36 Whales
©Barry Moser, ink drawing (humpback whale), 2012
'Salt', the grand lady of Stellwagen Bank returned for her 43rd straight year in 2018 with her 14th recorded calf, the most ever recorded from a single female humpback whale. The first whale to be given a name, she is one of the first known grandmothers and is now one of seven known great-grandmothers and is considered one of the most sighted, and loved, whales in the world.
Gloucester is the whale watch capital of America. Located closest to the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, the whale watch expeditions report over seven species of the great whales over 30 feet in length. See the skeleton of a humpback whale at the Whale Research Center of New England on Harbor Loop.
About Salt, The Whale
About Salt!
About Salt
Year of Birth: Unknown
Gender: Female
First Year Seen: 1976
Salt is considered by many to be the Grand Old Lady of the North Atlantic. She is one of the most graceful and majestic of the humpback whales that visit Stellwagen Bank and may be one the most famous humpback whales in the world.
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- A children’s book about one of Salt’s calfs (b. 1980) was written by author Karen Smyth called “Crystal: The Story of a Real Baby Whale”
- For more information on Whale and research or to adopt Salt! Visit the locally operated Ocean Alliance Whale Conservation which is located in a newly renovated portion of the Paint Factory.
- Visit here for great Article on how Salt was named, and the birth of her latest calf, Sriracha. — Renowned humpback Salt adds to family tree, by Madeline List, Cape Cod Times, June 28, 2016
- Visit this site for a list of all of Salt’s children and grandchildren.
If you want to see Salt, try the very beginning of the season; she is usually one of the first whales to arrive on Stellwagen Bank!
“One of Top 10 Whale Watching Spots in the World”
– World Wildlife Fund on Gloucester
Salt! Photograph by Cynde McInnis, Cape Ann Whale Watch
Cynde McInnis & the Whalemobile
INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION OF OCEAN ADVOCATES
The Whalemobile is a traveling educational program to inspire and educate elementary age students about our oceans, plant, marine life, particularly whales. What started as a love for whales, when Cynde McInnis was a child, has led to a deep desire to protect our planet. By bringing Nile, a 43-foot inflatable humpback whale into your school and taking your students inside her, Cynde hopes to share this passion and inspire the next generation of ocean advocates.
Humpback Whales Feeding (2:19)
Humpback Whales Feeding
Underwater Video Of Curious Humpback Whale (:58)
Curious Humpback Whale Upclose & Underwater
Quest for the Great Sperm Whale (6:06)
Quest for the Great Sperm Whale (6:06min)
A Cape Ann whale watch gets a classic travelogue from phenom amateur filmmaker, Dr. Robbins Barstow:
“The Quest for the Great Sperm Whale,” 1991, documentary by Dr. Robbins Barstow
Whale Alert! (1:40)
Whale Alert!
Whale Alert North Atlantic Right Whale Detection Demo
Contact Local Whale Watching Companies
The following are the local whale watching companies in the area.
Most offer daily Whale Watching Trips from April through October.
Seven Seas Whale Watch
63 Rogers Street
Gloucester, MA 01930
(978) 283-1776
Cape Ann Whale Watch
415 Main St.
Gloucester, MA 01930
(800)877-5110
Capt Bill & Sons
24 Harbor Loop
Gloucester, MA 01930
(800)339-4253
Yankee Fleet
1 Parker Street
Gloucester, MA 01930
(855) 546-3474