We said farewell to the Gloucester Harbor this morning, and began heading across the Stellwagen Bank towards Provincetown, in the hopes of seeing whales. Several people had told me there were currently lots of humpbacks in the area immediately north of Provincetown. They were right!
We saw at least 6 different groups of humpbacks, as well as some porpoise and (I think) pilot whales.
The humpbacks are the most fun to watch! They lay on the top of the water on their sides or back, and pound the water with their fins, making huge splashes!
This also makes them some of the easiest to spot, since they wave that fin flagging for attention.
We saw one momma with her two babies (huge!) and we were close enough to the PA on a whale watch boat that I could hear their guide explaining how momma was diving... watch the babies. Now, in a few minutes, momma will come up, fall on her back, big splash. (Momma did) Now, watch the babies try... I don't know if her timing is always that good, but the babies tried almost like it was choreographed!
My camera sort of bit the dust yesterday (too many splashes of salt spray?) and Ellen valiantly attempted to catch the action with her camera, grumping about the sea swells, and her timing. So glad for the app on my iPad that easily puts the horizon flat, and allows you to zoom in and put the whale in the center part of the photo!
After a great time spent with the whales, we turned towards Cape Cod Canal. We had planned to anchor at Provincetown, but, instead decided to go through that evening rather than wait until the current was in our favorite the following afternoon.
We rode the current through the canal, and went to Hadley's Harbor, across from Wood's Hole. We rafted with our new friends on the S/V Daruma, who were on a mooring in the back of the harbor. It was a nice treat after a long day!
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