Last Week I went whale watching on a New England Aquarium whale watching trip run by Boston Harbor Cruises.  I was with NOAA Stillwagen Bank NMS and Mass Audubon staff.  We had a wonderful trip counting seabirds and saw several Humpback Whales.  The weather was perfect – calm and sunny.

Above Cory’s Shearwater Above Sooty Shearwater Above several shots of Great Shearwater Humpback Whale Above – Humpback whale breaching Below several photos of two whales together – one is tail slapping and the other is flipper slapping – Below are several examples of whale tail flukes out of the water before slapping down on the water – wonderful to see.  Flipper slapping –  Fluke damaged by boat propeller – sober reminder of dangers whales faceAnother whale fluke with a piece missing after being hit by boat propeller.A plastic balloon floating on the water in the Sanctuary – such a danger to many marine mammals, sea turtles and seabirds.

 New England Aquarium Whale WatchingBoston in the distance with the Harbor Islands National park in front