Eating a Whale??

Aloha,
We saw 10 different Humpbacks on our 10:00 Whale Watch on Tuesday. The first whale we saw was all by him (or her) self. We saw his all-black fluke a few times as he dove near us. We also found a pod of two wales south of the harbor — Mom and her very, very young calf. Not only was this calf really small, but her dorsal fin was totally bent over onto her back (when the baby is born, the dorsal is flattened so the baby can slide more easily out of the birth canal — researchers estimate that it takes about 6 weeks for the cartilage in the fin to stiffen up, allowing the dorsal fin to assume its “adult position”). We watched this pod for awhile, but since they were basically just swimming near the surface and breathing, we decided to give them their space. On the way back to the harbor, we saw spouts from 3 other pods of 2 or 3 whales. Considering that this was April 9th already, we’re still amazed at the number of sightings we’re having on our whale watches!
Mahalo,
Claire
Captain Claire’s Humpback Fact of the Day:In 1918, in effort to stockpile more beef, mutton and pork to send to the American troops fighting the 1st World War, the US government sponsored a luncheon at the American Museum of National History in New York featuring Humpback Whale meat. Several dignitaries were invited (including Admiral Peary) to feast on the menu created by the Head Chef of Delmonico’s, and were quoted saying the meat tasted like pot roast or venison. During the luncheon, the museum’s “reliable sources” reported that if all of the 7 operational whaling stations on the Pacific Coast began processing whale for food (instead of for fertilizer), more than 20 million pounds of whale meat could be distributed to the American public during the summer months alone at a cost of 12.5 cents/pound. The idea never really caught on with the American public though. 

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