Whale Watching
A few times every season we make the effort and head offshore in search whales, sea birds and other creatures that inhabit the briny blue. We woke to a brisk northerly and clear skies at Burnt Coat Harbor, Swans Island, a good chance for whale looking. We hove up the anchor and were under way at 0715, with the 4 lowers set we reached toward Mt.Desert Rock, 18 miles from Burnt Coat.
Gannets appeared shortly after breakfast, plunging from 30 to 50 feet in search of food, air sacks beneath their skin protect them from impact during their dives, Quite a sight watching the 25 -30 graceful flyers. An elusive finback whale was next on the docket, spouting in the distance then feeding nearby on the surface vanishing only moments later.
We arrived at “The Rock” around 1000, home of College of the Atlantic Whale Monitoring Station, we jogged around looking for spouts with no luck. A lighthouse and keepers house is on Mt. Desert Rock. I can only imagine the tough gardening for the lighthouse keepers of yore on this sometimes hostel place. During winter gales huge boulders have been known to roll to new spots on the Island.
Topsails were set as we headed off to Inner Scoodic Ridge in hopes our hunt for whales would improve. Puffins and Shearwaters flew and floated nearby. On the east side of the ridge we spotted some spouts, Humpbacks, 6 of them. We were treated to a great show, flippers and tails waving for the crowd. What a day, enthusiasm ran high, it has been a while since we have seen Humpbacks, close up, glad they are back!
The G.P.S. said that we were 22 miles from Southwest Harbor, the wind had been dropping out all afternoon. We fired up the Detroit's, Heckle and Jeckle, and cruised toward Southwest Harbor glowing from the day. A great day on planet earth.
Captain Mike
At Anchor Southwest Harbor
