I’ve been on exactly one whale-watching boat tour, many years ago, and it wasn’t a pleasant experience. Not only did we not encounter a single whale (we saw a few seals hanging out on a buoy), but about a half hour out from the dock in San Diego, the sunny Southern California day suddenly turned bleak as a storm blew in. Our tiny ship was tossed about like The Minnow on Gilligan’s Island, and I feared our three-hour tour might land us the same fate.

Eventually, the passengers ended up huddling below deck, and the boat headed back to shore after two hours. Everyone on board received “rain check” tickets since we didn’t see any whales, but my husband and I did not have time on that trip to return to the sea … or the desire, by that point.

But now I’m excited about seeing whales again … this time in the waters off my own home state of Connecticut.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports after many decades of absence, humpback whales have returned to feed on small fish in Long Island Sound, close to the Connecticut shore.

© Mariematata | Dreamstime.com

Humpback whales, which can grow as long as 60 feet and can weigh upwards of 40 tons, live in all the major oceans around the world, from north of the equator to just below the polar latitudes.  They tend to feed in the spring, summer and fall all along the Eastern Coast of the United States and are often spotted in the Gulf of Maine.

It turns out one of the smallest fishes in Long Island Sound may play a role in attracting one of the world’s largest ocean creatures. The tiny northern sand lance — a favorite food of humpbacks — is increasing in numbers here.

Marine scientists note other prey species favored by humpbacks, including menhaden and herring, are also on the rise in the waters off Connecticut’s shoreline and are likely key to the humpbacks’ return. Besides humpbacks, other types of whales, seabirds like terns and puffins, sharks, seals and commercial and recreational fish such as striped bass and bluefish also feed on the sand lance. With funding from NOAA and Sea Grant, researchers at the University of Connecticut are studying the climate sensitivity of the northern sand lance to better understand the consequences of ocean warming and acidification on key marine species.

The exciting news is the efforts to clean up the waters of the Sound over the past several decades appear to be paying off. “It’s a good sign for Long Island Sound,” Peter Auster, senior research scientist at Mystic Aquarium and professor emeritus of marine sciences at UCONN, recently told the Hartford Courant. It’s also an indication of how much the Sound’s waters have improved, he said.

The whale — specifically the sperm whale — is the state animal of Connecticut, paying homage to the whaling industry that thrived here in the 18th and 19th centuries. A favorite attraction in Connecticut is the Mystic Seaport Museum, a tribute to the whaling heyday of New England, complete with the restored 1841 Charles W. Morgan, the last remaining wooden whaling ship in the world. I can’t count how many times I’ve visited the Seaport — there’s always some new attraction or lecture happening at the recreated seaport village. With Moby Dick and Ahab’s Wife two of my favorite novels, I’ve always been fascinated by the whaling days of New England.

But now, in this age of ecology and conservation, while appreciating our state’s whaling heritage, I’m more appreciative of the existence and resurgence of whale populations in the environment and excited about getting out on the water to see them, close to home.

— Jan Hecht, senior editor