Whales trip 1

7/4/2010
Day 7

Today we docked in Provincetown for most of the morning. The busy little town was full of people excited about the 4th of July. We climbed to the top of the Pilgrim tower and looked out at Cape Cod. The view was incredible.

After noon, we sailed towards Stellwagon Bank. The frenzy began with a few soft puffs of steam on the horizon. Everyone rushed to the front of the boat, cameras and binoculars in hand, to get a closer look at the world's largest mammals. As the Lady Maryland got closer, we became giddier. The whales surrounded us, and everyone was pointing at a different whale, a spout here, a fluke there.

When we turned off the engines, the whales got really close. You could see the wide, dark back of the whales, hear the deep intake of air as they filled their giant lungs. Some of us also felt the spray of mist as they spouted.

Next, they gathered in a tight circle. The water turned green as they blew bubbles. Whales came up in the center, mouths wide open. We recognized this as bubble feeding.

The few people that had managed to stay calm and relaxed through all of this could not hold it in any longer. The whales breached, leaping out of the water, and falling back down sending up cascades of water. We watched in disbelief as four of them breached, one after the other. I was hysterical. It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen.

Written by Kate B