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Save
Our Lights!
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American Lighthouse Foundation, Inc.
P.O. Box 565
Rockland,
Maine 04841
Phone: 207-594-4174
info@lighthousefoundation.org
The American Lighthouse Foundation is a
Non-Profit 501(c)(3) Organization dedicated to the preservation of America's historic lighthouses.
SEARCH ALF WEB
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This story was featured in
the first Friends of Pemaquid Point Lighthouse newsletter -- "Pemaquid
Points,"
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A True Whale Tale
Caren Clark, Treasurer
I bet there are some of you out there that remember this story…
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In August of 2002 a whale watch ship was ready to cast
off from Boothbay Harbor. A full boat of tourists, anxious to see a pod
of whales, was aboard. The experienced captain piloted his ship out
toward the whales’ feeding grounds, when just outside the harbor an
adult whale swam alongside the ship |
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for a few minutes, getting
everyone’s attention. The whale then veered off to the west away from the
ship. The captain continued on his course, thinking that they were apt to
see many more whales at their feeding grounds. Then the same whale came back
to swim alongside the ship again, veering off after a few minutes. Finally,
the third time the whale came alongside the ship and then headed west, the
captain decided to follow it.
After a few miles of travel they came upon a fixed fishing net with two baby
whales tangled up in it. The captain commanded the crew to launch |
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Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
The story of the whale rescue is a
favorite with the children who visit
Pemaquid Point Lighthouse
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the lifeboat and cut the whales free.
Luckily, baby whales are less dangerous to get close to than adult
whales, so they were able to cut them free. For the rest of the cruise
that day the mother and baby whales swam alongside the ship, breaching
and blowing as they played. When the ship had to return to the harbor
the whales remained with their pod. Unfortunately, |
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marine officials learned of this interference with fishing gear and later
arrested the captain of that ship. This made the local news, which created
enough public outrage that the captain was released with a ten dollar fine.
This is a true story and I love to tell it at the lighthouse when someone
mentions whale watching or there are a lot of children in the group.
To become a member or learn more about the Friends of Pemaquid Point
LIghthouse...
Contact:
Friends of Pemaquid
Point Lighthouse
P.O. Box 353
Bristol, ME 04539-0353
Tel. Marty Welt,
(207) 563-2739
Email – Marty Welt,
backlog@tidewater.net
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