August 27, 1998 - Whale watching: a really big show6A • The Suffolk Times • August 27, 1998
Whale watching.* a really big show
A good friend of mine called to see if
I wanted to do some offshore birding
and whale- watching at Montauk. How
could I refuse such an offer? A date
was set and last
Friday saw us Focus
heading for
Montauk. It ON
seemed everyone
had the same NATURE
idea, for there by Paul
was hardly a StoutenbuMh
parking space
available around
the busy wharf where the big Viking
fleet docks. We boarded with 20 min-
utes to spare. There was lots of room
below even though the upper decks
seemed crowded.
Deep down I felt a secret satisfaction
in seeing the variety of people aboard.
I sat alongside a couple from Spain. It
told me perhaps, just perhaps, people
are waking up to the wonders about
them. Perhaps people are becoming
more aware and concerned about their
world and the creatures in it. They
wanted an opportunity to observe first-
hand the mighty whale that in the past
was only thought of as a commodity to
make money from. The interesting
twist of this is that people pay good
money to go whale - watching and so
again man is making money from
whales, but in a drastically different
way. Rather than killing them, people
are satisfied just watching them and
marveling at their splendor.
All about the boat were charts and
educational material telling about
whales and their
attributes. There was
even a biologist
aboard, who, over the
loudspeaker, told us
about the life history
of the whales we
"hoped to see." Then
there were five or six
red - shirted teenagers
who helped with nets
and dredges every
once in a while when
the boat stopped to
take samples from the
bottom of the sea.
They were all vol-
unteers. it was good to
see these young peo-
ple excited about the
natural world around
them.
Promptly at 11
o'clock the loud horn
of our whale- watcher
sounded, telling all in
nautical terms the
boat was backing out
of her slip. We were
off. Common terns
dove for bait fish in
the harbor as double- crested cor-
morants pursued the fish below. A sav-
age world of survival takes place below
the placid surface of the harbor.
Sportfishing boats of all sizes were
moving in and out of the harbor's inlet.
As we headed eastward we could see
the famous Montauk light that at night
can be seen for 13 miles off shore. This
Suffolk Times photo by Paul Stoutenburgh
Whale watching off of Montauk Is like fishing. Sometimes you get them — sometimes you
don't. Here you see the humpback whale lying in the water as he flaps the surface with his
long white flipper.
The
in
SOUTHOLD TOWN,,Nc.
Labor Day Week -End Presentations
Vineyard
eaJin j I
I
Friday, September 4, 1998 > 8p.m.
Bedell Cellars Vineyard a Main Road, Cutchogue
Tickets at the door, $7
5L Poeh
Dan Murray, Harvey Shapiro, Allen Planz
Hear these distinguished East - End -based poets read from
and talk about their works.
rJ- dzzFestival
Grand Finale to the 1998 Jazz Series
Sunday, September 6, 1998, 6:30 p.m.
Church of the Open Door • Main Bayview Road, Southold
Tickets at the door, $15
Junior Mance Trio, Spanky Davis -Dick Sudhalter Sextet and
Riverhead's own Markie Gatz Jazz Quintet. Don't miss this session
of great music and end -of season party, sponsored by WPBX.
Call Marilyn Flynn, 734.7696, for information.
This series is made possible in part with public funds from the New York State Council on the Ads.
In Suffolk County the decentralization program is administered by the Huntington Ads Council, Inc.
famous landmark was laid out by
George Washington and has withstood
the harsh ravages of the sea and time.
Today it's perched almost at the edge
of the bluffs. To hold back the forces of
erosion, a monumental barricade of
rocks and boulders, halfway up the
cliff, now seems to be holding back the
ever - churning sea. Let's hope this last -
ditch effort will do the trick, for the
Montauk light carries with it a long and
glorious legacy of history and hope.
We headed southeast on a sparkling
sea. The boat rolled and the monoto-
nous moaning of engines took over the
morning. I sat and daydreamed of years
ago when I was in the service and the
roll of the sea and rhythm of the
engines lulled me to sleep at night. We
strained our eyes in hopes of seeing
signs of shearwaters, petrels, gannets or
even the tiny phalaropes but none were
seen. The sea was mysteriously devoid
of life. Occasionally we'd see the com-
mon herring gull or the black - backed
gull heading toward Montauk, but
nothing else. Perhaps we'd have better
luck with the whales. Years before I
had gone on a whale- watching trip and
been rewarded by wonderful views of
the mighty humpback whale. It often
puts on spectacular shows for those
aboard. Our eyes pierced the empti-
ness. On we plowed. Some people
dozed in the warm sunlight. Kids ran
here and there, always finding some-
thing to laugh about or be amused by.
Wings over the water
Once we saw a small flock of sander -
lings, those shorebirds we often see
along our beaches at this time of the
year. They sped by low over the water
as if they knew exactly where they were
going. How I wish I could follow them
on their perilous journey south to the
Caribbean, Central America and per-
haps even farther. At one point I saw a
butterfly. I think it was a monarch. It
was 25 miles off shore and fluttering
along as if it was drifting over my back
pasture. Where will it be when the sun
goes down? Will it keep on flying in the
dark or will the ocean claim it?
Our binoculars continually scanned
the horizon but only an occasional fish-
ing boat could be seen. Then, at one
point, a tiny shorebird whizzed by, a
least sandpiper. Why was it alone? It
was the same species that Barbara and
I had seen on the mud flat in Downs
Creek a week ago. Had this one built
up enough fat reserve to keep it going
day and night? Where would it again
touch shore to refuel? Would its oasis
(mud flat) still be there or would some-
one have filled in that muddy old
marsh to make room for a new "water -
view" home? Loss of habitat is one of
wildlife's greatest threats.
Finally, a whale
As I pondered these thoughts, the
engines slowed down to a quiet idle.
Someone had seen something up ahead.
All eyes searched. I moved to the bow,
which was already crowded with peo-
ple. There were murmurings of excite-
ment. Tension grew. Then it happened.
Out of the rolling sea a whale broke the
surface of the water and landed with a
gigantic splash. I couldn't believe my
eyes! It left white foam flying and green
water churning. It all happened so fast.
What was it? Our biologist hadn't seen
it, so its identity was unknown. We all
waited for it to breach again — three
minutes, five minutes, 10 minutes —
and there it was! Another gigantic
splash. Now it could be identified. It was
a minke whale, one of the smallest
baleen whales.
There are two types of whales: one
with teeth, such as the sperm whale of
Moby Dick fame, and the other baleen,
filter feeders such as the blue, gray,
right and humpback whales and the
minke whale that was performing
before us. These whales filter their food
through great baleen plates or sieves.
Minke whales grow to be about 30
feet in length. I estimated our whale to
be about 25 feet. For the next 45 min-
utes or so everyone aboard was at the
rail of the boat scanning the water for
another showing. You could always tell
when a sighting occurred for there
were oohs and aahs and the telltale fin-
gers pointed as all heads followed the
See Whale, next page