Captain Jeff Stewart Sr. pilots the boat. During our July excursion Captain Jeff maneuvered the boat near several small groups of dolphins while his son, naturalist Jeff Stewart Jr. provided narration on dolphin behavior and habitat. 500 bottlenose dolphins spend their summer vacations in the waters around Cape May, returning year after year to the Jersey Shore—as does my own family.
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| Notice the dolphins (lower left- center) close to the shoreline of victorian Cape May, NJ. The smaller fin may belong to a calf, swimming alongside its mother. |
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| HIstoric Cape May Lighthouse on the point. |
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| This pair of bottlenose dolphins surfaced near the boat. |
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| Entering the Intracoastal waterway we passed the Cape May-Lewes Ferry. The ferry has been transporting people and cars across the Delaware bay for 50 years. |
The two hour cruise flew by as we hurried from one side of the boat to the other, watching the playful cetaceans. And, as if to assure passengers that this was indeed a sunset cruise, the south Jersey coast treated us to a brilliant red-orange sky as we returned to the marina.
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| Pulling into the Miss Chris Marina after a successful dolphin-watching excursion. |
Cape May Whale Watcher offers cruises at various times of the day from March through December.
Learn more by visiting their website: http://capemaywhalewatcher.com
To read about another wildlife watching excursion on the other side of the continent, click here.
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| The Spirit of Cape May. |
9 comments:
That was really an extraordinary sunset, wasn't it? Must have been so fulfilling, after the dolphin watch cruise
Yes it was! I've seen many spectacular sunsets and this was one of the best—a fitting end to a rewarding two-hour ocean cruise.
What a great family reunion you're having at the Jersey Shore! I'm so jealous of your dolphin-watching excursion - they're so much fun to see frolicking in the open ocean.
Gosh, you had great views and sunsets on your trip - beautiful photos!
Yes, we all had a wonderful time, (and great weather too), at the Jersey shore this year.
As to your comment about the open ocean, naturalist Jeff Jr. echoed your feelings, saying: "This is where these dolphins want to be—in open water swimming, playing, socializing with each other—they don't belong in an enclosure or a pen, waiting to perform on cue for an audience."
Thanks, as always, for reading, Vickie!
Hi Rita!
Loved you posting! It's another one that brought back some fond memories of the 30 years spend living in Wilmington, DE which of course is within the Delaware Bay area.
It's wonderful that both the weather and the dolphins cooperated such that the 'Dolphin Watch & Sunset Cruise' was able to live up to its name! You got some terrific photos, and I'm certain some equally terrific memories from this family gathering.
John
John, did you ever ride the Cape May-Lewes Ferry while you lived in Delaware?
You're right, it WAS wonderful that we had great weather, and lots of dolphin sightings, on this excursion. It made for a most memorable and enjoyable evening.
Thanks for your comments!
Hi again Rita! This additional comment is in response to your question as to whether we rode the Cape May-Lewes Ferry while living in Delaware. Yes we did!
John
Wow, Rita, this post is so timely. Our grandson, a freshman at Seton Hall, wants us to visit him while he's there, and we have been talking about doing so next August or September. We thought we'd also take our time and explore the area. This sounds perfect — assuming he does well and likes it and is still there next year!
Hi Janet,
Sounds like a fun trip! Cape May is a long way from South Orange but, as a resident of NW Colorado, I know you're familiar with long drives!
The Jersey shore is wonderful in September and I highly recommend a visit to Cape May—if you can fit it in with your vacation plans.
I hope your grandson enjoys a terrific freshman year at Seton Hall!
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