A Whale of a Time off Old Cape Cod

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae)

Once again we saw these giants of the sea on our annual end-of-summer outing to the liberal Massachusetts coast. Here we see a mother, her calf, and an 'escort' who watches the child while mom dives for food. Entanglements in fishing nets have long been a hazard for the Humpbacks, and Japan, Norway, and Iceland actually continue to hunt these endangered behemoths. New the list of shame, the United States Navy, George W. Bush commander in chief, who are causing untold damage on whales, dolphins, and other marine life with new high-intensity sonar. Beached whales have been found bleeding from the eyes and ears, and lesions the size of golf balls in their organ tissue. Eventually, 80 percent of the ocean will be under the sonic bombardment of the new system.