Session 2 - Trip 1 (Day 7)

WHALE!  That's right...we had our first sighting as we stood on the deck of none other than the Lady Maryland herself.  As we ventured into Stellwagen Bank in hopes of spotting some charismatic megafauna, a shipmate saw breaching whales in the distance.  But it didn't stop there!  Soon, we were in the presence of 5 other whales, all showing spectacular displays of whale behaviors that the cadets have been learning about--flipper and tail slapping, breaching, and spouting.  The climax of the day was seeing a humpback whale breach no more than 200 yards off the port side of our boat!  We also spotted other notable marine life on our trip along the bank, including a huge tuna and a couple gray seals.

With all the excitement, it a miracle that the cadets still managed to complete their on-watch (boat checks, navigation, lookout) and off-watch (lessons about whale relationships and taxonomy) activities.  After docking at Provincetown, we set foot on land for the first time since New Bedford.  We trekked through the charming streets of Provincetown to the Pilgrim monument, where we scaled the many steps to reach the top (we have the stickers to prove it!).  But wait...there's more!  Dinner on deck consisted of a delicious stir-fry, followed by yet another trip on land, this time to an ice cream shop.  Needless to say, it was a day enjoyed by all. 

We are sailing around Stellwagen again today and have high hopes for seeing more whales.  Wish us whale-watching luck!

 Racing to identify the sand dollars caught in the trawl net

 Standing by with fenders to protect the boat when we dock

 Whale, 2 points on the port bow!

Duty can wait for this special event

 Josh and Rong with the "Rong J", the winner of the buoyancy boat challenge

The starboard watch learning navigation with second mate Michelle

 Tying knots