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August 13, 1987 - Giants in the SeaGiants in the Sea By PAUL STOUTENBURGH Barbara and I had an opportunity to travel with a group of young people and their instructors on a whale- watching trip out of Montauk recently. We arrived about 7:30 a.m. to find the dock of the Finback II and the adjacent fishing pier crowded with anxious and excited people. Seemed it was going to be a good day and everyone was in high spirits in hopes of seeing whales or getting fish. There was a sense of ex- citement in the air. It was good to see this kind of ac- tivity where people were taking ad- vantage of the world around them. Our group was anxious to get aboard. For some it would be their first ex- perience on a big boat out in the ocean. The Finback II is not only offer- ing people a first -hand experience with a marine environment on their whale- watching trips, but also serves as a platform for the marine studies that go on day and night throughout the year monitoring the status of these endangered species and the im- pact of man's activities on the marine environment. As we went aboard we were greeted by an old friend, Sam Sadove, who was instrumental in getting the OKEANOS Ocean Re- search Foundation started in 1980. He assured us we'd see whales, which made us all the more anxious to get started. About 8 a.m., with all aboard, we left the busy harbor at Montauk and headed for the whaling grounds to the south. There was a fair swell roll- ing in from the ocean, but the captain told us once we were outside the shal- lower water of the point that would disappear. As we rounded the famous light- house at Montauk Point I thought of the many good times I'd had birding there in the middle of winter. Mon- tauk collects a wide variety of bird life off its shores because of the way it juts out into the ocean. Winter Birds at Montauk Scoters, mergansers, old squaws, loons, grebes and cormorants are some of the winter birds that are usu- ally seen here along with the com- mon gulls. Then there is always the hope of seeing some of our northern visitors such as the glaucous gulls, Iceland Gulls, Bonaparte's gulls, harlequins, eiders, dovekies, razor- bills, kittywakes, gannets and others. It's also a great spot for har- bor seals that often can be seen feed- ing on the vast mussel beds in the area. But today we were to leave Mon- tauk Point 20 miles or so to the north. Our first bit of ocean interest came as a small dark bird, smaller than a robin, was seen near the boat, flying and feeding barely above the waves. It never seemed to stop its endless search for food. It had a white patch on its rump and a square tail which meant it was a Wilson's petrel. This ocean - roaming bird never comes ashore except when nesting in the Antarctic. I remember them from many years ago when I was in the service and we watched them follow our ship for days on end. Later that morning we were to see dozens of them at one time feeding about the boat as we lay idle in the water awaiting the sight of a whale. Focus on Nature Our first sighting was a small minke whale that surfaced but a few hundred feet from the boat. Sam told us over the speaker system that this was one of the smaller whales and one that was often hard to track and get close to, so we counted our sight- ing of this sleek fellow as a good omen of things to come. These small baleen whales grow up to 30 feet in length and our leader's estimate of that one was about 25 feet. Its pointed head made it quite streamlined. It soon dove and left us with but one or two glimpses of this hard -to- get - close -to whale. Whales are classified into two groups: the baleen or filter feeders and the toothed whales. All the whales we were to see would be filter feeders. They strain all the plankton and small fish through a screen of comb -like appendages in their mouths, gathering up to a hundred pounds of food in one dive. In the big whales I can just imagine that mouth opening like some giant barn door, taking in everything in its path. Two Shearwaters Seen As we scoured the sparkling water about the Finback II, another ocean bird was added to our list. The Cory's shearwater with its long slender wings seemed to fly and glide within inches of the waves. Later we'd see the greater shearwater, too, but the sighting of a female humpback took over the stage as all eyes were on this 50 -foot endangered whale. Excitement ran high as cameras clicked and necks strained to see this creature of the deep as it came within 100 feet of the boat. Then, like a trained porpoise you might see at a water show, it rolled on its side and beat the water with its huge seven - to eight -foot white flipper. Not once but time and time again the water would splash and froth as the whale seemed to show off in front of us. We could see its light- colored belly and the long ventral grooves on its under- sides. As it dove, you could see the humps towards its tail -- perhaps the reason for its name -- and being so close you could even see barnacles on its tail flukes. As it disappeared below, the telltale "footprint" (circle of smooth water) it left on the surface showed plainly where it had been. It would stay down about three to four