Whale Babies Steal the Show

Great trip yesterday out to Stellwagen Bank, a National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of Massachusetts. Every encounter with the whales is different. You simply can't tell from one hour to the next what is in store. That is, of course, because unlike whale shows at aquariums, out in the wild, the whales run the show and decide the time, place and activities.

On the morning trip, whale watchers were able to see four different species... humpbacks, fin whales, minkes and white-sided dolphins with plenty of once in a life-time up close and personal encounters with the boat and the watchers (whales and people!) while the whales fed, slipped gracefully through the water, investigated the boat and lolled about.

The afternoon was a total surprise. One would think after all of that morning feeding the whales would be asleep in a food coma. But not so!

The scene was literally a sea of feeding and playing whales.

I couldn't help but think of those classic whale hunt paintings only sans whaling boats and harpoons. Thank heavens!

We saw at least 35 whales, with scores of seabirds looking for a meal, in one area! It was a seafood buffet out there folks.

The fish were bubbling across the waters in an attempt to get away. But humpbacks know what they are doing and have devised some really clever hunting techniques like what is called bubble netting. Bubble netting is a deliberate and cooperative hunting strategy for these mostly solo individuals that gather together in cooperative hunts. The whales take a breath (which sound like air rushing through a pipe and is thrillingly loud!) then they dive below the surface and blow a ring of bubbles (which can be seen on the surface so you know exactly where to look when they come up again) that scare the fish into a huddle which are then scooped up into the whales giant mouths. Then they rise to the surface mouths open with an enormous pouch full of fish and water. The water is then squeezed out by the whales giant tongue and closed mouth, filtered through a seive called baleen (humpbacks don't have teeth, just baleen in their upper jaws) leaving the fish and krill behind which are summarily swallowed down the hatch.

Two were mothers with their babies. While the moms fed, their babies, who are not yet weaned and still nursing (for over a year), practiced their mock hunts and acrobatic skills. One had to have slept well that night! He simply danced, propelled himself out of the water willy nilly, flopped, flew through the air and dove again and again.

Speaking of sleeping. Whales do sleep but since they need to breath, they have to remain conscious, (unlike people) in order to do that. So it is believed that whales are able to actually shut down one hemisphere of their brains which allow them to be conscious of their breathing while sleeping!

I managed to get five whale tail pictures that I'm hoping to identify today. Whales have unique under tail fluke patterns that can identify them as individuals... just like our human fingerprints, each one is different. Researchers have been cataloging and naming the whales based on this. So it will be fun to find out who they are.

What is going to happen on the whale watches today? Who knows, but the whales.  And they are not talking... to us, anyway.

If you are on the Cape or planning a visit a must do is Hyannis Whale Watcher Cruises... you just can't go wrong and will collect unforgetable memories. Just can't wait to go out again!