Whale Watching on Cape Cod

The peninsula of Cape Cod extends 65 miles into the Atlantic Ocean and Cape Cod Bay. The cape is home to 68 square miles of national seashore that includes and protects beaches, ponds, marshes, dunes and woodlands between Chatham and Provincetown. 

And while we are all familiar with the coastline of Cape Cod, it should be no surprise that this area is also well known for the animals that naturally inhabit it. There are more than 450 species of animals that can be found in this region. Some of the areas most famous, or most sought after to see in the wild would be great white sharks, grey and harbor seals as well as humpback whales. 

 

The ocean waters surrounding the cape support this diverse group of marine life through a variety of complex and unique ecosystems. One being an estuary, where fresh water transitions into salt water which provides the perfect environment for spawning grounds for fish, habitats for shellfish and migratory birds. 

Each spring hundreds of humpback whales make their way to the waters off of Cape Cod to their well known feeding grounds located in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. It is a federally protected marine sanctuary located between Cape Ann and Cape Cod and hosts one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems in the Gulf of Maine. 

In addition to humpback whales, fin whales, minke whales, right whales, pilot whales and even orcas migrate hundreds, if not thousands of miles each year to feed here. 

Cape Cod has deeply rooted history within the whaling industry. By the mid 18th century, it was one of the largest industries within the area. Whales were hunted and sold for purposes including making fishing poles, buggy whips and using the blubber and its rich oil content to power things such as streetlights. 

As the whaling industry died down, there was a need to subsidize the economy and tourism filled that void. Today we know that whaling is banned, and people are able to enjoy these animals that have been coming to this region for centuries.  

 

 

The best time of year to come to Cape Cod in hopes of seeing these animals is during the months of April-October. During these months the number of whales within the waters surrounding the cape increase substantially when the whales are migrating to the area for food. 

During my time on the cape I decided to take a whale watching tour out of Provincetown with Dolphin Fleet. A company that has been in operation since 1975 when Captain Al Avellar noticed there was a decreasing demand for local fishing tours but an increasing demand in wanting to see whales.

For the past 55 years along with the whale watching tours the naturalists at Dolphin Fleet have been collecting data during each tour that they take. The collection of this data allows for the tracking of the whales over time with a technique called photo identification. Humpback whales have a similar, unique identifier like our fingerprints. The underside of each humpback whale tail is different and has a pattern that is specific to that particular whale.

 

 

For example, on the tour that I took in particular, there was a female whale that they have been tracking for almost ten years. 

Along with whale identification, the photo identification allows for: 

• Keeping track of the age of individual whales and long term helps to learn more about their life-span
• Learning about caving intervals 
• Discovering and tracking migration grounds and patterns 
• Estimate the population 
• Development of family trees 

Dolphin Fleet not only collects this information for their own database, they share it with other scientists, researchers and organizations such as the Gulf of Maine Humpback Whale Catalog kept by the Center of Coastal Studies.

One of the most well known humpback whales in the world is named Salt. She was named that by Dolphin Fleets founder after identifying her unique white speckles on the underside of her tail. She was one of the very first whales that could be individually identified. The naming tradition of the whales in this region has continued since the 1970’s. 

In addition to the research efforts by this company, one thing that I greatly appreciated as a patron was the education provided while aboard one of their tours. Each tour is equipped with their own naturalist who helps to enhance and further educate us on whales, marine life and the marine habitat that you are exploring. 

 

There was a presentation that went over the whales that were spotted, their behaviors and migration patterns as well as some general information about the geology, flora and fauna of Cape Cod. 

A mission statement on their website reads “Our goal is to have each passenger depart our vessels with a greater understanding and appreciation of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary and the wealth of life it supports.” Which they absolutely met. 

I love a guided tour, especially when it comes to viewing marine life. The addition of research, education and conservation? 

A dream. 

So if you find yourself on the cape and are looking to get out onto the water and also see some incredible marine life, I can't recommend this tour enough. 

Cape Cod, you’re whaley interesting.