Just beyond the colorful community of Provincetown, Massachusetts and nestled near the tip of Race Point is Herring Cove Beach. Included in the Cape Cod National Seashore, Herring Cove is part of an ever-changing collage of unique ecosystems that includes tidal wetlands, marine, terrestrial and fresh-water habitats.
This beach is on the more safely swim-able side of the Cape, but is known for some public nudity to the left end of its shore. Families would be advised to steer themselves to the right.
We visited on a (very!) windy day in late March, hoping to spot the first whales of the season. I readily understood the dedication of volunteers who lodged themselves into deserted sandy bluffs and trained their binoculars onto the ocean waters. Spotting a whale, whether as a single fin, a full breach or as a distant spout of water, is a unique thrill. The steady migration of these ocean mammals to cooler waters is a sign of seasonal warming, and the three distinct spouts of water we spied that afternoon were a sure sign of spring’s welcome approach.
Whale watching cruises are a popular way to observe whale behaviors such as breaching (a full body leap up, out and back into the ocean), spyhopping (a whale’s head appearing above water) and sounding (a whale dive with tail flip). Daily cruises run April through November from Boston Harbor and multiple locations on the Cape (as well as from other Massachusetts shore towns). Whale species include the enormous humpbacks and finback whales which make for some spectacular splashes. Few sights compare to watching a bus-sized mammal leap up beside your boat and plunge back into the depths beneath!
Updated from April 5, 2010.
Hotels in the Boston Harbor area are convenient to ferries and whale watch cruises. Splurge with a stay at the luxurious Four Seasons Boston or Boston Harbor Hotel and enjoy splendid waterfront views.
Always wished to see one of those great mammals and never did. Thanks for sharing this with us, Heather!
Susanne
Sue’s Daily Photography
Have not seen these mammals in real, but can feel the excitement through your writing.
I love Provincetown. And “colorful” is a good way of describing it.
I’ve been on one whale watch and I loved it. Although, I think I’d get sea sick now. I can barely go on a Merry Go Round these days.
Happy Spring!
I’ve never seen whale live in action before so this is interesting to me! How I wish I could spot them breaching, spyhopping or sounding in front of me! Where other places in the world that we could see whales?
You are having a whale of a time there I wish I was with you. ha ha. I suppose that was real corny.
We used to see different kinds of whales when fishing. Once caught a dead carcass with only the head and part of the body which caused us lots of hassle before we could get rid of it.
Good job the whole thing wasn’t there.
Great picture of you, you look better each time, and that takes some going.
Susanne: I’ve read about people swimming with whales. Don’t know that I’d want to be in arm’s reach, but I’d love to observe them underwater next!
Rainfield: It’s a definite thrill to be in the presence of a whale.
One of The Guys: I’ll be writing about “colorful” Provincetown at some point. It’s one-of-a-kind!
The whale cruising season began just days after my visit to MA, but I’ve seen humpbacks “up close” from catamarans in Hawaii and from a sailboat in the Bay of Banderas, MX. Such experiences forever add an element of excitement to deep water swims!
Amazing creatures-almost mythical! One feels honored to be sharing the earth with them.
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Cecil Lee: Whale migration is in your favor. Whales are travelers who seek warmer waters for breeding/birthing and cooler waters for feeding. They seem to pass by the edges of about every continent a couple of times each year. When I travel to coastal areas, I will generally check whale migration maps to see if there will be any action during my visit. Japan and Australia get the most whale traffic for your area.
Donald: They’re such magnificent creatures! Whale parts coming up in a fishing net could be a little rough on the stomach, though.
Glad you like the photo. I’ve been encouraged to post a little more of “me” at my destinations and am slowly getting more comfortable with that. It was all I could do to keep my hair out of my mouth for that photo! Windy!
NothingProfound: They do sometimes seem like beings from another world. And when you consider the mysterious ocean depths they journey through -I guess they are!
It may be spring but boy it looks cold there. Nothing compares with seeing a whale next to your boat for sure, but the next best thing is spotting them as they recreate in the waters just off shore.
Whales cruise past the east coast of Australia heading to the almost tropic waters of Queensland. I have watched them from the shore a few times from vantage points in Sydney and they are superb to watch. On the way back south, they seem to take more time and frloic and play a little more making for some superb sights. Great article.
Been reading the comments as well and realized I just don’t know too many things about whales. They are fascinating and the place seems ideal to go learn more about their bevahiour.
They fascinate me as well, Inchirieri. Ever since I saw breaching humpbacks off of Maui about twelve years ago, I look for opportunities to watch them “commute”!
I know it can learn so much from the way whales swim. From your article I learned so much about whales and I would love if you start to write about every species of whale in part. Especially the humpback that seem so interesting. Thanks.Sibiu Hotels
We have just had a magnificent find on the Gold coast with the discovery of another White Whale. The baby and its mum were snapped cruising along yesterday. Migaloo the White whale has been an attraction for a few years now but was thought of as the only one.