Whale Watch in our boat, a 35' Bristol, Summer 2003.
We left from Provincetown and sailed out to Stellwagon Bank.
This was the best "Whale Watch" we've ever been on.
There were so many whales, and they were feeding and very active.
We even heard them communicating with one another.
The whales were coming up to our boat...
some were actually passing under both the bow and the center of the boat.
Sometimes they would roll over, white underbelly facing up, while they glided slowly under us.
This whale is feeding. We could actually see him gulping!!
These humpacks are feeding. I read that they work together under the surface,
circling and driving their "food" upward... then they open their mouths,
surfacing like you see above, sifting the water through, straining their food from the water.
This particular day, there were at least a dozen whales in the area we were, feeding.
Three others, feeding.
Coming up to feed.
This humpback came close and is "peeking" at us. Humpbacks are quite curious.
They're moving closer and closer to us. They hung around longer than we did.
We actually had to leave while the whales were still hanging out.
This is one of the guys who glided under our boat. We didn't get any shots
of them going under because we were so stunned! It was an incredible experience.
Right along side of us. Majestic!
Nice shot of one blowing. Notice how close together they are.
There are at least two others, just under the surface.
Wow....
HUMPBACKS DORSALS
HUMPBACK TAILS
HUMPBACK "BLOWS"
HUMPBACK FINS
HUMPBACK FOOTPRINT
Above, the whale is just about "under" and below, you see what they call the "footprint."
It's the way the surface looks just after a whale has sounded.
Information on Humpbacks:
Humpbacks are in the rorqual family that includes the blue whale, fin whale,
Bryde's whale, sei whale, and minke whale. These rorqual family members
have dorsal fins on their backs, and ventral pleats running from the tip of the
lower jaw back to the belly area. The shape and color pattern on the humpback
whale's dorsal fin and fluke (tail) are as individual in each animal as are
fingerprints in humans.
Size: Adult males measure 40-48 feet (12.2-14.6 m), adult females measure
45-50 feet (13.7-15.2 m). They weigh 25 to 40 tons. (our boat is 35')
Body: The head of a humpback whale is broad and rounded when viewed
from above, but slim in profile. The body is quite round, narrowing to a slender
peduncle (tail stock). The top of the head and lower jaw have rounded,
bump-like knobs, each containing at least one stiff hair. The purpose of these
hairs is not known, though they may provide the whale with a sense of "touch."
There are between 20-35 ventral grooves which extend slightly beyond the navel.
Color: The body is black on the upper side, and mottled black and white on the
under side. When the humpback whale "sounds" (goes into a long or deep dive)
it usually throws its fluke upward, exposing the black and white patterned underside.
Fins & Tale: About 2/3 back on the body, at the top, is an irregularly shaped
dorsal fin. Its flippers are very long, between 1/4 and 1/3 the length of its body,
and have large knobs on the leading edge. The fluke (tail), which can be 18 feet
(5.5 m) wide, is serrated and pointed at the tips.