Are these humpback whales too close for comfort?

September 3, 2018 by Emily Arntsen, Northeastern University

As many as six humpback whales were spotted in Boston Harbor on Wednesday, a rare sight in the congested shipping port. But the whales probably weren't lost, according to Joseph Ayers, a professor at Northeastern's Marine Science Center in Nahant, Massachusetts. They were probably just looking for a snack.

"There appear to be a lot of bait fish in the area right now, like pogies, and that seems to be attracting the whales," he said. Ayers, who specializes in marine science and neurophysiology, said that whales are usually feeding whenever people see them close to shore.

Ayers said that in the past, he has seen humpbacks as close as "50 yards off the wharf in Nahant." But while it might be normal for these whales to come close to shore, it's not common for them to swim into Boston Harbor. In fact, Ayers said it could be quite dangerous.

"Boats are the biggest problem for whales. If a whale swims into the propeller of a boat, especially something as big as a shipping vessel, it could be deadly," he said. Since the whale sightings earlier this week, the U.S. Coast Guard in Boston has warned boaters to be aware of the animals.

Boaters might be able to avoid whales by steering clear of large flocks of birds because, according to Ayers, "Whenever you see a flock of birds, it means there are fish around." And where there are fish, there could be humpback whales.

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Whale of a sight in Boston Harbor

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Samantha Tatro

A juvenile humpback whale was spotted in Boston Harbor early yesterday before making an exit to open water in the afternoon, a rare sighting so close to shore.

The whale was spotted swimming by Spectacle and Deer islands by the captain aboard an 8 a.m. Boston Harbor Cruises boat, said Laura Howes, director of marine education and conservation at Boston Harbor Cruises.

The whale spotted in the harbor, she said, looked to be about 20 to 30 feet in length.

By 10 a.m. yesterday, Howes said, a buffer zone had been set up by the Coast Guard and Environmental Police.

“Any whale this close to land is pretty unusual,” Howes said. “The middle of an urban harbor is not a great place for any large whale to be.”

Humpback whales are common in Cape Cod Bay this time of the year, Howes said, but usually much farther off shore. Seeing a whale this close “was a nice treat,” Howes said. The last time a whale was spotted this close to the shore was in April 2005, when a juvenile humpback whale spent three days roaming in the harbor.

The harbor, however, is an inconvenient place for any whale to be on Memorial Day. An influx of recreational boats feeding through the area posed a threat. At 11 a.m. yesterday, Howes and her colleagues went further off shore to look for other whales. When they returned at 1 p.m., the whale had swum off.

“We hope it got off shore and that we won’t see it again,” Howes said.

http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2013/05/whale_of_a_sight_in_boston_harbor