We checked into Vista Motel, complete with sea view …
… and then went walking on Good Harbour beach as the sun set.
Passports bistro came highly recommended on Tripadviser and although it was fully booked, we sat up at the bar. There were plenty of veggie options including chipotle pasta which hit the spot with Chris, and after that plate of mussels at lunch, a salad was just perfect for me.
In the morning, we drove a short way to Rockport, which may have started as a fishing village, but soon began started attracting summer visitors and artists to its picturesque harbour …
… today it is filled with little shops selling arty gifts and ice cream.
It also seemed to have a huge number of churches … all with a steeple!
We also glimpsed our first lighthouse … way in the distance … on Straitsmouth Island …
… then a little closer …
… and on our way back two more on Thacher Island.
Gloucester is the oldest fishing port in Massachusetts and we took a trip with Seven Seas Whale Watch.
Leaving the harbour we passed two more lighthouses to add to our tally – Ten Pound Island Lighthouse and Eastern Point Lighthouse.
There are lots of places along this coast offering whale watching, but as Gloucester is on a peninsular just 8 miles from Jeffrey’s Ledge, a popular feeding area, that means less travelling and more watching … hopefully!
After about an hour we slowed and started looking for signs of whales and soon saw some interesting splashing and dark shapes …
We had found several humpback whales, individually recognised by the onboard naturalist, who had made a temporary group and were diving to feed for maybe around 7-8 minutes, then coming back to the surface for around 7-8 minutes before diving again and coming back up a bit further away. We followed them round, pleased to see glimpses of them moving through the water …
… raising their tails…
… and breathing out through their blowholes causing visible condensation.
They also did a lot of flipper-slapping – slapping their flippers on the water, especially impressive when they were on their backs raising both flippers at once.
They don’t know why they flap their flippers against the water … to ease an itch, remove barnacles, to communicate or just for fun!
We also saw some Atlantic white-sided dolphins …
… and a grey seal.
We couldn’t believe our luck that we had got to see so much, far more than we had ever expected and still got back in time for sunset at Good Hope Beach.
Another delicious dinner at Passports and we came away not only with full tummies but some excellent travel tips from Christopher for our ongoing road trip … watch this space!
Tomorrow we drive further north …
Off Travelling Together 