Humpback Whales in the Chesapeake

From Mary Reid Barrow at the Virginian Pilot: Two weeks ago a humpback whale gave an Oscar-winning performance for folks on a whale-watching trip at the Oceanfront. The trip was a preview Sea Adventures Trip with the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center. And from the looks of the preview, whale performances could be blockbuster events this season. The whale carried on, slapping its tail time and time again, sometimes rising way up out of the water to give the ocean a great big smack. The solo performance lasted more than 35 minutes, a longer act than even seasoned staff members can remember seeing. More than 25 years ago, aquarium staff, watermen, beach walkers and hotel guests first noticed whales offshore in Virginia Beach in winter. I remember walking on the beach on several warm winter days and seeing a whale surface and blow as it traveled down the Oceanfront! The aquarium began offering whale-watching trips and at the same time, aquarium biologists began conducting research on the whales and photographing their tell-tale tails to identify them. The story emerged that as the humpbacks migrated from their northern summer home to the West Indies to breed and calve, they would stop off in the food-rich waters at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Whales dine on small fish such as menhaden and bait fish, said Alexis Rabon, who is in charge of the aquarium’s boat programs and special projects.