Trek America - Whale Watching off Cape Cod

the oh-so-impressive postcard (do I detect a hint of jealousy ?)    this is how it begins - all eyes searching for whales on the horizon    the indistinct shapes slowly come into focus    cameras ready - here come the whales !

the whale's surfacing is heralded by a massive surge of bubbles that makes the water turn light green and causes the seagulls to circle    one of my favourite shots    the whale dives back down for another go around    they blow a ring of bubbles to encircle the plankton and then follow them up with their mouths open

the whales strain the plankton from the water through the sides of their mouths    mother and calf feeding    The large baleen whales comprise three families and about a dozen species. All these species lack teeth except as vestiges in the embryos. Instead, they possess a row of fringed plates of baleen (whalebone), which is a keratinaceous (horny) material developed from the gums. The fringed plates of baleen act as a filter, or sieve, straining small marine organisms from the water. The baleen whales are primarily plankton feeders and derive most of their nourishment from marine organisms that may be only a few millimeters (several hundredths of an inch) in length. Their principal food in the polar regions consists of small, shrimplike crustaceans collectively known as "krill." Commonly known baleen whales include the right whales, Balaena; the gray whale, Eschrichtius gibbosus; the blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus; the fin whale, B. physalus; and the humpback whale, Megaptera novaeanglia. The largest species, and the largest animal that has ever lived, is the blue whale. Specimens up to 30 m (100 ft) in length have been recorded, with weights estimated at more than 130 metric tons.    a humpback whale, Megaptera novaeanglia

the seagulls feed off the fish brought to the surface    blow hole in action    the powerful tail propels the whale down for another dive

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