Hub Club Sets Sail With Whales
Whale watching is not one of New England's more glamorous natural attractions. Nor on the scale of pure, athletic excitement does it rank with cheering the Boston Celtics on to another championship. But for those lucky few who have seen humpback whales feeding and playing off Cape Ann, there is a lingering, profound sense of awe and mystery that even Larry Bird can't duplicate with his off-balance, game-winning, 30-foot jumpers.
As it turned out, the Dartmouth Hub Club had organized a whale watch on the very June Sunday that the Celtics and the Lakers were battling for the NBA championship. Forsaking the home team for the call of the wild waves, 40 Dartmouth alums from Eastern Massachusetts, ranging some 50 years in age, boarded the vessel Privateer out of Gloucester and headed ten miles out to sea off Cape Ann. The group had picked what was surely the hottest day of 1984, so as the land receded at our stern, and the cool breezes fanned our faces, we shared a certain smugness over our land-bound friends. But the real reward and delight lay still over the horizon a,t Stellwagon Bank, where humpback whales and pilot whales come to feed each summer.
The captain/naturalist on board seemed to know instinctively where the whales could be found, and throughout his informative narration he even identified them by name. He guaranteed at least one whale sighting, and that day he was a hero. More than 20 whales were sighted feeding, resting, and playing.
These largest-of-all earth creatures were breathtaking. They seemed to acknowledge and enjoy their center-stage roles, obligingly providing many great photo opportunities and sharing hints of playful personalities. Clearly, the hardest part of the day was heading back in to Gloucester. Larry Bird just couldn't compete.
For everyone involved, the day seemed to be a great success. At a very reasonable cost, the club members had enjoyed a cool afternoon on the water, witnessing a rare natural phenomenon. The sharing of picnic lunches and fellowship between friends and new acquaintances, representing a wide range of Dartmouth classes, seemed extra special because the forum was so different than traditional luncheons or cocktail parties. Charging $l5 a person, the Hub Club covered its costs and generated a lot of goodwill.
A final caveat for prospective whale watchers: be prepared for fickle New England weather out on the water. As the boats set out in most all conditions, a precautionary sea sickness remedy and rain gear might be prudent additions to your picnic. The club had good fortune on its voyage, but on the very next weekend a group from fair Harvard got their tassles tossed a bit. But then, that could have been predicted.
By the way, the Celtics won the game and the championship.
