A whale of a visitor closes Cape Cod Canal

December 3, 2008 08:30 PM Email| Comments (18)| Text size – +

By Caitlin Castello, Globe Correspondent

Was it hungry, bored, or feeling adventurous? No one knows. But an Atlantic right whale felt compelled to swim into the Cape Cod Canal this afternoon, causing the waterway to close for two hours.

It is relatively rare for a right whale to find its way into the canal. It only happens about once or twice a year, said Scott Landry, director of whale rescues at the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies.

“It just happens by chance. Most whale species tend to wander quite a bit,” said Landry. “Just because it was by the canal we don’t think there was something wrong. Wandering is a natural part of the whale.”

The 35-foot whale entered on the Cape Cod Bay side and it was escorted by a US Army Corps of Engineers boat through to the Buzzards Bay side of the canal.

The whale appeared unharmed, said Dave Carriuolo, a marine traffic controller with the Corps at the canal, and there were no significant delays in commercial traffic.

The whale was initially spotted around 9:30 this morning. The canal was closed at 1 p.m. and reopened at 3 p.m. said Carriuolo.

Right whales are an endangered species. There are only 400 left, said Landry. The gender of the whale was not known. Biologists were not able to examine the whale by the time it was escorted out.

According to Landry, female right whales typically migrate at this time of year to warmer waters in Georgia and Florida to give birth. Males, both adult and juvenile, stay farther north and can be found in the waters from Massachusetts to Canada.

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18 comments so far...

WHAT?!?!?!? I'll bet that NO ONE called the Cape Cod Chapter of the Japanese Whaling Counsel, in time..............?!?!?!?

A Japanese Whaling boat could have been sent to dispatch that Whale in matter of seconds!!!! Cape Cod traffic would have been cleared in record time!!

Posted by lnlemonlime December 3, 08 10:30 PM

Actually...about 15 years ago...a baby whale had traveled into Wareham...via the Bourne side of the Canal....went past Swifts Beach...past Parkwood Beach and towards the town bridge near Warr's Marina & Narrow's Crossing....

Posted by sean December 3, 08 11:58 PM

there is no such thing as the Japanese Whaling Counsel. Yes, Japan does hunt whales, and while it is through a loophole in the International Whaling Commission's laws, it is legal.

I think the more interesting part of this story is that the whale entered Buzzards Bay. That is a rarity!

Posted by Jacob K. December 4, 08 02:29 AM

Inlemonlime, just be thankful that no harpoon-boats are on the prowl for imbeciles who make dim-witted comments online that ridicule the danger faced by endangered species. Alas, if only such people existed in numbers as small as whale populations...

Posted by RRRRComposer December 4, 08 06:32 AM

thought you might find this interesting

Posted by Dad December 4, 08 08:55 AM

RRRRComposer--

Do you maybe, just maybe, he was joking?

Lighten up a bit

Posted by bafungooool December 4, 08 09:04 AM

Sean, did that baby whale ever make it back to Buzzard's Bay?

Posted by Pamela S. Carle December 4, 08 09:08 AM

2 hours ? and not one picture?

surely someone had a cell phone.

Posted by jgodsey December 4, 08 09:09 AM

Too bad they didn't get a better look at it, and I pretty much couldn't imagine circumstances for a surprise whale inspection. It was swimming down a narrow channel, exiting only a few miles from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.

Don't they have some sort of Nosy Whale Alarm, with a big red light and klaxon that sends marine biologists sprinting towards the dock or helipad? I'm thinking a team halfway between coast guard rescue swimmers and a 1970's style man-on-the-street news interview, y'know - the long rambling ones they used to do? (whale on the street?)

Ok, well, probably not. But they should.

Posted by Jules M December 4, 08 09:12 AM

That's right.......Of course, Japan is a little more than a few minutes from Cape Cod. Probably would have been easier to tie some RDX to it's back and just sink the damn thing.....

Posted by Mr. Whale Killer December 4, 08 09:17 AM

Nice one Inlemonlime ... Guys have a sense of humor

Posted by roots December 4, 08 09:29 AM

I second comment number 4. Well spoken.

Posted by G Mitchell December 4, 08 09:46 AM

I'm surprised noone made a Ted Kennedy joke yet! ;)

Posted by bdjr76 December 4, 08 09:54 AM

RRRRComposer- I assume that you were referring to my comment as the "dim-witted comments online that ridicule the danger faced by endangered species." Just to clarify, I was not making a statement about the ethics of whaling, but rather stating the truth of the current whaling situation. I am all for the protection of the NRW, and do hope that the current vessel avoidance measures help their struggle. Furthermore, it is very important to be specific as to which "whale populations" exist in small number. The NRW is in serious trouble, as is the blue whale. Fortunately some whale species, minkie, humpback, fin (among others) heave health populations numbers.

Posted by Jacob K. December 4, 08 09:57 AM

I went on a whale watch recently on a Captain John's boat in Plymouth and the only whales we saw were going in and out of the ladies room.

Posted by Hookah December 4, 08 10:44 AM

Japan's whaling is only legal if you believe their false claim that it is for research purposes.

Posted by greentangle December 4, 08 10:52 AM

You know what Norwegians say about whale...tastes like chicken.

Posted by JoeMac3313 December 4, 08 11:19 AM

i agree with # 8!!! no pictures GEEZ!!!

Posted by b. k. vitek December 4, 08 01:02 PM