Ian LenahanPortsmouth Herald
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KITTERY, Maine — A humpback whale has been spotted breaching in Pepperrell Cove, dazzling curious boaters in a rare sighting for such shallow waters.
Town harbormaster John Brosnihan is urging boaters and paddleboarders to steer clear of the massive marine mammal, as the humpback was swimming in 12 to 15 feet of water, near boats between Fishing Island and the shore.
With the whale so close to land, local officials are asking fishermen to pull up their lines, and boaters are being advised to put their boats in neutral position, have life jackets on hand and not to chase the whale around to get video or photos. The whale has drawn large crowds, which could pose a threat to it in terms of potential entanglement, being hit by a vessel and stressing out the whale into a potentially dangerous situation for itself and people around the mammal, according to experts.
The whale was active and was seen late Tuesday through Thursday, the busy Fourth of July holiday. The whale had not been spotted on Friday as of early afternoon, according to Brosnihan.
Harbormaster was 'shaking' during encounter with whale
Brosnihan hypothesized the whale came to feed on menhaden, abundant this season in Kittery Point.
“Give it a wide berth. Let it do what it does. It’s just there to eat,” he said. “It's their home. It’s not ours. If you spook this whale, it could get itself into a bad situation.”
Remarkably, the whale seemingly had not bumped into a single lobster trap during Brosnihan’s time trying to keep boats away from the mammal, he said. But the harbormaster did have a close encounter with the whale when he was on the phone with a marine biologist.
“It’s breathtaking. Honest to God … as I was talking to her, the whale came up and I think it was going to take a gulp of fish because I was going near the pogies (menhaden). I thought it was going to take a big bite, but then I think it saw my boat and turned away … I was shaking,” he recalled with a laugh.
Barbara MacLeod, a longtime Kittery resident in Pepperrell Cove, was on the water Thursday and viewed the whale with her family.
It was her first time ever seeing a whale, never having been on a whale watch outing.
“It was super dramatic, graceful and magnificent,” she said. “To see it up close and hear the whale and feel its power was amazing. I feel like the boats that were out there were very respectful and were trying to keep a certain distance.”
Marine Mammal Rescue expert urges public to keep distance for whale's safety
Ashley Stokes, director of Marine Mammal Rescue at the Seacoast Science Center in Rye, New Hampshire, says by all accounts, the whale is likely feeding on a recent influx of menhaden, around the mouth of the Piscataqua River. This whale’s reported activity mirrors several humpback whales and minke whales spotted in Salisbury, Massachusetts, a few years ago, she said.
Stokes advised spectators in and out of the water to prioritize the whale’s health and safety.
“As for dangers though, there's certainly risk to the animal being in there,” she said. “There are many moored vessels, vessels underway, lobster gear, and word of this animal seems to be spreading very quickly. It's imperative that people do not interfere (with the whale). Enjoy seeing it from land and do not board a vessel to go out and try to see it. Actively approaching them in the water is against federal regulation and could cause harm or stress to the whale. It's important that we let it continue to act normally, feed on the pogies, and move out on its own.”
Brosnihan was alerted to the whale being in Fresh Pond Cove, east of Gerrish Island, late Tuesday, then heard Wednesday morning it was in Pepperrell Cove. The whale was then seen again on Thursday.
Marine biologists with Marine Mammals of Maine have confirmed to Brosnihan through shared footage the whale is a humpback.
“It was at least halfway into the mooring field. It was nuts,” Brosnihan said of the whale’s swim in local waters.
What to know about humpback whales
Humpback whales can weigh upwards of 40 tons, can stretch 60 feet in length and live to be about 80 to 90 years old, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Found in oceans worldwide, humpback whales face threats around the globe, including being struck by vessels, climate change, fishing net and gear entanglement, harassment and noise.
“In the North Atlantic, two populations of humpback whales feed during spring, summer, and fall throughout a range that extends across the Atlantic Ocean from the Gulf of Maine to Norway,” NOAA reports. “These two populations migrate south during the winter to calve and mate in the West Indies and Cape Verde (off the coast of Africa), and possibly in other areas.”
The Center for Coastal Studies in Massachusetts states that the Gulf of Maine is one of several major humpback whale feeding areas in the north Atlantic Ocean. Others are located off eastern Canada, such as the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Newfoundland and Labrador, west Greenland, Iceland and Norway.
The Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 bars anyone from hunting, killing, capturing and harassing of any marine mammal.
“The (Marine Mammal Protection Act) defines harassment as ‘any act of pursuit, torment or annoyance which has the potential to either: A.) injure a marine mammal in the wild, or B.) disturb a marine mammal by causing disruption of behavioral patterns, which includes, but is not limited to, migration, breathing, nursing, breeding, feeding, or sheltering,’” according to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
