I had the thrill to board Captain Blair Perkin’s catamaran, the Shearwater, for a whale watch tour. Left from Town Pier at 8 am, was fortunate to see clear blue skies, quiet winds, and a glassy sea as we rounded Great Point and headed to the waters off the Outer Cape. It was an amazing experience when he turned off the engines and began to drift amongst the 75 or so Humpback Whales that were rolling, diving, and breaching in the waters. Best part was when Blair looked like a Georgia boy at a Hog Killin’ when he excitedly instructed everyone to take deep breath to take in a smell “that says ‘ocean’ to me,” the smell of the breath of dozens of whales spouting right around the boat. Here are the shots:

(the boat’s namesake, the Greater Shearwater)

Check it out: Explore Nantucket with Shearwater Excursions
Captain Blair’s blog

Scenes from today’s Ozone Surf Classic, Cisco Beach. Another wonderful, charitable local event. Hats off to the organizers!

Back to back weekend race events. First the wildly popular Nantucket Triathlon, then this weekend, Nantucket Conservation Foundation’s Race For Open Space. Certainly a good cause. Fog in the morning and humid, hazy heat at racetime, made this a tough event to photograph. Okay, okay, I’m sure it was easier to snap it then to actually participate!

Great event. Congrats to the organizers and the local first-timers!

Thanks Dorothy!

A few scenes from an amazing holiday weekend.

On a scale of 1 to 10, the weather we’re having these days is a 100. Unbelievable. Amazing light. Yesterday evening’s skies upstaged the upcoming fireworks show!

We had the thrill this morning to go with Dr. Bob Kennedy and his Maria Mitchell team to band the 6 week old osprey chick at Madaket. The nest sits atop a 50-foot high pole, overlooking Long Pond. As you climb the ladder to the chick, the parents circle overhead, complaining loudly. The chicks, fortunately, play dead. They’re brought down peacefully in a canvas bag, and a band is applied to its white foot without a struggle.

James was able to hold the chick.

And I was able to climb the ladder to take a picture of the chick back in its nest.

Click here for more information about Maria Mitchell Association and Dr. Bob Kennedy’s osprey research program, as well as the amazing adventures of Mr. Hannah, the Nantucket osprey banded with a solar-powered GPS transmitter.

We visited the Coskata Pond area this weekend and found muddy beaches and tidal flats literally carpeted by new fiddler crabs. A moving, snapping purple rug. They are everywhere. When you walk towards them, they scamper, up into the grass and out into the water, clearing you a path at almost the exact pace of a walk. As they hit the grassy areas, their numbers are so great that you hear them as they move through the reeds. It sounds like rain, or bacon frying. Amazing. Here are some images: