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Whales at the Beach
A beautiful photo of a humpback whale breaching (jumping out of the water) near the Chatham shore, is appearing on the cover page of the current issue of the local paper, "The Cape Cod Chronicle". They've been seen at the Lighthouse Overlook and lookout at the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge trail on Morris Island flapping their tails and jumping into the air. The shark sightings here have been the attraction all summer--it's now whale time. They're not unusual here, though--they've always been in the waters east of Chatham. Sand eels are their food of choice and have brought them closer to shore. Humpbacks, finbacks and minkes have been seen. According to the article, the humpbacks are the most "showy" and can grow up to 55' in length and weight 40 tons and they raise their tails when they dive.
They're amazing to view but there is concern that problems could arise when they get close to small boats. Boaters are being urged to be respectful of the whales to avoid entanglements.
As magical as the breathtaking waterviews in Chatham are, these sea creatures only add to that feeling...