Cape Cod - Index

Cape Cod - travel_guide_2008 - Index

sand eels attracted by the plankton and to teach their young
feeding techniques.
Once at the whale grounds, Jarzobski points out a finback
whale in the distance. At up to 80 feet, finbacks are the second
largest living animal on earth, surpassed only by the blue whale
which can grow up to 100 feet. It’s one of three baleen whale
species seen this day, along with the humpbacks and the smaller
minke whale. Toothed whales such as pilot whales, Atlantic
white-sided dolphin and harbor porpoises are also frequently
seen in the waters just north of Race Point. Sometimes, an earlyseason
whale watch spies a North Atlantic right whale, the
rarest of the baleen whales, with only 300 to 400 individuals
known to exist. They’re often seen in Cape Cod Bay from
February through April; last year, the Center identified 162
different right whales in the bay.
Like the finback, humpback whales are classified as a
threatened species. Hunted in Canada as recently as 30 years ago, the
humpback population may have dwindled to about 700 individuals
during the 20th century. The population has since recovered, with
some 11,000 estimated to frequent the North Atlantic. The Center’s
database of Gulf of Maine humpbacks, identified by their distinctive
flukes, now surpasses 2,000 individuals, “the largest and longestrunning
data base on cetacean population anywhere in the world,”
according to Jarzobski.
Humpbacks are also quite entertaining. Lolling on their side,
they slap the water with their long pectoral fins. Seemingly standing
on their heads, they smack the water with their tail. They cruise
through the water with their knobby heads protruding above the
surface like a damaged submarine. Occasionally they breach—a
spinning jump out of the water—no mean feat for a 45-ton creature.
All of these behaviors are associated with feeding, Jarzobski
says. The whales provide a spectacular show, especially when a
dozen or more are actively dining at the same time. Whales
seem to tolerate gawking humans and in many ways have
become accustomed to boats, Jarzobski says, but anything that
disrupts their natural behavior is considered intrusive. “Most
of the commercial whale-watching boats really have
experienced captains who understand behavior around
whales,” she says.
On board the Captain Red, passengers shift from port to
starboard, as more humpbacks come and go, some slapping the
water with their fins, others breaching in the distance. For
those on their first whale watch, the experience is something
to remember. “It was amazing,” says Stephanie Jaquet, 12, of
Nice, France. “They are so big!”
On the return leg of the 3-1/2-hour trip, Jarzobski talks
about the Center’s disentanglement program. Whales still
face a massive threat from entanglement in fishing gear, she
A breaching humpback whale is an awesome sight.
COURTESY OF CAPE COD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
■ activities cape & islands
WHALE-WATCH CRUISES
Some of the best whale watching in the
world can be experienced off the coast of
Cape Cod at Stellwagen Bank, feeding
ground for humpback, finback and minke
whales, among others. Three outfits on the
Cape and one in Plymouth offer excursions
of three to 4-1/2 hours, and whale sightings
are virtually guaranteed.
Hyannis Whale Watcher Cruises out of
Barnstable Harbor (888-942-5392) and the
Dolphin Fleet (800-826-9300 or 508-240-
3636) and Portuguese Princess Excursions
(800-442-3188), both out of Provincetown,
offer daily trips in season, May through
October. Captain John Boats out of Plymouth
Harbor (800-242-2469 or 508-746-2643) offers
trips April through October—daily July
through September. Prices range from $30 to
$40 for adults and from $20 to $25 for children.
www.capecodtravelguide.com
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