My family and other animals
B nearly went to work this morning, but then we remembered it's Columbus Day - an American 'bank holiday'. We decided to go whale-watching. We'd been before in the summer with our friend Bhargavi, but everyone says autumn is the best time to go. It's surprisingly exciting seeing these enormous animals in the wild - like going on safari, so we were really looking forward to the trip.
We had to find a departure time that fitted in with A's feeds and naps, so it turned out we needed to drive out of Boston. At first this seemed like a faff, but we ended up at a pretty coastal village on Cape Ann, boarding the 'Yankee Spirit' which was almost empty. Our last trip, which left from Boston Harbour, had been absolutely packed.
We were worried A might get seasick, but as we set out, she seemed fine, flirting with the staff.
Although the barman looked a bit put out when she spewed chicken and vegetables on to his tabletop.
Anyway an hour later, we spotted two humpback whales spouting in the distance. People on the boat were shouting with excitement, especially the little kids.
The whales were adult females. We followed them for a couple of hours. One of them was the leader, and would do everything first, while the second whale followed a split second later, making all their movements seem beautifully synchronised. In between dives for food, they seemed to enjoy just lying on the surface, spouting water and splashing their tails. At one point one of them came out of the water head-first, which was pretty spectacular (sorry, we weren't quick enough with the camera!). They seemed so peaceful and at ease with themselves.
The ship had a narrator who spoke over the tannoy. She said that as mammals, whales have a lot in common with us. They have tummy-buttons, and the calves are all born with blue eyes which change colour later. She also said in some species, the mothers breastfeed each calf for ten years, and the calf can gain 80kg a day.
This was pretty impressive! It was strange to think, although we're mammals too, how hard breastfeeding can be for us, even though babies only put on a few ounces a week. Most mothers give up, or, as in our case, cope but find it tiring and awkward to fit in with everyday life. We had to bring a bottle of formula in case A was too distracted to nurse, and we'd had to fit this trip around her feed schedule. But it all sounded so harmonious for the whales.
We got a bit concerned when A went very quiet and unresponsive on the return journey. Was she getting seasick? Five seconds later, she was fast asleep.
All in all, a very enjoyable afternoon.
We had to find a departure time that fitted in with A's feeds and naps, so it turned out we needed to drive out of Boston. At first this seemed like a faff, but we ended up at a pretty coastal village on Cape Ann, boarding the 'Yankee Spirit' which was almost empty. Our last trip, which left from Boston Harbour, had been absolutely packed.
We were worried A might get seasick, but as we set out, she seemed fine, flirting with the staff.
Although the barman looked a bit put out when she spewed chicken and vegetables on to his tabletop.Anyway an hour later, we spotted two humpback whales spouting in the distance. People on the boat were shouting with excitement, especially the little kids.
The whales were adult females. We followed them for a couple of hours. One of them was the leader, and would do everything first, while the second whale followed a split second later, making all their movements seem beautifully synchronised. In between dives for food, they seemed to enjoy just lying on the surface, spouting water and splashing their tails. At one point one of them came out of the water head-first, which was pretty spectacular (sorry, we weren't quick enough with the camera!). They seemed so peaceful and at ease with themselves.The ship had a narrator who spoke over the tannoy. She said that as mammals, whales have a lot in common with us. They have tummy-buttons, and the calves are all born with blue eyes which change colour later. She also said in some species, the mothers breastfeed each calf for ten years, and the calf can gain 80kg a day.
This was pretty impressive! It was strange to think, although we're mammals too, how hard breastfeeding can be for us, even though babies only put on a few ounces a week. Most mothers give up, or, as in our case, cope but find it tiring and awkward to fit in with everyday life. We had to bring a bottle of formula in case A was too distracted to nurse, and we'd had to fit this trip around her feed schedule. But it all sounded so harmonious for the whales.
We got a bit concerned when A went very quiet and unresponsive on the return journey. Was she getting seasick? Five seconds later, she was fast asleep.
All in all, a very enjoyable afternoon.
posted by BS&A at 5:36 PM
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