2026 Season Intro

Goodbye winter 2026- we will not miss you. You were soooooooooo cold! Hello Summer. Let's not forget Spring. Spring 2026 has actually been a thing this year. Unlike the last couple of years where we go from lows in the 30s to highs in the 90s, we have had a gradual warming. It has been enjoyable and definitely spring like. OK- so as we enter our 33rd year in business, we are rolling into the 250th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. America 250 is a reminder of the achievements of our great nation. The story of the independent spirit of America is what drives us all, in business, in our families, and in our guiding principles of our lives. We are proud Americans. Captain Jeff Stewart graduated high school and got a job working on the Big Flamingo in Wildwood Crest in 1973 at age 18. He decided then, that's what he wanted to do. Now in 2026, he runs trips seven days a week, with a fleet of four boats, from his marina, with his wife Mary at his side along with his son, daughter, daughter in law, and granddaughter and grandson. This is the American dream at its best! Ok enough nostalgia. What is new in the 2026 season? Well, the big news this spring was the completion of the major transformation of the Miss Chris. The vessel was in the dry dock at Yank Marine for a Bow Pulpit and a Stern Extension, bottom work, shaft work, and stability testing after the completion of the modifications. These major modifications increased the at rail capacity of the boat, not only for fishing, but also for whale and dolphin watching, as well as birding. The boat is certified to carry up to 75 passengers up to 100 miles offshore from Cape May, New Jersey. In the fall, the Miss Chris will be offering Pelagic trips to explore the Mid-Atlantic Canyons and the Continental Shelf. We have already conducted some trips to the Canyon with great success in spotting many shearwater species like Great, Sooty, Scopoli, Corey, and Manx as well as petrels. We are looking forward to the prospects of sighting puffins, skuas and others. The Common dolphins encountered offshore only along with Fin whale sightings have been impressive.          Other big news will be the refit of the Atlantis upper cabin. Due to supply chain issues, the windows, seating, and ceiling tiles did not arrive till now, so these improvements will be made in the fall after the big rush of the 2026 season. This improvement will help in our winter whale watches. The climate-controlled cabins of Atlantis, Cape May Whale Watcher, and the Miss Chris offer both heat and air conditioning on every trip, allowing us to extend our season, but also cruise in comfort when there is a heat wave. We keep our cabin around 68 degrees when the summer gets in full swing! We have also increased our ADA boarding capacity. We added a third ADA compliant boarding ramp. Now, no matter which of our big boats you board, you can board with a walker, or a wheel chair. There are no steps for boarding any vessel in the Cape May Whale Watcher fleet. If you go to board a boat in Cape May with steps, you are not on our fleet of boats. We strive to provide access to ALL.