While searching for activities in Boston before my family dropped me off at Groton, our cousin informed us about the opportunity to spend the day whale watching.
Our family loves everything related to the sea and animals, so it seemed to be the perfect plan for us. Still, we were understandably hesitant because we had never heard of whales going anywhere near Boston. After some discussion, we decided to try something new and book the New England Aquarium's whale-watching tour, knowing it meant contributing to a good cause.
We knew we were taking a risk. The tour lasted four hours and they can not control nature, so there was a possibility we would waste the day and not encounter any creature. Therefore, we agreed the day before to make the most out of the tour no matter the circumstances. It was one of the last days we were going to spend together as a family, so we were determined not to let it go to waste.
We arrived five minutes early, at 10:25 a.m., and were shocked to see many people already in line. Once we entered the boat, we found a small, unoccupied booth beside a window and close to the snack stand. We were at the back of the ship, and a TV in the front provided us with information about the tour. As we saw that there were other floors and a sizable amount of people arriving after us, we became more convinced about the potential of this tour.
We spent the entire way there entertained by the trivia on the TV, which provided us with information about different species of whales and raised awareness of the multiple threats to the survival of the species. There, we learned how to identify the whale species we would be able to encounter throughout the tour. An hour and a half flew past quickly while we were distracted by the view, the TV, and each other's company.
Suddenly, we felt the ship slowing down and heard someone tell us through an intercom that we had arrived at our destination. The announcer was a marine biologist who took advantage of these tours to gather data about whales and their moving patterns for the New England Aquarium. We stood and headed to the front of the ship, where we could not see anything. We saw no signs of whales but a lot of false alarms, which turned out to be other boats, people, and the reflection of the sun. It was only until I saw a spout of water far away out of the corner of my eye that I realized there were whales near us. I called attention to the spout, but when my parents looked over, it was gone. We waited a few more minutes and decided to check out the back of the boat, but the moment we got there, we heard everyone gasp and cheer from where we were before. Then, we heard from the intercom that a humpback whale had just jumped out of the water meters away from the boat, and it turned out that it was an incredibly rare sight since whales came near New England to rest and prepare for colder temperatures.
Once we returned to our original spots, we started to see whales appear out of the water. We would see them "snake" throughout the water until they decided to dive for food majestically. When they dove, we would see their tails rise high, allowing us to identify the whale, and dip back into the ocean, where they would remain for about five minutes before returning to breathe. I was in such a state of awe that I did not bother to take any photos of the whales. The image for this entry was taken by my sister, who also did not put much effort into capturing the beauty of these creatures since she was too busy admiring them.
Our time in the "whale zone" soon finished, and we prepared to return to Boston. We were so grateful for this opportunity and glad we took a chance. Not only did we see the humpback whales, but we also learned a lot about their lives thanks to the tour. For example, when they "snake" near the surface, they are feeding, and the reason behind the motion is that they are trying to avoid swallowing as much seawater as possible. After all, seawater dehydrates the whales, so they hydrate through the small fish they eat. We also learned that most whales fall victim to net fishing as they get entangled in the net and injure themselves once they enter a state of panic. This tour was the perfect way to end my summer break and reignite my desire to learn.