Over 30 years ago I went whale watching and the experience was both traumatic and terrific. This was all brought back to me recently when I came across some old photos. I have been reworking the photos and the memories have flooded back!
My Whale Watching Experience Was Terrific and Traumatic
The Holiday
My partner at the time and I were invited to the USA, East Coast, to give some presentations on some labor market research projects we were doing. That meant trips to New York, Washington, Boston and then on up to Toronto in Canada. This was a great holiday as the work side of things paid for the flights and some of the more expensive accommodation. There was also time between events which meant we could spend some time exploring. And while staying not too far from what is now the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary in Massachusetts we decided to go out on a boat whale watching. We were lucky enough to be visiting during the migration when the whales could be seen.
The Plan
In my blog about scuba diving I mentioned the fact that I get seasick. This should be noted. We asked for recommendations on the best company offering whale watching excursions. The day we went to book our trip was gloriously sunny, the sea was calm and I was looking forward to going out to see the humpback whales. We bought our tickets, took home information to read on what to bring with us etc and waited for the next day.
The Traumatic bit
We woke up and it was quite windy with a choppy sea. My heart sank. I started popping seasickness pills and put on my anti-travel sickness wrist bands. I wore a very distinct green sweatshirt. The reason I remember that so clearly is because about an hour into the whale watching trip someone pointed out my face had gone the same color…
It wasn’t so bad while the boat was moving but when it stopped so we could look at the whales oh my! We had to hang on to the rail of the boat because of the wind. The captain was fighting to keep the boat in position but there were still occasions when one moment you were looking at clear sky and the next you could almost put your hand in the sea. And then back again. Or at least that is how it seemed.
The boat was surrounded by seagulls who were in hope of a meal. They flew along level with the side of the boat for a large part of the journey. Bearing in mind how rocky the boat was and how I was starting to feel by this time I took this seagull image with my back braced against the back of a seat and my feet braced against the boat railings. A feat of physical dexterity I would never like to try again and would probably end up in hospital if I did.
At the insistence of the captain I drank a can of coca cola (which I never touch and have never touched since) and ate a Snickers bar. His logic was that I would feel better if the inevitable happened and I had something in my stomach.
Amazingly I managed not to vomit, I have no idea how except perhaps that stiff upper lip thing we British hang on to at times. But when I got off the boat I couldn’t stand up straight and I spent hours in bed while my balance, and stomach, returned to normal. I swore never again…
The Terrific Bit
Ignoring everything I said above, to actually be so close to humpback whales is both an exciting and humbling experience. I would really recommend you go and see them, even if only once.
Some Humpback Detail
Adult humpbacks can grow to 16 metres (52 feet) in length – or roughly the length of the boat we were on. That is the girls by the way! The boys tend to get to a mere 14 metres (46 feet). The two lobes at the end of the tail are called flukes and these are as distinctive as fingerprints in humans. It is how scientists tell the whales apart.
Humpbacks are social when it suits them, coming together in groups on occasion but often solitary. They engage in a lot of behavior that seem to be part of social communication and possibly part of courtship rituals. For example, tail slapping, which was my first introduction to a humpback.
Tail Slapping
After we had traveled out to sea for quite a distance we could hear a strange booming sound far off in the distance. The boat captain got excited and told us that we would be going towards the sound as that was a humpback. What? The noise got louder and louder, a really resonant boom. Then we could see the reason for the sound. A humpback had its tail out of the water and was vigorously slapping it down on the sea and that made the sound.
It was incredible to watch this enormous creature engaged in this repetitive activity. Cue photo!
Breaching
A heart stopping moment was when a whale breached close to the boat. Breaching is when the whale heaves itself right out of the water and then its whole body smacks down hard. Cue booming sound and also some wet whale watchers thanks to the spray. Imagine the energy required to hoist their body out of the water in that way! And no-one really knows why they do it, though there is speculation such as courtship ritual as I mentioned earlier.
I found an interesting article from 2017 which stated that breaching was found to occur more commonly when pods of humpback whales are far apart. The noise from the breaching can travel a long distance. The article also suggests that tail or slapping tends to happen as the whales split or come together. So, it really could be a form of social communication. More fun than Facebook obviously.
Close Up and Personal
Some of the humpbacks get friendly with the whale watchers we were told. We had one female that came under the boat and proceeded to rub her back on it, like she had an itch! The captain of the boat said he thought she was rubbing off some barnacles. We got such a clear view of the whale, her eye, skin and colors, the barnacles etc. It was thrilling. Afterwards my partner said that he had worried she would capsize the boat. That hadn’t even occurred to me!
What an amazing experience!
The Cat and the Song of the Humpback Whales
Just as an aside but related story. I used to have a big gorgeous ginger cat called Jimmy. He was deaf though he seemed to be able to hear when I shouted it was dinner time. One evening I played some whale song. Much to my amazement Jimmy jumped up by the speaker and laid his head against it, listening intently. He did that every time I played any music featuring whale song. I often wondered if he could understand what they were saying. It must have been something about the vibration and tone as he would do the same for chanting Buddhist monks.
Whale Watching and Whale Song
Seems appropriate to finish with a short video featuring the song of humpback whales. And some people who were lucky to experience whale watching in Australia in clear blue, flat (note flat) ocean.
Before you go
My name is Dorothy Berry-Lound an artist and writer. You can find out more about my art and writing at https://dorothyberryloundart.com.
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Thank you for reading!
Great story, love the cat part too. Living on the Oregon Coast, we are obsessed with Whales and the Viewing. Great shots too.
If I lived by the sea where there might be whales and dolphins I would spend my whole time watching. As it is I am surrounded by beautiful Italian countryside and olive groves, full of wildlife. Guess what? I spend my whole time watching…
Very cool read! I’d love to experience this!
It was a wonderful experience and a real memory to treasure. Thanks Lisa.
Wow, even though your trip was terrifying, you got some great pictures. I went whale watching out of Plymouth, MA last September and we saw a couple of humpbacks. They played around our boat but didn’t breach as high as your pictures show. I did notice though that as people raced from one side of the boat to the other that the boat was going pretty steeply side to side, but the crew didn’t seem concerned as they never mentioned it.
We were only in the area for a few days so changing the trip to another day was not an option but would have been what we would have done otherwise. It was lovely to see the whales, just wish it had been a calmer day. Having said that, when you suffer from seasickness even a calm sea is not good LOL.
I have never gone whake watching but it is now added to my bucket list. So sorry you were sea sick. But I am happy you were still able to see the beauty of it all.
It is worth adding to your list, you won’t regret it, it is a wonderful experience.
As they usually are – very interesting blog, well written, illustrated and it brings us right into your thoughts.
my aside: I inherited two thing from my father – his temper and he never got seasick. When he joined the Navy in WWII – they put him on a training ship because he never ever got seasick as so many new sailors did. I was on a ship in the South China Sea during a typhoon – not to ever be repeated – but no sea sickness – which meant an extra watch or two because there were those that were hugging the commodes or laying very pale in their bunks.
Thanks Roy