During the summer we will take up to six people per cruise, three days a week from June 16 to September 11 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Cruises last a full day (7 AM - approximately 4 PM), and cost $125 per person for members, and $140 per person for non-members (join when you make your reservation and receive the member price!). All trips are conducted with Whale Center staff and U.S. Coast Guard licensed captains for your safety. $50 of the fare is tax-deductible; all of the fare goes to support our work at The Whale Center of New England.

A trip aboard the Mysticete is truly a unique experience. By spending more time on the water, we hope to see a variety of whale species and behaviors, and come to understand more about the lives of whales than can be experienced on a short whale watch. Because we have more time, we have the option of going farther out than whale watch boats can. In the past our most important sightings and identification photos, especially from humpback whale mother-calf pairs, have taken place aboard our former research boat, Silver II.

A day aboard the Mysticete will provide you with an unparalleled opportunity for not only seeing whales and their behaviors, but for learning about the research we are doing at The Whale Center. You will have the chance to really understand what data is being collected, why it is important, and how it is being used to help understand and conserve New England’s whales. Cruises include a variety of components, depending upon what nature offers on a given day. This year we will emphasize photo-identification censuses of the whales in one or more areas, detailed behavioral observations (especially of humpback whale mother-calf pairs), and surveys of whale prey using sonar systems (to correlate with whale behavior). We may also explore areas where public whale watch boats don't go, to see if whales are present. These trips are also very different from public whale watches; there is no structured narration, although there is ample opportunity to interact with the Whale Center scientists in informal discussion. Further, the smaller vessel and more intimate setting gives you an experience absolutely unique in the New England area!

Reservations Policy: Due to the limited number of times that we run Mysticete with passengers, and the very limited number of spaces available per trip, we have the following policies:

• Reservations are required for all trips.
• When making reservations, one half of the fare must be placed as a non-refundable deposit, unless the trip is canceled by us: $62.50 for members; $70 for non-members.
• Any time up to 2 weeks prior to the trip you will lose the non-refundable deposit given when you made the reservations.
• Between 2 weeks and 48 hours before the trip there will be a 50% charge of the remaining balance: $31.25 for members; $35 for non-members.
• From 48 hours to the time of the trip you will be charged the remaining balance; there is no refund, unless canceled by us.
• Our scientists may decide one week in advance to cancel the trip if low whale numbers make the research trip impractical. You will be notified the day the decision is made. You may either have your deposit refunded, or reschedule your trip.
• Reservations are accepted from the public starting April 15. Members can register prior to April 30, as well as afterwards.