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Whale Watching

Always Wear A Helmet

One of the big attractions to Provincetown for me is an opportunity to go whale watching. I have been out well over 200 times, most with the Dolphin Fleet, 1-800-826-9300 ( http://www.whalewatch.com ). Each of the whalewatch boats has a naturalist aboard - the Dolphin Fleet works in conjunction with the Center for Coastal Studies. In each case (which has only happened once - in Newburport, MA on a very foggy day), if no whales are spotted during the trip, all passengers receive a free ticket for a future trip. Discounts are available for large groups, AAA membership, seniors. Their season runs first of April through the end of October.


Dolphin Whale Watch vessel leaving wharf	Watching for whales


The whale watch fleet on a foggy morning	Humpback whale


	We were fortunate enough on this trip (prior 5 photos) to be able to see some of the whales feeding. In the last two photos, the whale would dive under a school of fish, then come up in the midst of the fish with her mouth open. She would then close her mouth, squeeze the water out through her baleen, leaving the fish behind for her meal.

Research and Education

Scientists and naturalists from the internationally known Center for Coastal Studies serve as naturalists exclusively on the Dolphin Fleet. They guide every cruise and are on board to answer questions about whales, the Studds-Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, and the surrounding marine environment.

The Center's research on the whales that inhabit Massachusetts waters has led to international recognition in the field of marine mammalogy and oceanography. The Center is the primary institution researching right whales in Cape Cod Bay, a federally designated critical habitat. International, federal, and state government agencies, as well as conservation and environmental groups, seek guidance from the Center's scientists on important marine policy issues.

The Center's database on humpback whales is considered the finest in the world. Center scientists have been instrumental in identifying and naming over 1200 humpbacks since 1975, and can provide passengers with personal histories on the humpbacks found in the area. Scientific data collected on board each Dolphin Fleet cruise includes identification of humpback, fin, minke and right whales, whale behavior, and associated environmental and oceanographic data. The Center's Whale Rescue Team, including Dr. Charles "Stormy" Mayo, David Mattila, and Ed Lyman, coordinates rescue efforts from Canada to Florida and has rescued over 45 large whale from life-threatening entanglements.

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Provincetown is the closest port to Stellwagen Bank, an underwater plateau of sand and gravel located a few miles north of the tip of Cape Cod. Stellwagen Bank is full of life, supporting huge quantities of plankton (tiny single-celled plants such as diatoms and microscopic animals such as copepods); large numbers of fish of all sizes and the humpbacks, fin whales and other marine mammals who come here to feed on them.

Thanks to many years of effort by the Center for Coastal Studies and other organizations, Stellwagen Bank was designated a National Marine Sanctuary in 1992 (I was one of those fortunate enough to attend the ceremonies in Plymouth, MA). In 1996, Congress renamed the sanctuary the Gerry E. Studds-Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary in recognition of former congressman Studds' leadership in protecting marine life. This designation helps protect this highly productive marine habitat and its many residents.

Who's Who on Stellwagen Bank

Finback Whale
Balaenoptera physalis
Second largest whale, nicknamed "Greyhound of the sea"
Length: Up to 85 feet (26 meters)

What to look for:

Dark gray, sleek and fast
Right side of lower jaw and right side of baleen usually white, left side dark
Subtle light gray swirls behind blowhole (called the "chevron") and light patch above right eye (the "blaze")
May blow a jet of vapor 20 feet into the air four or five times each time it surfaces

North Atlantic Right Whale
Eubalaena glacialis -- "True whale of the ice"
Most endangered great whale (only 299 individuals survive as of 10/2000)
Spends late winter and early spring in Cape Cod Bay, only occasionally seen here in summer
Length: Up to 60 feet (18 meters)

What to look for:

Large, stocky body; no dorsal fin
Distinctive "V-shaped" blow
All black with patches of rough skin or "callosities" on head frequently covered with white patches of "whale lice." Unique callosity patterns help identify individuals
Slow swimmer, often raises its tail above the water before deep dive

Humpback Whale
Megaptera novaeangliae -- "Big-winged New Englander"
Migrates between the Caribbean and Stellwagen Bank each year
Length: Up to 55 feet (17 meters)
Weight: About one ton per foot

What to look for:

Long white flippers
Distinctive markings on its tail flukes, used to identify individuals
Distinctive feeding behaviors such as bubble clouds
Bumps (called tubercles) on slightly flattened head

Minke Whale
Balaenoptera acutorostrata -- "Sharp-nosed whale"
Smallest baleen whale on Stellwagen
Length: Up to 30 feet (9 meters)

What to look for:

Streamlined, narrow, pointed head; sickle-shaped dorsal fin
Dorsal fin usually shows when surfacing to breathe or "spout"
Fast swimmer, quick surfacing behavior

Atlantic White-sided Dolphin
Lagenorhynchus acutus
Travels in family groups
Length: 9 feet (2.7 meters)

What to look for:

Black back, white belly, oval white or cream patch on each side extending from below dorsal fin to tail stock
Tall, sickle-shaped dorsal fin
Distinct beak
Often in large groups
Often leaps out of the water; sometimes rides bow waves of boats

Nancy A. Butler, Student
Asnuntuck Community College
Enfield, CT
Tunxis Community College
Farmington, CT
Email: nancyab@earthlink.net
Websites: http://www.simplybicycling.com http://www.simplycamping.com http://www.simplyendangeredspecies.com