching or rolling.
4) Food and beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) can be bought on board.
5) Binoculars are available on board for rent.
6) There are, of course, bathrooms on board. Be advised that the use of one may not be the most stable experience! They are also not the most spacious accommodations.
7) In retrospect, the 2-hour cruise might have been better, given the fact that encountering whales doesnāt seem to be likelyābased on our experience and on several comments to that effect from other reviewers. Unless you are willing to add the extra hour to your cruise to just enjoy the ride and the sights, the shorter one will serve the same purpose as the longer one: seeing dolphins.
8) I heard a crew member saying that the boat could hold something like 400 people (I donāt think they are allowed to go that high), but for our trip there were about 125 passengers on board.
9) We had a discount coupon for this attraction, which made it all the more desirable. Check online to see what is available.
10) There is free parking in a lot right across the street.
Overall, our experience was quite enjoyable. The only reason I did not rate it at five dots is because we did not see any whales. Would I recommend this attraction, and would I do it again? Sure. For us it was a novel adventure that was worth the time and cost.
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