mi- nutes and then resurface, spouting its low bush mist into the clear ocean air. Later, in the distance we'd see the giant Finback whale which some- times grows to a length of 80 feet. On our way back we saw a leatherback sea turtle and a hammerhead shark, but everyone's mind that day was on the humpback whale that seemed to want to be our friend. As she beat her fin against the surface of the water over and over again, it seemed she was trying to tell us something. Perhaps the message that can be learned here is that people should enjoy these great creatures of the deep from a boat such as we were on rather than killing them to the point of extinction. Hopefully it is not too late. The Suffolk Times /August 13, 1987 /Page 9A Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh HUMPBACK WHALE - -This species of whale, seen on a recent whale- watching trip out of Montauk, is one of the most dramatic to see. Here it rolls over on its side and thrashes the water with its seven- or eight- foot -long white flipper. The hardest - working classifieds are in... THE SUFFOLK TIMES/ NEWSwREVIEW I For the finest in seafood dining I "Delicate New England chowder that could be the best on this side of the Island..." Newsday, June 26,1986 Lobster Lovers Open Daily 5 lb. lobster for two $49.95 `�E a TEAA 4 lb. lobster for two ... $39.95 7 ��� �(r� 3 lb. lobster for two ... $29.95 f �Dd" (2 bowle/ohowder. baked o4ms or 12 alms on f F 00D halt shell, Dorn. mini- salads. tries, slaw.) NEW CHARCOAL GRILL FEATURING: Lobsters RTE. 25, Barbecue shrimp with gar hr_ nutter $8.95 MATTITUCK Swordfish ................. $10.95 2 for 10.00 298 -5960 Yellowflntuna ............... $9.96 Anovc entree~ inr.l�ul.. r ,tin fr�t•5 til:rw ni 1—, -GA Lobster dinner (corn. fne-s, slaw, mini salad)E7.95 ............ Twin $13.95 Homemade chowders, Blowfish tempura, scampi or charcoal broiled .. .................... 168.96 Beer Bread and Pies Mussels from the bay (fn our own garlic- butter sauce) $3.95 Steamers (piping hot with broth and drawn butter sauce: ............. $5.96 specializing in Weakfish dinner (corn, tries. slaw, mini salad) ...................... 8.95 JUMBO LOBSTERS Seafood tempura combo (shrimp, scallops and fish) .................. {7.96 Lobster roll. . . - . .................... ....... ..... $4.95 SHRIMP & LOBSTERS Fish and chips .. ............................... $4.95 Chlld's $2.95 COOKED TO ORDER Soft-shelled crab sandwich in our tempura batter, slaw $5.96 Shrimp scampi (corn tries mini salad) .......... 118.95 Crispy honey dipped fried chicken(w th fires x slaw) ........................ $5.95 ROUTE 25, MATTITUC Plus our regular rr.;nu -- take out available 298 -5960 Beer and Wine on tap. 298 -409 Beer and Wine on Tap a Delicious Freshly Made Desserts y9ESt••• Restaurant Open: Noon - 10 pm A,q CITE su Store Open: 10 am - 9 pill Cfia n#a9nE 1-n 0&tE¢ Open Daily dU.ur iezv( „y J indaz Ji1:n,Z«7. ��u<•e r. iq�g and �odozniu. I Call us for seafood catering at your home. ",• Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh HUMPBACK WHALE - -This species of whale, seen on a recent whale- watching trip out of Montauk, is one of the most dramatic to see. Here it rolls over on its side and thrashes the water with its seven- or eight- foot -long white flipper. The hardest - working classifieds are in... THE SUFFOLK TIMES/ NEWSwREVIEW I For the finest in seafood dining I "Delicate New England chowder that could be the best on this side of the Island..." Newsday, June 26,1986 Lobster Lovers Open Daily 5 lb. lobster for two $49.95 `�E a TEAA 4 lb. lobster for two ... $39.95 7 ��� �(r� 3 lb. lobster for two ... $29.95 f �Dd" (2 bowle/ohowder. baked o4ms or 12 alms on f F 00D halt shell, Dorn. mini- salads. tries, slaw.) NEW CHARCOAL GRILL FEATURING: Lobsters RTE. 25, Barbecue shrimp with gar hr_ nutter $8.95 MATTITUCK Swordfish ................. $10.95 2 for 10.00 298 -5960 Yellowflntuna ............... $9.96 Anovc entree~ inr.l�ul.. r ,tin fr�t•5 til:rw ni 1—, -GA Lobster dinner (corn. fne-s, slaw, mini salad)E7.95 ............ Twin $13.95 Homemade chowders, Blowfish tempura, scampi or charcoal broiled .. .................... 168.96 Beer Bread and Pies Mussels from the bay (fn our own garlic- butter sauce) $3.95 Steamers (piping hot with broth and drawn butter sauce: ............. $5.96 specializing in Weakfish dinner (corn, tries. slaw, mini salad) ...................... 8.95 JUMBO LOBSTERS Seafood tempura combo (shrimp, scallops and fish) .................. {7.96 Lobster roll. . . - . .................... ....... ..... $4.95 SHRIMP & LOBSTERS Fish and chips .. ............................... $4.95 Chlld's $2.95 COOKED TO ORDER Soft-shelled crab sandwich in our tempura batter, slaw $5.96 Shrimp scampi (corn tries mini salad) .......... 118.95 Crispy honey dipped fried chicken(w th fires x slaw) ........................ $5.95 ROUTE 25, MATTITUC Plus our regular rr.;nu -- take out available 298 -5960 Beer and Wine on tap. 298 -409 Beer and Wine on Tap a Delicious Freshly Made Desserts y9ESt••• Restaurant Open: Noon - 10 pm A,q CITE su Store Open: 10 am - 9 pill Cfia n#a9nE 1-n 0&tE¢ Open Daily dU.ur iezv( „y J indaz Ji1:n,Z«7. ��u<•e r. iq�g and �odozniu. I Call us for seafood catering at your home.