The Humpback Whale Named Clipper
I started my whale watching career as an intern in 1994. I had graduated from college and didn’t have a clear path ahead of me. I came whale watching in July 1994, and the rest is history. Within the first couple years I had a couple favorite whales–Clipper and Nile.
Clipper was one of the “first” whales for everything for me. She was the first whale I ever saw feeding. It wasn’t a particularly nice day on the water, but I remember watching her blow bubble clouds and thinking that is amazing. She is an easy whale to identify, so one of the first whales I knew. In 1995, we had gone up to Jeffreys Ledge on a morning trip, found a couple fin whales, and then we returned in the afternoon to find two humpback cow/calf pairs had moved in. What a treat when we realized one of them was Clipper. In 1996, my first official trip as naturalist, I remember Clipper was there feeding again just north of Thachers Island—”the highway” as Nick always called it. She was the last whale I saw that year, and she was enormous. Another calf the next year? YES. And I was the first one to see her that year, (I think.) At least, when I saw her and her calf, I wasn’t aware that she had a calf. Because I spent so much time with her those first few years, she had become one of my favorites.
The next 7 years though, I didn’t see her at all! I would hear she was around, but never on the days I was working, which was most of the time! Until the second to the last trip in 2005. I had decided to step back from whale watching at the end of the year, so it was my second to last trip of my “career”, or so I thought. She was there with her calf from the year. What a treat to see her that day! Since then, I’ve returned to whale watching part-time and had many more encounters with her.
The Humpback Whale Named Nile
I don’t remember the first time I saw her, or even a particular encounter that I had those first few years. I have seen her almost every year that I have been whale watching though, and had many cool encounters. I do remember she liked to play with the boat. She would often come over and spyhop or just do a lap around the boat. Then she had her first calf in 1998—Amazon. I distinctly remember meeting her new calf. The calf was playful, but Nile seemed to be uninterested in playing anymore. I had the feeling that she was a mom now, and no longer interested in playing with the boats (perhaps she was past that.)
I made this coffee table (to the left) in 2000. I was inspired by a table made by Wyland–that sold for a mere $36,000. I thought I could do something like that myself, so I did. I distinctly remember modeling the dorsal fin of the table off of Nile.
In 2001, I painted this pot across the street from the whale watch that year. Again, Nile is only individual whale that is featured on it. It’s funny that one whale I have such clear memories of, and the other I don’t have distinct memories, but they are both my favorite whales!
In 2012, when I was getting a life-sized inflatable whale, I decided to get a model of Nile. She spends every summer off the coast of MA, so on many occasions, kids that have been introduced to Nile by me in their schools, will come out and get to see her. That is an added value to having the inflatable be a model of a real whale. I hadn’t thought about that when I had Nile made, but I’m so glad I did.
This past summer, Nile and Clipper were together. I didn’t get to see them, but Jamie was able to get a picture of both the dorsal fins! (You can find that picture in the top right of the blanket I had made this year of both these whales. Thank you Jamie McWilliams.) The upper left picture is Nile very pregnant at the end of October! Nile is breaching in the lower left, and rest you can figure out!
I think Riley thinks I’m going to lay down with him!
As always, I hope to see Clipper and Nile this summer–and Nile with a calf maybe?
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