Home»All Photographs»Whale Watch-July 4, 2015

Did we luck out on the 4th of July. We had never been on a whale watch and were somewhat skeptical about what would be offered. We just took the closest Whale Watch to our home (3 miles away) and found to our delight that their boat is one of the quietest and fastest on the east coast (propelled by 5 jet engines).

The next great discovery was that the Scientist and tour guide in charge was Joanne, a fellow teacher at Barnstable High School. We learned more about whales -- their origins, markings, habits, feeding patterns--than we have learned in a lifetime. Up until now.

On the trip we learned a little geography about the cape and the different waterways that are part of the gulf of Maine. We also saw many of our countrymen celebrating on the water and on the shores. The people with 4 Wheel drive vehicles looked like they were having the most fun.

Best of all, we saw many whales -- up close and personal -- with the highlight being Spoon and her calf who hung with us for quite awhile. Most of the whales were known to Joanne and had been given names that are based on markings and visual characteristics. Like human fingerprints whale markings are unique to each individual.

The best photo op was the moment when Spoon opened her mouth wide and just fed on the top of the surface.

We also met some great people and recommend the experience to anyone looking for something different.