Whale watching without the whales

The sun finally showed its ugly hide today :-) Sunny 25°C and whatever that is in °F here. Good timing considering that we were doing some whale watching today.

Boston has a rather large conservatory for whales directly off shore. In an area called the "Stellwagen" several different whales stay during their feeding season as it is an area rich in zooplankton and phytoplankton and it is relatively unpolluted.

So we set off in a comparatively large boat, but boy it was fast. We went about 20-30 miles off the coast into this area to find the whales. The weather was very good, clear blue skies, but the previous 3-4 days, there was no ship going out to sea because of bad weather, so it was unclear where exactly the whales will have gone to.

The boat on the right is the one we set off in

As is usual with these tours, the crew was extremely professional and knowledgeable. The staff caring for the passengers are employees and researchers at the New England Aquarium in Boston, so they knew their stuff. So as we took about 90 minutes to get out there, they regularly gave us information on fauna and flora of the sea, while also giving us updates on what they are looking for, etc.

The sea was calm (in my opinion), but Isi was nearly sick, so she stayed at the back where the wind and the waves were minimal. According to her, several people were violently sick during the trip, but she told me in a type of strange pride that she was not sick, throughout the entire journey.

I love the waves, I do enjoy the up and down of the boat when speeding over open sea. Watching the waves while moving has a certain hypnotic effect on me and I can switch my brain off. There are not too many things that can do that...

Isi in her calm spot at the quarterdeck. She did not vomit during this trip. Can you see the smug pride, she displays, because of this fact?

Unfortunately, though, during the entire trip, there were only single sightings of a whale in the distance, but nothing more. There was only one whale that was really sighted from afar, a North Atlantic Right Whale. Sadly for us... and the leviathan of a creature, I guess, we were not allowed to approach it, as it is an endangered species (less than 500 of its kind survive), so there are strict rules about the conduct.

I missed every single sighting as there was either always someone in my line of sight or I was on the wrong side of the boat. I probably moved around, too much. Isi saw one, I did not :-(. Ah well, you win some and you lose some.

In the eyes of the crew, these few sightings are considered "no sighting", so they awarded each passenger a rain check ticket, which means that they can come back free of charge and the ticket is valid as long as the tours exist. Not sure, when we will be back, but I would like to see me some whales some day. This was the second try, after New Zealand. In NZ, we did not even go off shore as the weather was bad, at least this time we managed to go out on the water ;-) Third time is the charm, I guess. I do not mind, though. I like being out on the water...

This incompetent fool did not catch a single glimpse of a whale. Maybe he should look where the camera is pointing...

After we came back in the afternoon, we made our way to the Boston Commons, a big park area in the center of Boston, where we relaxed in the sun for a bit. I say relax, what I meant was, we fell asleep on the lawn in the shade of a tree near a pond. As usual, I was apparently snoring, but luckily my wallet was not stolen as a form of punishment to this acoustic crime.

Refreshed after an enjoyable snore in the park

By the way, one thing, that I observed quite a lot in American City Parks is the huge abundance of grey squirrels. Judging by the sheer numbers, I could actually imagine them to be a plague here.

They are everywhere and not afraid "at all". When I stopped in front of one to make pictures, it actually waited for me and came closer, because I knelt down. It obviously expected that I gave food or something like that. The only danger they really accept and see is dogs, but that's what trees are for.

This little fella looked as expectantly at me as I was at him. I got want I wanted, he did not. hehe...

Anyhow, a very cool day, despite the lack of whales. This leaves two more days before we leave for home. We have one more journey to the islands planned and meeting our friends one more time, however, I must say, I am ready to go back home. I have already gathered a lot of impressions of a place that is similar to home, but very different in many ways. There is a lot for me to reflect about.