I’ve always been fascinated by both Whales and Dolphins as I think they’re magnificent, intelligent, and beautiful animals so whenever I have a chance to see them I do. In addition to less than ideal places such as SeaWorld I also had the opportunity to swim with Dolphins in Florida 10 years ago, and when I was in Australia last year you could see Humpback Whales in the distance on their annual migration.
I also saw quite a few Dolphins and Beluga Whales while in Egypt in 2000 but until now I have never had an opportunity to go Whale watching properly. So when I found out that May was during the Whale watching season in Boston I had to take the opportunity.
There are several options in Boston but we chose the expedition organised by the New England Aquarium which has the highest ratings online.
Unfortunately, the weather was quite murky today so the journey out from Boston Harbour wasn’t as picturesque as the view from the Duck Tour yesterday but we still had some good views. And, more importantly, the seas were calm!
It took around 45 minutes to travel out to where the Whales were, but once we reached them they were almost surrounding us. Unfortunately we didn’t see any of them jump out of the water, but several did get very close and we spent around an hour watching them which was great.
From one boat to another, after getting back to Boston we decided to visit the USS Constitution which is the oldest military boat still in commission. Launched in 1797, she was retired from active service in 1881 with the name “Old Ironsides” due to her solid hull but remains commissioned in the US Navy until this day.
She is berthed at the northern end of Boston’s Freedom trail and so we walked there via sights such as Paul Revere’s House and the Old North Church which are sights central to the American Revolution. The Old North Church is where the signal was given that British soldiers were coming in 1795, referring to Paul Revere’s midnight ride.
Tours of the USS Constitution are given by serving members of the US Navy, and you get a chance to go down below decks where you hear lots of information about the history of the ship, the battles that she survived against the British and others, and about what makes the ship so special. I’m not really a ship person, my speciality is aircraft, but I’ve found visiting the USS Constitution interesting each time I have visited.
We decided to go out for drinks this evening at the mock Cheers Bar at Faneuil Hall, and on the way my friend decided to go shopping in a few book shops. While he was shopping I checked out the Granary Burial Ground where many of America’s revolutionary leaders and several people who signed the Declaration of Independence are buried.
The bar was a bit overpriced, but it was nice to chill and have a few drinks on our last night of the holiday in advance of tomorrow’s early departure.
