Our day at Whale's Tale Waterpark In Lincoln NH began with a forgotten bathing suit, which leads to...
Waterpark Tip # 1: Once you are done chasing down and packing your kids, don’t forget to pack your own bathing suit! But if you do forget, not to worry, there are bathing suits (and towels) available at the gift shop.
Waterpark Tip # 2: Check the website before you go. The Whale's Tale website conveniently outlines the rules, height and weight limitations and includes videos of each ride so you can set the right expectations. Most slides have a weight limit, and some slides have a 48” height limit. You can check the weight and height requirements here.
This was the first time our family of five - two adults, a 7 year old, a 4 year old and a 1 year old - went to a waterpark together. It was amazing!
We began our visit with Willie’s Wild Waves, the wave pool. This was great fun for everyone, kids and adults alike. Even our 1 year old enjoyed the gentle rocking of the waves, while our 7 year old bravely dove into the incoming wall of water. The waves came about every 10 minutes, announced by a blast of water. At the deepest end, the water is 4-5’ deep, although as the waves come you will likely find your head under water. The rocking of the waves is the gentlest at the deepest end; closer to the beach the waves can go up 4’ or so in the air, and the waterline itself is very calm. The two lifeguards, one on each side of the pool, were very attentive, although the main transgressions appeared to be stacking two tubes on top of each other and getting too close to the wall.
 |  |
Poseidon’s Voyage, Plunge Speed Slide and Downpour Flume Slide all start with the same staircase; if you have kids of different ages you can all go up together and split up at the top. The Downpour had two slides, the taller one with the 48” height restriction. Our smaller child was allowed to go on that slide after a couple of rides on the shorter one. Interestingly, whenever the lifeguard saw a smaller or nervous child, she’d signal the lifeguard down below who would come into the water to assist if necessary. Our sons were excited to go on Poseidon’s Voyage and The Plunge after watching videos on the Whale’s Tale Waterpark website; in person, however, these proved to be much too intimidating. Although the height restriction was only 48” for both of the slides, the majority of the riders were adults and teenagers.
The majority of slides were engineered to handle specific weights, so although the lifeguards rely on visitors to know their own weight, it is best not to circumvent the system. Poseidon’s Voyage is the only slide with an electronic scale in the capsule, the drop door will not release if restrictions are not met.
Shipwreck Island is a child’s dream - a pirate ship-shaped playground full of water slides, sprinklers, sudden downpours, water cannons etc. Some of the slides are limited to 150 lbs. We noticed two lifeguards on site, one at the bottom and one at the top of the structure.
We didn’t have time to stop by the Akua Beach. The flowboarding is included with general admission, with private sessions available for a separate fee. The lines there seemed fairly short.
Whale Harbor is designed for smaller kids, under 48” in height, and it’s a great place for toddlers and preschoolers. The 16” pool was a bit too deep for our crawling 1 year old infant, but toddlers would have no trouble. There are several water slides and fountains, and a couple of water guns, which kept our 4 year old busy while his older brother went on Beluga Boggin.
 |  |
Beluga Boggin has no height restrictions, but the tubes are single rider only with a weight restriction of 150 lbs. This figure 8 course is designed for kids, so adults will not be able to go on it with the smaller children.
There are a couple of rides which let riders double up on the crafts: Banzai Pipeline and Harpoon Express. Banzai Pipeline was exhilarating and slightly terrifying, considering the speed.
The Eye of the Storm, or “The Toilet Bowl”, as my husband gently dubbed it, was terrifying to look at, but quick and uneventful, other than the 4’ drop into the 8’ splash pool. According to my husband, while most people went 1 or 1.5 times around the funnel, one awe-inspiring individual circled the drain for a full 6 revolutions before dropping into the drink. The ride claims speeds of up to 35 mph, which can be quite a thrilling ride!
Jonah's Escape Lazy River was exactly what the title implies, and turned out to be one of my favorites. No lines, no rush, just lazily floating down the 3’ deep river around the Castaway Cove. The river may not be the best choice for taller individuals, as it is rather shallow.
The temperature of the pools in Castaway Cove ~ 88 degrees ~ is a bit warmer than other pools, which would be really nice on a chillier day. As it was over 90 degrees when we were there, the cooler pools were the place to be for us.
Location
Whale's Tale is conveniently located right off Daniel Webster Highway (Rt 3) in the White Mountains region of New Hampshire. There are a few resorts, hotels and cabins for rent nearby. Clark’s Trading Post is less than 2 miles away, and Loon Mountain is 5 miles away.
Lines
According to the park attendance indicator, the anticipated crowds for the day of our visit were between 1200-2000. Considering that, the lines to all rides were very manageable. We waited no more than 15 minutes for any single ride since the slides are built to handle very large crowds during peak season.
The Poseidon’s Voyage, The Plunge and The Downpour were managed by a single lifeguard, and even in that case, we waited no more than 10 minutes, enough for the kids to go 3 times before moving on to another attraction.
Cleanliness
The park is extremely clean. The walkways are swept clean, allowing majority of guests to walk around barefoot. Although some slides could use a new coat of paint, they are overall in excellent condition. Everything looks well kept and attended to.
Seating
If you are going for the whole day with a large group, consider renting a cabana. They are located near the Castaway Cove and the Wave Pool. All cabanas were reserved on the day we were there, and the folks in them looked quite happy hanging out in the shade in their own private space.
There were plenty of free lounge chairs and lots of people picnicking on the grass, although shade was hard to find.
Food
Visitors are welcome to bring coolers but alcoholic beverages and glass containers are not permitted (they do check at the entrance). If you prefer to purchase food there., there are a couple of dining options: Porthole Pizza and Subs next to the Wave Pool and Harborside Cafe near the Eye of the Storm. Alcohol is available at The Oasis Beach Bar near the Wave Pool.
Safety
Life guards are omnipresent and extremely attentive. According to the website, all lifeguards are American Red Cross certified and trained in waterpark safety. Every lifeguard we saw not only looked like they just stepped off of the Baywatch set but was consistently sweeping the area and calling out safety violations. They also tend to switch shifts frequently which may help prevent fatigue
Weaker swimmers are encouraged to wear life vests, which are available for free at the gift shop. Some attractions, like Willy’s Wild Waves and Lazy River, provide flotation rings.
Lockers are available to rent for a $9 fee + $6 refundable key deposit.
Restrooms
Changing rooms, including showers and changing tables, are located immediately to your left after the entrance. There are additional restrooms and changing rooms further along the perimeter towards Willie’s Wild Waves; these facilities do not have changing tables, however. We noticed rolls of plastic bags at the entrance to each bathroom, presumably for wet bathing suits, which was a thoughtful touch. Bathroom scales are in the last stall of the restrooms, intended to evaluate your eligibility for rides.
We left exhausted and happy. The boys picked up a couple of blue and green sequin bracelets (“I finally found a sequin item that was not designed for girls!” said our 7 year old) at the gift shop. This was a wonderful adventure which we are looking forward to repeating!
Whale’s Tale Waterpark
481 Daniel Webster Highway (US Rt. 3)
Lincoln, NH 03251
Website: https://whalestalewaterpark.net
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whalestalewp
Natallia Lyman lives in Westford with her husband and three children. She is an Independent Consultant with Usborne Books & More (http://spacehedgehog.com/), a traveler and a daydreamer. She loves to explore new places, meet new people and hear their stories.
Natallia received free admission tickets in exchange for this review article. No other compensation was received. All opinions are her own.
