Up close and personal

[stoneaxe]

Whale action has been nothing short of incredible the last week or so at my local. 3 or 4 juvenile Humpbacks coming in close to feed on massive bait balls of pogies. 100 yards from the beach at times. I paddled out last Friday. Witnessed a boat being bumped and had a whale surface right next to me, check me out, and then dive and glide a foot or two under my board. My phone was on my chest in a transparent dry bag and I got it all on video.

I posted it on the local FB page and it blew up, I won't do that again. No fewer than 15 requests to use the video and get interviews or statements. I foolishly did 3 interviews that afternoon for local stations thinking I could tag along some marketing for the Cape Cod Bay Challenge (our 15-year anniversary). They made the evening news. It went from 25 boats on friday to 150-200 on Saturday. Sunday the same or even more and one boat had a whale come down on it while lunge feeding and many close calls. I told all the rest I wasn't interested. But between my posts and many others it was too late, created a zoo on the water. Reminded me of the scene from Jaws when all the boats are going after the reward for the shark.

My experience was pretty amazing and not something I'll ever forget. A few people on shore sent me pictures.

[Badger]

I saw you on the news.

.

[stoneaxe]

Unfortunately....lesson learned for the future. It has been a complete zoo there since. 100's of boats jammed in there, and the narrow point road so jammed with people and cars taking pictures they had to have cops come and kick them out.