Jersey Shore Whale Watching Tours — Local services in Belmar

Sailed today. Had a great experience. The Jersey Girl was comfortable and spacious - even though the trip was sold out, we didn't feel cramped or crowded. The crew was engaged, friendly, and knowledgeable. The naturalist spoke in genuine tone - didn't sound scripted, and it never felt felt as if she had (which we expect she has) shared the same info a zillion times. The info was concise and interesting, and the young woman who shared the baleen and booklet was enthusiastic and friendly. And we saw a humpback whale...closer than we ever anticipated (swam under the boat, directly where we were standing). So a pretty perfect trip, and we plan to take another.

The facilities were clean and well maintained. Snacks were as expected, and the team at the snack bar patient and effective. (Kudos to the young man whom I watched being grilled about the hot dogs.) Coolers are allowed, but no one had anything outrageously large. Apparently radios are also allowed, a policy we hope the owners will rethink, as it's impossible to escape someone else's choice in music, and the noise seems inappropriate to the setting.

Why not five stars , then? Because the woman at the dock (we took the afternoon trip, so we were queueing at about 11:30 am) almost spoiled the day for us. We are new to the area, never expected a whale tour so close to home , and we booked almost immediately after seeing the tour pop up on our Google map. In our eagerness, we missed seeing the opportunity to upgrade , and only heard about it at the dock. We would have happily doubled the price of our trip (already crazy reasonable) to upgrade our seating. But when we asked about the price and process, this woman was incredibly condescending and insulting, as if she couldn't believe we could even pay for the trip... and made that clear in her tone in front of everyone in the queue. After which she politely escorted the couple in front of us through the process. It was embarrassing, and, quite honestly, nearly ruined the day. As our first encounter with part of the team, we were insulted and underwhelmed and had we not been so eager to see our first whale, and had such difficult schedules to manage, we'd have just left and booked elsewhere. Mebbe she was a temp - certainly she wasn't as professional in appearance or tone as the rest of the team we encountered - but she was our first impression of the crew and it nearly cost them two customers. Absolutely it took the shine off our morning. Glad the rest of the team weren't as unpleasant. One note. We are not a traditional couple, and have to wonder if she was flexing her personal bias. No one else on the boat was anything but welcoming....if that's why we were treated with disrespect, it's clear she doesn't appropriately represent...

I booked my trip May 28th for a whale watching tour to take place on September 28th. A couple days before my tour, they automatically rebooked my tour for a different time. The day before the trip, they rebooked me twice. Then less than 12 hours before the trip they cancelled the experience.

To be clear, I understand all the cancelling and rebooking for weather issues and I am not complaining about that. However when I called to speak to someone October 11th, no one answered so I left a message. I also sent an email on the 11th expressing my request for a refund since I will not be back in NJ.

I received no reply. So I called again today and was greeted by a man, who claimed to be the boss, named Bill. I explained that no one has gotten back to me and I would like a resolution.

Bill then became confrontational. Questioning when I emailed and if I emailed. I attempted to spell out my information so he could find my booking and he proceeded to tell me he is "not smart" and originally denied receiving my email or message.

I expressed that I will not be back in NJ and I wanted a refund. Bill then got even more rude. Swearing at me, being a total jerk, and he was definitely not helpful nor friendly at all. I couldn't believe how rude Bill was, my jaw was literally on the ground with the way he spoke to me.

Apparently Bill did some research on his end while he was talking crap, and saw that I was refunded on the 12th and kept telling me to "check with my bank". I questioned why they couldn't communicate that and Bill just got even more caddy and rude to me. I absolutely told Bill how shocked I was at how rude he was, which caused him to become even more confrontational.

All I wanted was a refund. Instead I had to experience Bill, who was extremely rude and confrontational with me. I eventually hung up the phone because he was so rude and pathetic.

After the call I did some research and saw a refund for 75% of my booking was refunded on the 12th. I'm not sure why they could not tell me that and why Bill had to be so caddy and rude to me for asking for assistance.

Needless to say, I will never book with this company again and I definitely do NOT recommend using their services. Mostly because if something goes wrong, they are extremely unfriendly and refuse to assist and...

I have been in many whale watching expeditions ranging from Maine to Florida, but never have I had the pleasure of experiencing a event like the Jersey Shore Whale Watching tour. Bill and his Crew are the most professional, dedicated, and responsible tour company around. They are so confident in their mission and service that they even offer a free return trip if you do not see a whale; in fact I recently returned on a expedition (for free) and saw a playfully curious Humpback Whale. Thank you Jersey Shore Whale Watching Tours for being so awesome and for the amazing experience.

With over 400+ Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) spotted and cataloged in the New York/New Jersey waters though the non-for-profit research organization Gotham Whale, it makes trips on the Jersey Girl kind of like your very own local ocean safari. Remember, it is not a zoo so there is no guarantee that you will find whales. With that being said though, the adventure of searching for these majestic creatures adds a thrill of possibilities to the search. Plus, it’s always a beautiful day hanging out in the ocean.

Recently, I participated in one of their 12-hour Marine Life and Pelagic Bird Expeditions. On Wednesday, October 9, 2024 a mixed group of eager marine biologists, naturalists, photographers, ornithologists, and adventure seekers traveled 40+ miles off the coast of NJ/NY aboard the Jersey Shore Whale Watch’s vessel, the Jersey Girl, in search for offshore birds, Whales, dolphins, turtles, and anything else that wanted to present itself to us. At the end of the day, we spotted: 13 humpback whales; 3 of which were calves 17 Bird Species 2 Loggerhead Sea Turtles 1 Leatherback Sea Turtle 100s of Mauve Stingers (jellyfish) Large school of Yellowfin Tuna and 2 Monarch Butterflies

FYI - they offer a 12 and 24 hour expeditions periodically for which I stand behind 1000%. We saw numerous fin whales, minke whales, and humpback whales.

Disclaimer: The crew of Jersey Shore Whale Watch and Gotham Whale follows the strict rules and regulations set forth by whale sense.

Reminder: Give Wildlife Space - Make sure to bring binoculars or a camera with a telephoto lens, and give our wildlife the respect they deserve by not...