2013 Trip Part 3 Cape Cod, MA Whale Watching
Here are additional photos that I took on Jodi’s and my motor home (moho) trip to the Northeast this past summer. To continue from some months ago, on September 20, 2013, Jodi and I went on a whale-watching trip out of Barnestable on Cape Cod. The boat was a jet-type of pontoon boat capable of holding more than 100 passengers. Because it was after the start of the new school year our boat carried only half that number. It departed Barnstable and sped (about 33 mph) up Cape Cod Bay to the Stellwagen Bank, a shallow plateau in the ocean just north of the tip of Cape Cod.
4058 A photo before our whale-watching boat departed. What would Cape Cod be without boats.
RCS54058BoatsDockRob ScharpfCape CodHyannis Whale Watcher Cruiseswhale watchingStellwagen BankBarnstableWhale Watcher
4064 Despite a forecast high temperature of 78 this day, Jodi is prepared for the cold winds that will come as our whale-watching boat speeds north into the wind.
RCS54064JodiRob ScharpfCape CodHyannis Whale Watcher Cruiseswhale watchingStellwagen BankBarnstableWhale Watcher
4067 On the way out of Barnstable Harbor we passed the Sandy Neck light and a cluster of gray-shake Cape Cod buildings.
RCS54067SandyNeckLightRob ScharpfCape CodHyannis Whale Watcher Cruiseswhale watchingStellwagen BankBarnstableWhale Watcher
4074 It may not be Daytona Beach, but cars are allowed on the beach by Race Point light. Here we saw fishermen and kayakers.
RCS54074Cars on BeachRacePointLightRob ScharpfCape CodHyannis Whale Watcher Cruiseswhale watchingStellwagen BankBarnstableWhale Watcher
4340 We saw one whale, but it didn’t do any major exercises for us. It merely dove for a few minutes, surfaced to take a breath, and dove again. We never saw its head nor its tail. Just its back slightly broke the surface. If I remember correctly it was a minke whale.
RCS54340WhaleRob ScharpfCape CodHyannis Whale Watcher Cruiseswhale watchingStellwagen BankBarnstableWhale Watcher
4343 Here a whale surfaced and exhaled. This is the most exciting act the whale performed for us; no jumping, no tail slapping.
RCS54343WhaleBlowingRob ScharpfCape CodHyannis Whale Watcher Cruiseswhale watchingStellwagen BankBarnstableWhale Watcher
4344 It then arched its back for another dive. Our naturalist told us the more a whale arches its back before a dive, the deeper the whale will dive. Compare the arch of the whale’s back in this photo with that in the photo two photos back.
RCS54344WhaleRob ScharpfCape CodHyannis Whale Watcher Cruiseswhale watchingStellwagen BankBarnstableWhale Watcher
4178 Our naturalist pointed out a couple of giant ocean sunfish. These are no little sunfish caught with a worm on a safety pin. These were huge disk-like fish, twelve to fifteen feet across. Wikipedia says they are the largest bony fish in the world, and their average adult weight is 2,200 pounds. They swim leaning over, similar to a flounder, near the surface, and wave their pectoral fin in the air, which is how the naturalist finds them. This one's mouth and eye can be seen on the left.
RCS54178GiantOceanSunfishRob ScharpfCape CodHyannis Whale Watcher Cruiseswhale watchingStellwagen BankBarnstableWhale Watcher
4218 Another giant ocean sunfish. As you can see, it does not have the normal elongated shape of a fish. Since it swims on its side, it uses its dorsal and anal fins (its “wings”) for propulsion. This one is headed toward the upper right. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean_sunfish for more info. This is one interesting fish.
RCS54218GiantOceanSunfishRob ScharpfCape CodHyannis Whale Watcher Cruiseswhale watchingStellwagen BankBarnstableWhale Watcher
4212 From huge to tiny. As we were cruising around looking for whales, this little bird must have gotten tired of flying over the open ocean and stopped for a rest on our boat. It is a female American redstart and it charmed us all. Our naturalist asked us to please give it room so that it doesn’t become frightened, but we must have had a lot of deaf people aboard; they couldn’t get close enough to look at it.
RCS54212FemaleAmericanRedstartRob ScharpfCape CodHyannis Whale Watcher Cruiseswhale watchingStellwagen BankBarnstableWhale Watcher
4263 And a big shark swam by to intimidate us.
RCS54263SharkRob ScharpfCape CodHyannis Whale Watcher Cruiseswhale watchingStellwagen BankBarnstableWhale Watcher
4125 For me, the most exciting part of the boat ride was when a pod of saddleback dolphins came up from behind, overtook us, and played in our bow wave. Here they were as they approached.
RCS54125JumpingSaddlebackDolphinsRob ScharpfCape CodHyannis Whale Watcher Cruiseswhale watchingStellwagen BankBarnstableWhale Watcher
4125 And here is a crop of the central three, frolicking as they swam toward us.
RCS54125JumpingSaddlebackDolphinsRob ScharpfCape CodHyannis Whale Watcher Cruiseswhale watchingStellwagen BankBarnstableWhale Watcher
4127 I cropped and worked the photos to bring a couple of the dolphins in for a close-up. Here one is at the peak of its leap, flying through the air.
RCS54127JumpingSaddlebackDolphinRob ScharpfCape CodHyannis Whale Watcher Cruiseswhale watchingStellwagen BankBarnstableWhale Watcher
4127 But the ones that I like the most are the tail walkers, like this one.
RCS54127JumpingSaddlebackDolphinRob ScharpfCape CodHyannis Whale Watcher Cruiseswhale watchingStellwagen BankBarnstableWhale Watcher
4130 Another tail walker. This one is my favorite photo of the entire dolphin series.
RCS54130JumpingSaddlebackDolphinRob ScharpfCape CodHyannis Whale Watcher Cruiseswhale watchingStellwagen BankBarnstableWhale Watcher