Whale watching from Cape Cod beaches? Yes you can. Dr. Charles "Stormy" Mayo, of the Center for Coastal Studies, says that we have remarkable opportunities to see endangered North Atlantic right whales from local shores.
This past weekend an aerial survey spotted nine right whales in Cape Cod Bay, likely marking the return of the true "season" for the rare animals in our waters. The pattern from previous years suggests that more whales will soon be arriving to feed in the Bay.
If you want to catch sight of them, Mayo recommends Herring Cove Beach in Provincetown as a hotspot for whale watching. Sandy Neck in Barnstable also offered sightings earlier this year. And last year, great sighting were had off the beaches from the Cape Cod Canal all the way north to Plymouth.
"Keep an eye out seaward," Mayo says, "and you may very well see these very special animals."
Mayo says he's seen right whales near Herring Cove within 150 feet of the beach.
"When you get that close," Mayo says, "if you're down that beach, it's the view of a lifetime. It's better than we get from the [research] boat. So, that's one reason to walk the beach, rather than go out in a boat."
Mayo also cautions people to remember that federal law prohibits approaching a whale by boat without a permit.
Audio of Steve Junker's conversation with Stormy Mayo is in the audio below - give it a listen.
