Heading South from Boston we stopped off in Provincetown a small fishing town in Cape Cod. Benji had given us the choice to either go to the beach for the day or go on the Whale Watching boat trip that alighted in the harbour. I was disappointed because out of the group only myself and one other decided to go. The trip cost $35 that lasts 3-4 hours but I was hesitant to hand over this much money because I knew these animals were not performing moneys in a zoo and viewings are not guaranteed. I was reassured by the pledge that if there was no sightings, our money would be refunded or we would be given a ticket for a future trip.
Looking at the boat I was put at ease, it was of an ample size that could hold 150 passengers so we would not follow the same fate of the Pequod crew and be knocked around by a whale of Moby Dick’s proportions.
On board there are three levels allowing you to get different vantage points, though my advice would be to grab a spot and stay there because once the whales are in full view
it becomes difficult to see anything when the hoards of people are passing from one side of a ship to another.
It takes about an hour to reach the destination point Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary and during this time there are talks and demonstrations on board that allow you touch items such as Sperm Whale teeth and bones. I missed these due to my sea belly, standing by the railings wanting to stay a safe distance from other people though there was still plenty to see outside. About half an hour into the trip we were joined by Atlantic White-sided Dolphins that were swimmingly daringly close to the front of the boat, sashaying around as if goading each other to get closer. They hung around for about 15 minutes to the passenger’s great enjoyment and it was so easy to get snap happy this early on the trip but this was just a taster of what was to come.
Further into the trip the boat came to a sudden halt and it was announced that Basking Sharks had been spotted, everyone on the boat grew still as we all waited to spot something. The girl who was
'If you look ten o'clock'You can see Humpback Whales. These beautiful animals can grow up 16 metres in length and have tails that are 5 metres wide.
with me had spotted a fin poking out of water, thinking that we would see another humble sized dolphin, the phrase ‘tip of the iceberg’ came to mind it, when we were alarmed to look over the side and see a huge Basking Shark swimming from under the boat that could have been around ten meters long. This creature was the type that makes me afraid of deep water, it is unseen in the murky depths until its huge mouth is upon you and you are swallowed whole, meanwhile the sharks is oblivious to gulping up this giant piece of plankton ...aka me.
Moving onto another location it was not long till we reached whale central and over the intercom we were given instructions to look ‘10 o’clock’, not sure where to navigate my view to, I found following the flock people was a big clue of where to position my gaze. In the distance we could see a pod of Humpback Whales making their way slowing across the sea. The experience was made even more special when it was pointed out that a calf was among them. A speaker told us how they were able to recognize each individual by the patterns on the underside of the fins that was as unique as our own fingerprints are to us.
As we neared the pod we were able to fully appreciate the size of these animals that could grow to an average 18 meters. Despite their size the way they moved was so graceful, emerging from the water for air then sliding back in again flicking the tail up before it disappears again. They would frequently vanish and surprise us by reappearing the other side of the boat nearer than before, this happened for about half an hour.
The whales seemed as ease with the boats presence and they came up close enough for us to see the details on the skin and battle scars they had on their fins. This scene would be far different 300 years ago when the Cape and surrounding waters was used for whale hunting with 700 vessels dedicated to this activity. This era ended in early 1800’s when a sea storm destroyed the wharves in the area. Whale Watching was put back on the map in 1975 when Captain Al Avellar swapped his fishing rod for a camera and saw the potential that whale watching had and in the same year he sailed the Dolphin III allowing the general public to take part. This has continued today and now the Provincetown Whale Watching trips have become educational as well as entertaining, with the theory ‘you are taking part in a scientific and educational expedition, designed to promote marine conservation for all ages.’
Our own whale watching trip came to an end when the whales signaled they had enough by slowly swimming away from the boat. Respecting the whale’s space we also retreated and made our way back to shore.
The trip was well worth the money and good to know that it also was contributing towards the continuing conservation of these endangered animals. In addition, it was pleasant leaving the boat with an appreciation of this elusive world and a greater understanding of marine wildlife.
http://www.whalewatch.com/dolphinfleet/
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