Our last day with Grandma and Grandad was Saturday. Our final treat was a whale watching expedition to Stellwagen Bank (a sanctuary off the Massachusetts coast)
It was a beautiful day as we pulled away from the Boston Harbor.
During our cruise, we saw and followed, 3 humpback whales.. These Northern hemisphere humpbacks reach an average length of 50 feet, and a weight of about 37 tons! The humpback got its name because of the way its back arches out of the water when getting ready to take a deep dive. 
These whales must trust the boat captains as they do not seem bothered by the tourists at all, and they really do come within 20 feet of the boat. 
We came across a Mother and Calf pair of Humpbacks whales. The Mom is called Owl. She is back this season with a calf, probably her 6th or 7th known one. Owl is a whale that can be pretty easy to ID for two reasons, one being the markings on her tail looks like owl's eyes, and the other being she has a scar on the top of her body (the dorsal side) behind her blowhole and before her dorsal fin.
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The Naturalists know that Owl's calf is about 3 months old and weighs approximately 1000 lb but it won't have a name until it's markings are fully developed at about a year old.
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The third whale in the photo is Bounce. No relation to Owl and her calf at all. The naturalist said that Bounce was simply socializing and would move on in a few hours.
We came across a Mother and Calf pair of Humpbacks whales. The Mom is called Owl. She is back this season with a calf, probably her 6th or 7th known one. Owl is a whale that can be pretty easy to ID for two reasons, one being the markings on her tail looks like owl's eyes, and the other being she has a scar on the top of her body (the dorsal side) behind her blowhole and before her dorsal fin.
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The Naturalists know that Owl's calf is about 3 months old and weighs approximately 1000 lb but it won't have a name until it's markings are fully developed at about a year old.
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The third whale in the photo is Bounce. No relation to Owl and her calf at all. The naturalist said that Bounce was simply socializing and would move on in a few hours.
Each Humpback has distinct black and white markings on its fluke (tail). Since no two flukes are alike, scientists use these markings to distinguish one humpback from another.
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When humpbacks are leaping up into sight, they're not doing it to put on a show for us. It's actually called "lunge feeding" - a method they use to plow through heavy areas of food with their mouths open wide and ready for catches. So while we're taking pictures, they're actually dining on schools of fish like anchovies, cod and capelin.
Finally, the worst part of the visit: The goodbye. Saying "goodbye" to people you love just never gets any easier.How grateful I am to my parents who came to help us out on such short notice. It was fabulous to spend time with them, even under these circumstances. Family is such an integral part of the Grand Plan!
Hi Meghan and Helena,
ReplyDeleteWhat a thrill to get to see so many whales. When my Bri was about 6 we went whale watching off the coast of Maine and what a thrill!! Your pictures are amazing and they are so close.
I also agree that saying goodbye hurts the heart....:(
with lots of love,
in my heart always,
Margi
Meghan,
ReplyDeleteWith all the difficulty you have had recently, I thought about how much you have to be thankful for as I read this post. For family who care about you and pray for you, and even for the opportunity to see the whales and go to Hawaii a few years back. Whenever you have a bad day or tough therapy session, or are sad or feel lonely, you can reflect upon all that you have to be thankful for.
It reminds me of one of my heroes, Lou Gehrig. He was a famous baseball player in the 1920's and 30's. They called him the "Iron Horse" because he played for over 13 years without missing a single game due to illness or injury (even though he broke his hands 17 times he kept playing). This very strong man got sick and had to stop playing when he was still a relatively young man.
They had a day at Yankee Stadium to honor him a few months after he was forced to retire. This is some of what he said:
"Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth. I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans.
(He thanks many more people)
"So I close in saying that I may have had a tough break, but I have an awful lot to live for."
He was always more concerned with others than himself, even when he was sick. He's a lot like you in that way. He is one who looked at the good, even when times were bad. I hope that you can keep that same sense of hope and optimism and count your blessings every day.
J Lahti
A whale watch--that is too cool! I wish I could go on 1. Yesterday, it got pretty humid so we did a baby doll wedding. It was--interesting.
ReplyDelete~emma
Megal,
ReplyDeletewho knew it could get so hot in buffalo? I didn't! Whale watching is so cool, I've never been whale watching but it seems cool. They should name the calf marshmello! Hahaha! And don't worry about goodbyes. It just gives u another chance to say hello!
Ambres
ps motto: too lazy to write one ...zzzzzzzzz....
Hey Meg,
ReplyDeleteYou always get to do the cool stuff... *sigh*... Swimming with dolphins and turtles and NOW WHALE WATCHING! I am soooooooooooo jealous. Luving you everyday!
Your BFFEAEAEAEAEAEAEAEAEAEAEAEAEAEAEAEAE,
Mal
Hey Meggie,
ReplyDeleteYou look really good in those scrubs. With your brains and all that you've been through, I think you would be a top notch surgeon. On the other hand ... maybe you have had enough of hospitals!!! I miss you.
Love,
Dolores
Dear Helena and Meghan: The whale pictures are awesome!! Thanks for sharing. Our daughter had a love for whales in 5th grade and that was her 1st whale watch with her Voyage of the Mimi classmates. She shared her love for whales on a whale watch with us and we agreed how beautiful it was to see whales. So glad you had some wonderful quality time with family and continue to make lots of family memories.
ReplyDeleteI continue to pray for all of you and am thankful that God hears each and every prayer. HE IS FAITHFUL Love in Christ Linda "Hands to Hearts"
WHALE WATCHING!!!!! Don't even get me started. (You know my obsession with whales, right?)
ReplyDeleteMiss you, and hope for the best.
Best Wishes,
Lauren Scanio
That is so cool you got to go whale watching! Meghan, you look so happy and beautiful in that picture of you on the boat! I'm so glad you had a great visit with your grandparents - how very special!
ReplyDeleteWe sure miss seeing you around here! All of you, actually. Take care!
Jackie Wright
Whale watching!! How amazing. Sounds like a fun visit with your grandparents. I hope the weather is nice in Boston- we are getting PRETTY humid & sticky around here.
ReplyDeletexoxo