On Saturday, November 11th, 2017, Stockton’s Marine Science Club and Stockton Action Volunteers for the Environment sponsored a whale watching trip for Stockton students and faculty. Although not a member of either club, I took advantage of the opportunity to experience an adventure at sea with my friends.

Two busloads of Stockton students, myself included, braved cold temperatures at sea in order to observe the majestic creatures in their natural habitat. A guide speaking over the intercom spoke about the whales and dolphins, which provided a balance of education and fun. Before the boat had even entered open waters, students spotted a pair of dolphins. It was a good omen, and dolphin sightings occurred early and often. Students watched in wonder as pods of dolphins swam near the boat. Some even followed the boat, leaping out of the water in its wake. A guide explained to the students about dolphin conservation efforts, and how marine scientists track the dolphins. The whale watch boat even had researchers on board to document and photograph whale and dolphin activity.

Although watching the dolphins swim and play was fun on its own, the most incredible part of the trip was finding a whale. Seeing a whale is somewhat unusual, so the group was quite lucky.  Unlike the dolphins, who swam in pods, the guide explained that humpback whales mostly live alone, because they need to eat thousands of pounds of food every day, and would not be able to find enough food if they lived in groups. The guide also explained that humpback whales can live as far North as Canada and migrate as far south as Florida, and that particular whale was most likely migrating south in order to give birth. The whale resurfaced every few minutes, and each time, it left students in awe.

The boat could not approach close to the whale for safety reasons. Whales do not have echolocation like dolphins, and therefore the whale would not be able to sense the boat was near and would possibly crash into the boat. However, even viewing the whale from afar was still a surreal experience. I have never been on a whale watch excursion before, and it is something I may have never tried if Stockton had not offered this trip. However, I loved the experience, and I am glad Stockton tries to provide unique and fun weekend trips for its students.