Once upon a time, whale watching tours were more about hunting whales than simply watching them.
Naturalists now take whale-watching vessels with cameras replacing harpoons to educate people about Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary's marine life, which includes whales that find plentiful food sources there and return year after year.
The History of Whaling in Massachusetts
At the height of commercial whaling, whales were hunted for their oil and bone for use in lighting, candle wax and detergent products, while bones were sold to make shoes or other items. Each successful kill of a whale could yield 25-40 barrels of whale oil that brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars for whaling companies - New Bedford in Massachusetts was often known as the whale hunting capital of the world during this time period.
Pilgrims first arrived in 1620 and reported seeing "great whales of the best kind for oil and bone," likely right whales (Eubalaena glacialis), which are now protected under the Endangered Species Act.
Early in the 1700s, Wampanoag people still comprised the dominant population on Nantucket. When residents were given the vote in 1729, they overwhelmingly chose to remain with their whaling culture and support the Nantucket Whaling Company.
By 1800, Nantucket led all other ports worldwide with 17 whale-hunting vessels leaving its port for whale hunting voyages; New Bedford only had seven. By 1823 however, New Bedford boasted more whaleships leaving than all other ports combined.
Whaleships were typically square-rigged vessels weighing 300-350 tons that carried between 30 and 35 men for long voyages across oceans and lakes. Whale oil was their main cargo, while they would also transport food, clothing, brick tryworks to process whale meat into various products as part of the crew's responsibilities.
Once whalers located a whale, they used lines attached to harpoon cannons to spear it with lines connected by lines attached to harpoon cannons. If lucky, one or more harpoons might penetrate its thick head and cause enough injuries for it to die immediately; more often though they grazed its skin instead, leading it to drag behind until exhaustion claimed it as victim.
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park houses many buildings and ships from the whaling industry that once comprised it. These include the whaling museum and schooner Ernestina. What sets this park apart from others among national parks is how it collaborates with local partners - including New Bedford city hall, Port Society, Ernestina shipwreck site, Rotch-Jones-Duff House Museum Rotch Jones-Duff Garden Museum Rotch Jones Duff House Garden Museum New Bedford Historical Society as well as Waterfront Historic District League.
The History of Whale Watching in Massachusetts
Cape Cod peninsula tours offer whale watching as a popular summer activity, usually visiting Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary - one of the world's best whale habitats and feeding ground for various whale species, such as humpbacks, finbacks, minkes and Northern right whales.
Stellwagen Bank spans 19 miles (31 km). This area, situated surrounded by shallow waters rich in nutrients, hosts schools of fish and plankton that feed large sea mammals such as whales. Whale watching cruises departing from Boston, Plymouth, Gloucester as well as Barnstable and Provincetown allow visitors to witness this incredible marine life up close.
Although no guarantee can be given of spotting whales on any tour boat tour, most tours offer the potential of seeing these majestic mammals. Stellwagen Bank plays host to the whales who migrate annually as part of their migration route; each year they come back here for its warm waters, abundant food supply and safe harbor. Whale watches often treat passengers to spectacular sights such as breaches or blowholes from these magnificent marine giants!
New Bedford was known for being a leading whaling hub during the 1790s, with products from whalers in high demand throughout Europe and North America. As this industry flourished, more sophisticated ships with faster cannons were designed to assist whalers catch their quarry more efficiently; most whale species had been reduced to only 2-2% of their original numbers by 1799.
By the early 1860s, some whalers realized their business could no longer support itself and began creating modern businesses to take advantage of other industries like textiles and oil lamps - helping New Bedford remain economically sustainable as whaling came to a halt.
Captain Al Avellar began offering whale watching tours to his clients after witnessing their reactions when whales surfaced near their boat in Provincetown in 1975. Recognizing this potential market opportunity, Avellar began providing whale-watching excursions.
The Current State of Whale Watching in Massachusetts
Massachusetts coast is one of the best whale-watching spots in both the U.S. and abroad, providing ideal feeding grounds for humpback, fin, sperm, pilot whales and blue/right whales; other species have also been seen here including blues/rights. Whale-watching tours operate regularly from Boston, Cape Cod and Nantucket with naturalist guides who offer insight into whale behavior, spotting techniques and species identification on board cruises.
Humpback whales are among the most frequently seen whale species off Massachusetts' coastline, and each spring and summer migrate there to feed on herring, mackerel and krill. Witness their incredible leaping from the water and flipping of tails which never fails to amaze. Their flukes feature unique markings so whale-watching boats can quickly identify which whale they see by its markings.
Whale-watching trips typically last about one hour and depend on weather conditions to reach their destination. Whales can be spotted all year long in this region, though peak sighting periods typically fall from mid-April through to mid-October. Most whale-watching tours operate within Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary which has been named one of five top spots worldwide to observe these creatures.
Whale-watching tours are a major tourist attraction along Massachusetts' coastline, departing from ports such as Boston, Providence, and Cape Cod towns. Many tour companies provide packages including multi-boat tours with lunch or dinner provided, family friendly options, as well as options specifically tailored for young viewers.
Choose a whale-watching tour operator with an excellent safety and quality track record, employing experienced marine biologists and naturalists who know exactly which animals to search for; for example, adult and juvenile whales as well as behavior of different species are described by them, while they also answer any inquiries about dolphins or seals encountered on their trips.
The Future of Whale Watching in Massachusetts
Whale watching is an integral part of New England life, both for tourists and locals alike. It allows marine life to interact with each other and for us all to understand more about our surroundings. But it should be noted that the whale-watching industry needs to do more in terms of mitigating its impacts on cetaceans as the majority of whale-watching operations worldwide do not do this effectively - and thus harming whale populations worldwide.
Whales can be seen year-round in Massachusetts, though their presence peaks from April through October. As these whales feed on herring, mackerel, and krill in our state's waters from April until October, they move north when the temperatures cool off to mate and give birth.
Stellwagen Bank and Jeffreys Ledge are two popular whale-watching spots in Massachusetts waters, though whales may also be found off Cape Cod, Nantucket or elsewhere nearby.
Whaling began as a local enterprise during the early seventeenth century in coastal villages across Long Island, New York and Nantucket. Whaling then reached its zenith during the early nineteenth century with large ships traversing the globe for two to three years at a time killing whales before returning home with processed products for sale.
While other whaling companies were destroyed during the American Revolutionary War, Nantucket's fleet managed to thrive due to a natural harbor that accommodated smaller vessels. This enabled its whalers to compete with larger whaling fleets located in Newport, Providence, and London and was the inspiration for them first developing toggle harpoons as more effective weapons than their fluted predecessors.
Nantucket remains a significant whale-watching hub, and is home to one of the top companies in the country: Dolphin Fleet. Their boat trips run throughout summer and early fall with professional naturalists teaching passengers about whale behavior and ecology; guests may spot numerous whale species such as humpbacks known for their acrobatic breeching and flipper flapping, as well as sperm whales, minke whales, fin whales and even an occasional Northern Right Whale!
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