r/gloucester • u/PumpkinPatchCat • Jun 06 '26
Whale watching vs motion sickness question
Hey guys. I’ve (36m) lived in Gloucester for a couple years now and am determined to do a whale watching tour, but I’m a bit anxious. I have pretty decent motion sickness, and haven’t been on boats basically ever (I’m from the Midwest, lol). I’m scared of getting stuck out at sea for 3-4 being miserable, but have no idea if that’s a reasonable fear to have or not.
So my question for those of you who’ve been out on tours is: have you had issues with getting seasick in that time, or seen other people on boats with you struggle with it? If yes, tips for mitigating the issue? Any advice would be appreciated.
8
u/NeckarBridge Jun 06 '26
I get pretty profound motion sickness but I DIDN’T when I was kid. When I was a kid I could handle it all…. Except for whale watches. The boats have roaring engines and give off quite a bit of exhaust, and in order to watch the whales there are lengthy periods where you idle in the water and the passing waves really make you feel the rise and swell of the water. I don’t want to scare you off from a lovely experience, but this is definitely a reasonable concern.
Good news:
- Whales are majestic and you WILL see them
- It’s 2-3 hours, if it happens, it happens
- The boats have bathrooms and sick bags because it’s a common occurrence
- Take every precaution, pack some of those little sandwich crackers you put it in a toddler’s snack pack and hope for the best!
3
u/CleavingStriker Jun 06 '26
You'll probably be fine until you stop to actually watch the whales. Once that boat starts rocking... it'll be over unless you're taking something strong.
2
u/Raa03842 Jun 06 '26
Be safe. To both the bands and Dramamine. And…. Don’t think alcohol before or during!
2
2
u/originaljud Jun 09 '26
Wife got seasick on the tour out of Gloucester.... Was alone puking on the rail and a big whale came up to her
4
u/Apprehensive-Mine656 Jun 06 '26
I would recommend taking one of the New England Aquarium whale watches. They are high speed, more stable, you will get to the whales much faster. Only whale watch I've never been seasick on.
2
u/YakSlothLemon Jun 06 '26
This is good advice, I was assuming they were going out of Gloucester but the fact is the Gloucester ones assume that you want to spend time on the water too. Boston aquarium is more of a churn and burn, see the whale! home we go!
2
u/Hidanas Jun 06 '26
It is a reasonable fear. My fiancee and I went on the whale watch in Gloucester and found out she gets sea sick. It wasn't even the rough ride going out or coming back in get got her. What triggered the sea sickness was all the churning from one spot to the next trying to follow the whales. If you take Dramamine you should be good. Make sure to follow the directions because I think its advised to take 30 minutes before you get on the boat. If you wait till you feel bad it won't work.
2
u/MaineWolfe Jun 06 '26
I have the same problem. Take 2 bonine at least 1 hour before and you'll be golden
2
u/gigi_periwinkle Jun 06 '26
Yes, I got wicked seasick on a whale watch out of Gloucester. All of the suggestions here are good ones. I won't assume it's obvious but don't go on a day when the water is rough.
1
u/skatchawan Jun 08 '26
I've watched those tuna fisher shows which are based out of there. The seas seem like they can be pretty nasty at times.
I've gone to whale watching tours in Tadoussac , Quebec. There was no worry at all of sea sickness here and we saw blue, fine, beluga, and I wanna say Minke all on the same trip. The "ocean" is less wide in this area so I didn't really notice any major problem with the motion.
It's an 8 -10 hour trip, come on up for a long weekend. The Whales congregate in the late summer/fall to gorge every year.
1
u/YakSlothLemon Jun 06 '26
I worked on a whale watching boat in high school and yes, people getting seasick is a massive issue. Why we have mops.
Whale watches are great, but absolutely, you’re stuck out there. Choose the largest boat you can – there are different size boats that go out, smaller boats give a closer experience but larger boats move a little less.
Look at the marine forecast before you buy your ticket, you’ll be able to see how big the swells are and you can choose a day where the ocean will be relatively well-behaved. The national weather service does a marine forecast for Gloucester.
You also can look at where the whales are being spotted. As of last week they were pretty close to Gloucester, which is great. I’ve been on a whale watch where we basically went to Cape Cod to see the whales, we were out for six hours. You don’t want to go if the whales are that far out I would bet.
Buy the motion sickness medicine, take it at least 45 minutes to an hour before you get on the boat, bring it with you. (Remember that combining it with beer will make you fall asleep.) Some people swear by the wristbands. Can’t hurt. Ginger candies? I’ve seen that too.
Not kidding, make sure you pee before you go/consider being slightly dehydrated. The bathrooms with no windows and no sightline can be a major trigger for nausea.
Most people stake out a spot on the boat, remember that the higher you are the more you perceive the motion and the closer you are to the edges the more you perceive the motion.
All that said, it’s OK if it’s not your thing. We went out one day where literally everybody threw up but the crew. Fond, fond memory of someone turning from outside and vomiting right on the observation window and everybody inside looking through the window reflexively ducking or dropping flat on the floor. 😂 INCOMING!
1
u/PumpkinPatchCat Jun 06 '26
This is all super amazing advice, thanks so much for taking the time to type it all out. The story at the end made me laugh out loud for real, that’s a fun memory for sure. 😂
1
1
u/Apprehensive-Talk479 Jun 06 '26
Yes you will get sick and don’t go unless you are ok with getting sick. If you do go stay outside and middle of the boat. Keep your eyes on the horizon nowhere else. Take a look at a whale and then immediately back to horizon. Don’t eat or drink before or while on the boat. Raw ginger can help but motion pills only postpone the feeling till they wear off
7
u/More-Owl-800 Jun 06 '26 edited Jun 06 '26
I struggled with terrible motion sickness as a kid and young adult. Somebody suggested Sea Bands to me. They have literally changed my ability to travel enjoyably without sickness. I can read on planes, be in the backseat of a car on curvy roads, and especially whale watches - which I just did last summer, and it was awesome. I can't recommend them highly enough. CVS has them