Whale population booming at Cape Cod

The whale watching industry in Cape Cod is on fire, according to officials, as a new crop of hungry humpback whales have been seen cavorting near the local coast.

The whales have been giving Bay State whale watchers a good view, as this is considered a "good year" for whale watching, say researchers from the Provincetown Centre for Coastal Studies in Massachusetts.

About 150 whales have been spotted in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary since January and about 900 more were seen in the Gulf of Maine.

But these massive mammals aren't just sticking around to please the tourists.

Researchers say the whales have been in search of sand lances - also known as sand eels - that have buried themselves into the nearby ocean floor.

Seabirds by the thousands have also been spotted in the area, particularly the greater shearwaters and sooty shearwaters species.

Photography: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Association

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, July 24 edition