One of the best places in the world to go whale spotting is the Bay State. "We're very lucky," says Steve Miliken, whose family-owned Dolphin Fleet Whale Watch has been plying the waters of Cape Cod since 1975. "North Atlantic right whales work Herring Cove and Grace Point. There are only 350 left and you can see them from shore." Most boats visit the Stellwagen National Marine Sanctuary, a shallow bank located seven miles offshore that concentrates krill and sand eels into a delectable marine smorgasbord. "When the whales are 100 feet away we put the boat in neutral and often get a close approach, especially by a humpback called Colt," says Miliken.

For more information: Whale Watch