Whale Watching Information

Humpback Whales Off Cape Cod Bay August 2006

Imagine being within feet of some of the most graceful, rare mammals in the world. Departing from Plymouth Harbor, our whale excursion gives you the chance and the opportunity to experience sights that you will never forget.
Stellwagen Bank is a marine sanctuary (nine miles off Provincetown) one of the primary feeding grounds for Humpback Whales, Gray Whales, Blue Whales, Northern Right Whale and Dolphins. We occasionally spot Fin Whales, Minke Whales, Harbor Porpoise, pilot whales, white-sided dolphins and harbor porpoise are often seen as well. The North Atlantic Right Whale is one of the most endangered species in the world, and may be seen in and around the waters of Stellwagen Banks and Cape Cod Bay.

Our experienced naturalists will guide you on a trip that is educational, exciting and impressive, you will learn how individual humpback and finback whales can be identified using unique markings and pigmentation patterns that are found on their bodies. Join our naturalists inside the main cabin for a short introductory video, showing the most common whales, dolphins and porpoises that migrate to our New England waters to feed throughout the season.

After the video, take a few minutes to view our educational displays that include marine charts of local waters, diagrams of whales, our humpback fluke-ID catalog, humpback baleen, whale teeth, prey items (including sand lance and copepods). Listen to some of the best recordings of humpback song collected by CJB friends and colleagues who study humpback whales down in the Caribbean during the winter breeding and calving seasons. And don’t forget to take home a variety of free educational literature for you and your family, complements of Captain John Boats.

Learn how CJB biologists are collecting data to help scientists learn more about the whales that are sighted in the waters of New England, and why our coastal waters are so rich and productive, including the waters of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. And hear about all the other unique marine wildlife that you will have an opportunity of viewing when offshore, like northern gannets, shearwaters, basking sharks and ocean sunfish. It’s just not a whale watch, but a marine wildlife cruise!

 

Cape Cod Whale Watch Cruises

Highlight your Cape Cod vacation with an unforgettable cruise aboard the Mid-Cape's only whale watch - Hyannis Whale Watch Cruises (800-287-0374). Their high-speed, state-of-the-art vessel sails daily - May through October - from picturesque Barnstable Harbor in historic Barnstable Village, Cape Cod. Enjoy summer sunset whale watches, expert commentary from on-board naturalists, private charters, and special discount rates for groups and seniors. The company also supports a full-time year-round education program including activities on the water and in schools, parks, camps, libraries, and community centers. Six miles north of Provincetown, Stellwagen Bank is the feeding ground for the humpback whale, minke whale, and fin whale, the three most commonly seen cetaceans. The North Atlantic right whale - the most endangered of the world's great whales - once found in Cape Cod Bay in huge numbers but now fewer than 350 - may also be seen in these waters. Provincetown is the closest port to this densely populated area than any other port, making it an ideal whale watching departure point. You can board one of the whale watching boats in the harbor from the Dolphin Fleet and Portuguese Princess Excursions for a 3-hour whale watch into the waters of Stellwagen Bank.

Dolphin Fleet (508-349-1900) is the originator of whale watching on the East Coast and operates the largest fleet in the country. Portuguese Princess Excursions is another pioneer in whale watching, operating whale watches out of Provincetown for over 15 years, with captains that are well-experienced. On both whale watches, experienced naturalists will introduce you to the diverse marine environment that you'll be traveling through. They will answer questions, interpret the whale behavior that you see in the water, and help you to understand the larger picture of what you're seeing - from whales to lighthouses to birds. The Portuguese Princess II and Dolphin Fleet are fast, modern, well-maintained and comfortable whale watching boats with stocked galleys.

For the last 57 years, Capt. John Boats (508-746-2643) has offered 4-hour Whale Watching Trips, multi-day Deep Sea Fishing excursions, Pilgrim Belle Paddlewheeler Cruises aboard an authentic Mississippi-style paddlewheeler, Splashdown Amphibious Tours, and the Plymouth to Provincetown Ferry, to summertime visitors. You're likely to spot the endangered humpback whales during a Boston Harbor Cruises Whale Watch. These Northern hemisphere humpbacks reach an average length of 50 feet, and a weight of about 37 tons! Sadly, only 8% of their original population remains.

A Little Background on Whales

Whales are aquatic mammals, belonging to a group of animals called cetaceans. They include a large number of species which range in size from the four foot long common porpoise to the blue whale, the largest animal ever to have existed, which can reach lengths of 120 feet. Unlike land mammals, whales breathe through "blowholes" on the tops of their heads and have no fur or hind legs. although they do nurse their young and are warmblooded like other mammals. They swim by means of boneless, horizontal tail flukes. Layers of oil-rich blubber keep the animals well-insulated and can sometimes be up to ten inches thick. Blubber was the prime reason for their decimation by the whaling fleets of the world. Since whales breathe at the surface, the cloud of vapor they leave from their exhaled breath makes them an easy target for hunting.

