Greetings again from Massachusetts, although this time it is overcast rather than sunny.  And what a day it has been!  Before the day even started, there was still an excited high over Captain Micheal's special treat to the crew last night - a trip to the ice cream parlor!  And then our morning started bright and early in Provincetown, where the students went on a professional whale watching tour on the Dolphin IX in the Cape Cod area.  It was a success!  The whale watching vessel was able to find a number of whales, including a finback whale that it tracked for about an hour.  The finback whale is the second larges mammal on earth, and this particular one was about 70-80 feet in length.  She even showed her tail, which is extremely rare for that species.  The students also got to see a number of the smaller whales called Minke whales.  The naturalist aboard the Dolphin IX informed the tourists that the Minke whale is named after the whaling captain who first started hunting that particular species and other whalers teased him for his small catch and called it the Minke whale.  After the whale watch (and a brief nap for many of the students as the Dolphin came back to port), we arrived at dock in time to witness the blessing of the fishing fleet in Provincetown.  Provincetown has a strong Portuguese and fishing heritage, and this event celebrates both.  There were Portuguese folk dancers in the streets, a parade of the fishing fleet, families all over, and many smiling faces.  It was a great witness to the culture and people of that fine New England town.  After lunch the students hiked to the Pilgrim Memorial Monument, which commemorates the first landing of the pilgrims in America.  The pilgrims originally landed in Provincetown before then sailing in search of more fertile land and ending in Plymouth.  The monument itself is 77 meters (or 252' 7.5" tall) and the students climbed to the very top for a spectacular view of Cape Cod!  Afterwards, we visited the adjacent museum and meandered through the town (stumbling across a local band concert on our way), making our way back to the ship for an evening of games, lessons, home-made sweet and sour chicken, and preparing to get underway sometime soon.  It has been an adventurous day and one to remember!