(Just in case you didn’t know, boats are required to shut off their engines as soon as a whale comes within a certain distance…so we ended up floating without engines for about an hour total!)Īnd then another whale could be seen in the distance! And another! The captain killed the boat’s engines and we just bobbed around for a minute. The voice coming from the microphone was excited, proclaiming that a North Atlantic Right Whale was crossing right in front of us. The few brave souls who dared to venture out into the snowy weather scanned the gray horizon for little black specks, our cameras at the ready. We couldn’t have been more than 10 miles out of the Massachusetts Bay before our attention was called to the port side of the boat. Why pay to go out on the water if you’re just going to stay inside and play on your phone? Oh well. Yes, the weather wasn’t ideal: it was rainy, cold, and windy as we sped along…but I was still surprised at how many people chose to stay inside the cabin the entire time we were out on the water. We learned about current conservation efforts and educational programs that were offered, which you can read more about on the BHC and Aquarium websites linked above, as there’s no way I can do them any kind of justice.Īfter our informative introduction, about half of us headed out onto the decks. We then were educated about the different types of whales that frequent the area we were heading to: the Stellwagen Bank, a National Marine Sanctuary just north of Cape Cod. Our tour began with some instruction about the boat, safety features, and what to do in the event of an emergency. Thankfully, the whales and other marine life aren’t affected and the cruise set off on what would up being a three-hour tour ( a three-hour tour …Gilligan’s Island, anyone?). It was the middle of April, I was out on the water with a whale watching expedition and it began to snow. It was cold, but my heart was warm and nothing was going to stop me from an amazing experience out on the water. I checked in and counted down the minutes until we could board our vessel, hopping from one foot to the other trying to keep the blood circulating down to my toes. I landed in dreary, wet, and rainy Boston, stored my backpacks and headed off to the New England Aquarium and the Boston Harbor Cruises booth. I was eager to learn about the whales and their habitat on the other side of the country, and desperately hoped that our group would be lucky enough to spot at least one. I love whale watching and have fond memories from elementary school trips, birthdays, and adventures off the coast of California. So when I was trying to figure out what to do immediately upon my arrival in Boston, it was a no-brainer to head out to sea. It heals me on a level that can’t be explained. I grew up in Southern California and have a firm belief in the power of the ocean. I landed in Boston for a long-overdue solo trip and was looking forward to being on the coast again. Let’s go back to the beginning…back before we all lost it, giddy with excitement… All that matters, is this: whale watching in Boston is amazing.ĭo you see that dark speck in the middle of the picture? That is a North Atlantic Right Whale, one of the extremely endangered species of whales that migrate up and down the east coast of the United States.īut I digress. I’m freaking out and I’m not 100% sure I grasp the importance of what is going on around me.īut that doesn’t matter. There is definitely no chill on our boat. The naturalist on the megaphone literally can’t even. Seven or eight of the gentle giants began circling us, inching closer and closer as if they were shy school kids, not sure if they should come up and say, “hi!” The open ocean holds many species of diverse wildlife, making every trip a unique and exciting experience.Our season runs from May through October and can take us to either the feeding grounds of Jeffreys Ledge or Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, both of which are locations within the 36,000 square miles of the Gulf of Maine.ĭuring your trip, one of our expert naturalists will share with you their passion and knowledge of the marine environment and sighting we encounter.We were surrounded on all sides, immobile. This is where we can find a variety of marine life including, but not limited to, Humpback, Finback, and Minke Whales as well as Porpoise, Seals, Sharks and an array of Sea Birds. Our journey departs from downtown Newburyport, where we travel out the Merrimack River into the Gulf of Maine. Climb aboard the spacious, 106' Captains Lady III to begin your whale watching voyage! Our main vessel can comfortably carry up to 149 passengers to the whale feeding grounds.
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