I finally saw some whales!
It was amazing!
While in Boston, after my week at Samba Meets Jazz Camp in Bar Harbor, Maine (watch this blog for more about that), I took a whale watching cruise with www.bostonharborcruises.com .
The boat.
It was fascinating that such a large boat could maneuver in such a small harbor. There were other boats this size, plus two clipper ships and a ferry moving about this same pier.
Fast!
It needed to be. We were headed to Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, about an hour out from Boston Harbor to watch the whales.
On the way out, we saw the shipping yard and several large ships.
Mighty foggy.
Actually, it was foggy every day I was there.
Much clearer skies when we reached the Sanctuary.
The boat would frequently turn in place to give us a good view of the whales when they surfaced.
This caused the water to roil, which showed the greenish hue of the small animals living in the water.
The whales, humpback, fin, and minke whales, among others, come to this area because the conditions are perfect for producing lots of the food that the whales eat.
The whales spend time in this area to eat as much food as they can before they head off to breeding grounds.
They were somewhat difficult to photograph, because as soon as you saw one, they were nearly back below the surface. To get any sort of decent shot, you had to be alert and ready. I did glimpse some fins though.
They were somewhat difficult to photograph, because as soon as you saw one, they were nearly back below the surface. To get any sort of decent shot, you had to be alert and ready. I did glimpse some fins though.
Fortunate to see a few whale tails!
The tails, according to our naturist on board, only come out of the water when the whales are making deep dives. Otherwise, we saw their blows (the plumes of vapor that are produced when the whales exhale at the surface) or just their humps bobbing up and back into the water.
Whale tails are unique to each individual, kind of like fingerprints.
The patterns on the tails help scientists and naturists identify and track the individuals.
We were in the sanctuary for about an hour, observing the whales that came to the surface near our boat. It was an amazing experience to finally see these beautiful creatures (somewhat) up close.
🐋🐋
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