Did You Know: Whale Research and Bird Watching in Gloucester?

January 14, 2022 / Good to Know, Outdoor Adventures, Things to Do & See

From whale watching to taking a stroll on a beach or on one of the many scenic hiking trails, Gloucester offers so many amazing things to see and do all year round. But, did you know that our coastal city is home to the SnotBot program and is a mecca for bird watching in the winter months?

Transforming the Study of Whale Science and Research

Ocean Alliance’s SnotBot program is helping transform whale science through powerful, inexpensive, and non-invasive research tools. SnotBot® is a drone which flies through the blow of a whale and collects exhaled “snot” on petri dishes. This blow contains priceless biological information: DNA, hormones, microbiomes and potentially many other indicators of the animal’s health and ecology. Best of all, this is a non-invasive tool that is safer for the animals and more efficient for researchers. Ocean Alliance has flown SnotBot over six species of whales in five countries. Learn more about Ocean Alliance at whale.org.

Flock to Cape Ann for a wonderful winter bird watching experience

Did you know that Cape Ann is a bird watching paradise, especially in the off-season? Even the middle of winter is a wonderful time to catch sight of the wide variety of migrating waterfowl and coastline birds that visit our rugged shores each year. In addition to a variety of gulls, avid birders keep their eyes open for such species as Harlequin Duck, King Eider, Pacific Loon, Northern Gannet, Horned Grebe, Great Cormorant, Common Eider, Common and Red-throated Loons. As the seasons turn, as many as 27 species of shorebirds come through Cape Ann, either as their final destination or as a pit stop on their migratory paths north and then south again. For more bird watching details from Gloucester, visit massaudubon.org.