With a light sprinkle in the morning and the forecast of afternoon sun, 850 people from across the region joined Save the Harbor/Save the Bay on Saturday’s three free Marine Mammal Safaris as a part of the Share the Harbor program. The overwhelming response and turnout topped each of the previous 15 trips, not to mention the abundance of seals and porpoises spotted on each cruise.
“We were blown away by the record breaking numbers,” said Save the Harbor/Save the Bay President Tani Marinovich. “Our mission is to connect people to the harbor, so we were delighted to see such a great turnout.”
Aboard Massachusetts Bay Lines’ boat Freedom, families, neighborhood groups, and individuals from Boston’s communities and beyond were eager to see what the clean water of the Boston Harbor had in store for them. As the rain subsided, the guests of the first and second cruises were able to see three seals out by the Fish Pier, and even caught a glimpse of the fin of a porpoise gliding by the Charlestown Navy Yard.
The last cruise of the day embarked onto the harbor in 75 degree sunny weather – a great turnaround from the projected overcast skies. Although the charismatic macrofauna were a bit more hesitant to appear for the passengers, as the cruise motored toward East Boston, a plethora of seals and even a few porpoises made an appearance.
In the moments where there were no sightings of aquatic mammals, Save the Harbor staff donned their pirate hats and sang the sea chanty Haul Away Together to remind those around them that if they work together, just as the pirates did as they hoisted the sails, they can accomplish big things.
“In continuing our mission of sharing the harbor for the public to enjoy, Save the Harbor is hosting seven more free cruises to Spectacle Island and Boston Light throughout the summer and fall months,” said Marinovich. “Check out the remaining Share the Harbor cruise dates on Save the Harbor’s blog at blog.savetheharbor.org, which includes registration links.”
Save the Harbor/Save the Bay would like to thank Massachusetts Bay Lines for their generosity in hosting us aboard Freedom and making it possible to venture out onto the harbor for each safari, while also giving guests great information about their surroundings through historical narration.
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