Phytoplankton Bloom of Cape May, New Jersey; July 2016
As the Atlantic Star rocked back and forth the blue-green tinted water glared back up at me. I could see hundreds of Atlantic Menhaden and countless Cownose Rays swimming several feet beneath the surface. No, I was not in the Bahamas or the Caribbean or even remotely close for that matter. This was the coast…
Biomagnification of Pollution in Bottlenose Dolphins
The North Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins that reside in the Cape May, NJ waters are at the top of their food chain. With no viable predators, our dolphins are free to rule the waters, while consuming whatever they choose. As this may seem advantageous for our dolphins, it has actually become a serious health problem. Like…
Are There Any Sharks in THIS Ocean?
“Are there any sharks in this ocean?” This is the question that always comes up while I am interning on the boat. And the answer is always yes. Sharks live everywhere in the ocean. Shallow waters, deep waters, some big, some small, some with really sharp teeth, and others with none at all. But why…
Neptune’s Treasure: Commercial Whaling in NJ
When you go for a whale watching trip with the Cape May Whale Watch and Research Center around the island of Cape May, you get much more than you bargained for. An exhilarating close up look at dolphins and whales is always #1 on the agenda when taking a trip, but also along the way, guests aboard are treated to a sample of Cape May’s rich history. And as the oldest seaside resort in the United States, historical details and pirate tales alike never disappoint; the relics of Cape May’s past are apparent even from sea. The Whale Watch’s unique combination experience of marine mammal ecology and Cape May’s past, pieces together the components of a seldom told story, and a dark one, of the town’s connection to commercial whaling and what it meant for our beloved whales today. The…
Do You Have Whale SENSE?
As the years progress, the use of the oceans for recreational purposes has increased dramatically, leading to a greater number of people living near the ocean, traveling to the ocean, and using recreational boats throughout our oceans. Many don’t realize that, although jet skiing, parasailing, and fishing are all great entertainment activities used at the…
Humpback Whale Migration Patterns
A very popular question that arises while out on our whale watching cruises is the question of when is the best time of the year to see whales in the Jersey shore area and the best time of the day to see them. The question, although appearing to be basic since the Jersey Shore sees…
A New Tenant to Cape May
We have a new dolphin in our Cape May waters! On May 31st, 2016 during our 10:00AM trip, we spotted a pod of our residential dolphins. We recognized a few of the different dorsal fins, including our catalogued dolphin, Triscuit (Tt0008). While watching the pod feed, we noticed another dorsal fin that was very mutilated….