Whale Types

Two main types of whales exist. Baleen Whales, or whalebone whales, called scientifically the Mysticeti, which are toothless, can weigh up to 150 tons and grow up to 100 feet.

Toothed Whales, the Odontoceti, which are more rarely seen in New England waters, can weigh up to 60 tons and grow up to 55 feet. This group includes all the small species, including the dolphins and porpoises, as well as some of the larger ones like the killer whale and the sperm whale.

Baleen whales, though smaller in number of species, contains the largest living animals known. Even the pygmy right whale attains lengths of 15 feet, while the blue whale can reach 120 feet in length. The triangular horny plates of baleen have a fringed inner edge of brushlike bristles on which the food particles are trapped. The baleen allows these animals to feed on krill, which is a form of marine plankton, found in abundance in the colder ocean waters.

Fin Whales are the largest and most abundant baleen whales in New England's waters, reaching lengths of 70 feet and weighing up to 50 tons. They are named for their well-formed, large dorsal fin and are fast-swimming. A white streak, or chevron, that starts behind these animals' blowholes and extends along each side of their bodies is a distinctive feature.

Right Whales are large, slow-moving baleen whales. Yankees considered them the "right" whale to hunt. As a result, this is a severely depleted species that has been placed on the endangered species list along with the Humpback and the Fin. They are protected by the Endangered Species Act. Because right whales may be sensitive to human activity, any vessel approaching them should only do so with caution. Features include white, crusty growths on the tops of their heads and upper jaws, and the lack of a dorsal fin. They have a very distinctive head shape with dramatically arched jaws.

Humpback Whales are stocky baleen whales, named for the way they arch their backs before they dive. Humpbacks can grow to 50 feet and weigh as much as 30 tons. They have small dorsal fins, and bumps on their heads called "stovebolts" by whalers who believed they held the animals' heads together. These bumps are actually large hair follicles that act as sensory organs. They have long narrow flippers which may measure up to one-third of their body length. Their songs, sometimes lasting 20 minutes and then repeating, consist of clicks, grunts and astonishing ethereal squeals.

Minke Whales are the smallest baleen whale. They grow to about 30 feet and weigh up to 9 tons. Minkes have a pointed head, black back and white belly. Minke inhabit temperate and polar seas of both hemispheres - the northern species being smaller than the southern.

White Sided Dolphins are a small toothed whale. Reaching lengths of about nine feet, they can weigh up to 450 pounds. They have a white streak along each side of their body and a white patch in the middle of each flipper.. They frequently jump through the air and travel in large schools that can number in the thousands.

Whale Migration Patterns

Many whales swim over 4,000 miles every year from their summer home to their winter home, and back again. Researchers believe that whales use water and wind currents, the temperature and taste of water, and the valleys and ridges of the sea floor to find their way through the ocean each year. Following are some of the best locations and seasons for whale watching.

Fin Whales can be found on Jeffrey's Ledge and Stellwagen Bank off the coasts of New Hampshire, Maine, Cape Ann, Long Island and Cape Cod from spring through fall. They move south and offshore to deeper waters in winter, and their calving and breeding areas are unknown.

Right Whales can be spotted on Jeffrey's ledge and Stellwagen Bank of the New England coastline in the early spring. Most calving occurs off Georgia and Florida. Seasonal and annual movements are not well-understood, and are being closely studied by researchers.

Humpback Whales can be seen on Jeffrey's Ledge and Stellwagen Bank as well, from spring through fall. In late fall and early winter, they migrate to the Caribbean Sea to breed and calve.

Minke Whales are sighted on Jeffrey's Ledge and Stellwagen from spring through fall. Movements are not well studied.

White Sided Dolphins are also found on Jeffrey's Ledge and Stellwagen Bank from spring through fall. Seasonal movements are not well understood.

Whales Feeding Cape Cod 08/2006

Migration from Plymouth to Provincetown

Watching Cape Cod's majestic whales rise from the deep and nuzzle alongside a whale watch boat is an exciting and awe-inspiring adventure. Whale watching crews leave regularly from Plymouth, Barnstable and Provincetown Harbors, and most guarantee a sighting. No matter where you embark, your cruise will take you to Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, the whales' favorite feeding grounds. Each year, beginning in late winter, whales return to The Sanctuary, which encompasses over 600 square nautical miles, about 26 miles east of Boston, 6 miles north of Race Point and 7 miles from Gloucester. Because the water is shallow here, plankton upon which whales feed rises closer to the surface. Whale Watching With Naturalists During your excursion, naturalists will help you spot, identify and learn more about these gentle giants. You are likely to see humpback, finback and minke whales, and words cannot describe the thrill and awe associated with each sighting. You may see whales breaching (leaping straight out of the water into the air), spyhopping (holding their heads high out of the water as if having a look around) or sounding (executing a dive). Sometimes, a whale will slap the water with its flippers as if greeting you.