The whales were probably one of the most important reasons for the designation of Stellwagen Bank as a National Marine Sanctuary. They have a reputation for curiosity and seem to be interested in the whale watch boats that ply the waters of Cape Cod and Massachusetts Bays. It is here that their calves are born and mating occurs. In the spring they come to the waters off Cape Cod to feed on small fish, then continue up north to the Bay of Fundy. Other whales travel to the waters off Newfoundland, as well as to Greenland and Iceland.
Humpbacks are black or gray with white markings on their throats and bellies, flippers and tails.
The markings on their tails are quite distinctive and are usually used to identify individual humpbacks. They grow to about 50 feet at maturity and can weigh up to 45 tons. I will be working with a group of whale researchers up and down the coast of the United States and Canada, as well as with individuals in the Caribbean. In addition, the National Marine Sanctuaries from American Samoa and Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean will report on their humpback populations, as will our west coast sanctuaries in California. The whales were estimated to be about 30 feet long.