4/24/2008 - Humpback Whales off Race Point

My family and I went down to P-Town on Monday to see the Right Whales that were reported to be mingling around down there. Apparently, there were close to 80 of them hanging around Race Point earlier in the week. When we got down there, we were disappointed to find a few people standing on the dunes with binoculars oohing and
ahhing over the barely perceptable water shoots of a couple of whales way off in the distance.

We drove around to various spots trying to find a better vantage point to no avail. Then an older local woman divulged a local secret (to which I am sworn to secrecy... unless a $100 should find it's way to my palm). The locals know of a spot where whales are often found, but it requires trudging three miles over the dunes and through a salt marsh to get to it. We got lucky since the tide was on it's way down,
and the marsh was dry. It was more like walking through a desert.


When we finally got to the beach, there were no whales to be seen. But, the beach was really nice so we hung out for a while and let the girls play in the water. Finally, Lisa decided to go around the bend of the beach. I heard her scream 5 minutes later and looked up to see a huge back coming out of the water only 100 yds off shore.


For the next half-hour we had a private performance put on by a couple of Humpback Whales within easy swimming distance of the shore (yes, I was tempted). It was pretty amazing.