Cristina Kiesel

Bucket List Adventure: Whale Watching at the Jersey Shore Whale watching has always been high on my bucket list, and this summer, I finally got to check it off in the most unforgettable way. Last year, we had taken a trip out to sea with high hopes but only spotted dolphins (still amazing, but… not quite a whale!). This year, we were feeling lucky — and as it turned out, luck was definitely on our side. We boarded the Jersey Girl , a charming whale-watching boat that departs from Belmar, NJ . We scored a great deal on tickets through Groupon , which made the experience even sweeter. It was a sweltering day — the kind where the heat clings to you and even the ocean breeze feels more like a hairdryer than a fan — but we didn’t care. We were chasing whales. The boat cruised north along the coastline, giving us stunning views of familiar Jersey Shore spots like Asbury Park , Long Branch , and Sandy Hook . The ride took a couple of hours, but anticipation kept us all buzzing. We struck u...