The shoreline along Cape Cod Bay is probably one of the most visited
vacation areas in the world. The same is true for Cape Cod Bay itself.
It's not people however that are visiting, but whales! For thousands
of years Cape Cod Bay has been the summer home of various whale species.
Some
of which you'll get to see on your trip with us. The whales migrate
north to our area to feed, from the warm water of the Caribbean where
they mate. The combination of the protected warm waters of Cape Cod
Bay, and the abundant food sources of Stellwagen and George's Bank,
makes the area an ideal feeding ground. In
particular, the area is known for the large quantities of "shrimp like"
Krill a favorite of the whales. They like it so much that they often
eat up to a ton of food per day! Seems like a lot, but not for the largest
mammals on earth.
As you can see in these two maps, Cape Cod Bay is clearly very protected
on three sides. The land mass surrounding the Bay restricts the water
flow, and by the middle of summer the water in the Bay is fairly warm
by New England standards. If you doubt this, just take a swim north
of Boston on Cape Ann in July, and then try Cape Cod Bay. After a swim
up there, the Bay will seem like a nice "hot" bath! The whales have
figured this out, and that's why they love it here: lots of food, lots
of friends, and warm water thrown in with the deal! If you look more
closely at the map on the upper right, you will also notice in the upper
right hand corner an area where the bottom topography is remarkably
different than that of Cape Cod Bay. This region is known as Stellwagen
Bank, and has for years been the source of food for both humans and
whales. The bottom topography rises to about 60 feet below the surface,
and the varying terrain makes an ideal breeding ground for many species-
and that's right... one of them is Krill! Whales just love it. You too
will love it as you watch the whales feeding on it. It can be an experience
of a lifetime.
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