On July 12 our trip started in full force as soon as we rounded Race Point Light at the northern tip of Provincetown. Race Point is the area where the waters of Cape Cod Bay meet the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The combination of colliding water bodies, fast currents, and tidal movements make this […]
On Saturday July 19, Wilson’s Storm-petrels were finally becoming more evident in large numbers. These tiny birds, about as big as a Northern Cardinal, weighing about two ounces, flew constantly around the boat, extending in large numbers to the horizon. Most were observed on the SW corner of Stellwagen Bank and east of Race Point, […]
On July 5 the Portuguese Princess, the Dolphin Fleet’s newest boat acquisition, left port in the morning and upon rounding Race Point, watched a big bank of fog roll across the water. Fortunately, we still had visibility to the west, so we headed toward the Southwest corner of Stellwagen Bank where mother and calf pairs […]
We awoke on June 28th to find calm seas and bright, albeit hazy skies. However, once we passed Race Point Light on the northern tip of Provincetown, we found ourselves socked-in by heavy fog. Because we rely on our eyesight more than anything else to find whales on these trips, fog presents a challenge. We […]
Birds – July 4 and 5 Whale watch trips this summer have provided a steady (expected) variety of pelagic birds. Noteworthy is the continual, albeit fluctuating occurrence of Cory’s Shearwaters. These large, relatively pale brown shearwaters, are easily identified to species by their pale, yellowish bill. They are scarce among the darker Greater Shearwaters, but […]
21 June was bright and sunny and we began the day by steaming north toward the southeast corner of Stellwagen Bank. With Truro’s Highland Light still in view, we had our first sighting of Terrace, a female humpback, and her calf. Terrace’s left fluke is heavily damaged and scarred, most likely due to an encounter […]
Dolphin Fleet Birdwatching Notes 15 to 30 June 2008 John C. Conlon Over the past two weeks summertime pelagic birds are seen more regularly and in larger numbers. That’s exciting for everybody! But before getting into that, a reminder… keep a spot in your mind for the unexpected. On the 23rd of June […]
On June 28, the day broke with heavy fog. Fog occurs when evaporating water vapor condenses immediately over the cool ocean water to form water droplets we know as fog. Typically, water evaporates, and through the process of convection, rises in the atmosphere until it reaches a cool enough temperature to condense into droplets forming […]
On June 14 we began the morning by heading east at Race Point Light and skirting the world-renowned parabolic dunes of Provincetown. It was among these dunes that artists including Harry Kemp and Eugene O’Neill were inspired by the virtually untouched landscape and the glistening expanse of the Atlantic Ocean. From the vantage point of […]
Bird Report # 1 Saturday, June 20 2006 Mild south/southwest winds and flat seas had very few birds on the move today. In fact except for small mixed groups of gulls casually following a number of sub-surface feeding Finback Whales around in the waters east of Race Point, the avian activity was very low. Eight […]
