Whale watching is the practice of observing whales and other cetaceans in their natural habitat. Whales are watched most commonly for recreation  but the activity can also be for scientific or educational reasons. Whilst individuals do organize private trips, whale watching is primarily a commercial activity, estimated to be worth up to $1billion per annum worldwide to whale watching operations and their local communities.
Whale watching today is carried out from the water from crafts from kayaks, motorized rafts, and sailboats through to out-of-use fish or whaling boats and custom-built craft carrying as many as 400 people. .For generations, areas like the Gulf of Maine and Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary  have been important feeding grounds for these species and in the past this area was a whaling capital for the U.S. whaling industry. Though strict laws prohibit the molestation of these large wild mammals, it is not unknown for the whales to approach the boats entirely on their own, particularly calves and juveniles.