First whale ever named by scientists spotted off Massachusetts again. Meet Salt
On July 30, boaters got the chance to see the humpback Salt, the first whale to be named by scientists, according to a Facebook post by Hyannis Whale Watcher Cruises.
Boaters in the Cape Cod Bay and Stellwagen Bank were able to see the 'magnificent' Salt, who was first named in 1975, the group said.
Over the years, Salt has birthed 13 calves, which later gave her 11 grandchildren and one great-grandchild, boaters said.
Salt can be seen showing off her tail as she leaves boaters in awe, the video taken shows.
Salt's presence has helped contribute to 'the understanding of humpback whale migration patterns, calving rates and overall biology,' the group said.
Facebook users ran to the comments to their thoughts on the 'beautiful' photos with one person saying, 'spectacular.'
'How super exciting!!! So glad to see Salt again!,' another wrote.
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CBS News
a day ago
- CBS News
Salt's "chilling" effect
Salt! It is sugar's savory cousin and is mostly thought of as an ingredient in food. It is much more than that, though. Salt is essential to your body's functions. It melts snow and ice in the winter, and you can use it to help cream freeze to make a delicacy sent from the cream! At least that's the way we are going to make ice cream today. You might be thinking to yourself, "salt melts liquids, so why would you need that for ice cream?" Adding salt to water technically does not melt it. It just lowers the freezing temperature of water, which does melt it until you hit that lower temperature. While it lowers the freezing temperature, it actually gets colder too! You heard that right. Adding salt to water makes the water colder, as you can see! That probably seems backwards. Dissolving salt in water requires energy, so that energy is absorbed from the water, causing the temperature to drop. The same goes for salt on ice! The salt dissolves on the ice, dropping the freezing temperature of the ice, but making it colder at the same time. Purdue University says this is an endothermic reaction, or a chemical reaction that occurs with the absorption of heat. We are going to use this knowledge to make our version of one of science's greatest cream! My ice cream maker is a little different. On one side of this ball, you put your ingredients in a compartment. The other side of the ball gets filled up with ice and rock salt, kosher salt, or ice cream salt. That is where our reaction will happen, causing the temperature to drop. To turn this into ice cream, we have to shake and roll, and play with this ball for 25 minutes! The action makes sure the salt is dissolving on the ice, lowering the temperature. It also churns the cream, making sure that large ice crystals don't form. This also allows air inside the freezing cream, helping it to be creamy, rather than rock-hard. It is a lot of work, but the science and ice cream are worth it. Using salt and ice's endothermic reaction was how they made ice cream in the olden days. This ball is just a new take on the classic way to make ice cream.
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Boston Globe
Legendary whale named Salt seen off coast of Provincetown
Salt was named for the distinctive white coloration of her dorsal fin back in 1975, according to Chad Avellar, whose father, Aaron Avellar, gave Salt its name. 'I think he was just kind of joking around, because it was the one whale you could identify in a field of, say, 20 whales,' he said. 'But, of course, it wasn't a joke to the scientists.' Chad Avellar is the owner of SeaSalt Charters, a whale watching company on Cape Cod. He said Salt's surprise appearance on Wednesday brought some of his passengers to tears. Advertisement 'I see people crying, all kind of goose-bumpy, oohing, aahing,' he said. 'Whales are such a magical thing. We don't really know much about them, because they only spend about 5 percent of their life above the surface.' 'Everybody that follows whales in New England knows Salt,' he added. Advertisement Avellar said Salt makes appearances off the Massachusetts coast each summer. These regular sightings have helped scientists better understand whale migration behavior, Asmutis-Silvia said. Salt, along with other whales in the Gulf of Maine, swims to the Caribbean in the winter to have children, returning north during the warmer months to feed, Asmutis-Silvia said. Salt is known to have approximately 16 calves, all of which are named in their mother's honor, Avellar said. 'All of those calves were named by my dad,' he said. 'Crystal was the first calf... then brine, and bitter, salsa, tabasco.' A whale named "Salt," famous among New Englanders, was seen for the first time this year off the coast of Provincetown Wednesday. Ken Grille By studying the calves, Asmutis-Silvia said scientists were able to understand that successive generations of humpback whales have their own distinctive 'cultures' and feeding techniques. For example, one of Salt's grandchildren, Etch a Sketch, has pioneered a method of feeding in which she slaps her tail on the water's surface to 'stun' large groups of fish so they're more easily eaten. Salt, on the other hand, has never deigned to practice this new method of 'kick-feeding,' leading researchers to believe that Etch a Sketch learned the behavior from her peers. 'It's been really helpful in understanding that this behavior isn't necessarily something that's just passed down genetically or passed down behaviorally,' Asmutis-Silvia said. 'Salt does not kick feed. I don't know if it's just beneath her or whatever.' Scientists estimate that Salt is approximately 55 years old, Asmutis-Silvia said, and indications are that she might be pregnant with her 17th calf, although the father isn't likely in the picture. 'Dads don't do anything to rear the calves,' Asmutis-Silvia said. 'It's completely Mom's responsibility.' Advertisement Scientists aren't sure how long Salt will live but estimate she has at least another 20 years, absent any boat collisions or run-ins with predators . 'I think that's one of the coolest things that whales like Salt continue to teach us,' Asmutis-Silvia said. 'It's all a learning curve, and we're learning stuff all the time.' A whale named "Salt," famous among New Englanders, was seen for the first time this year off the coast of Provincetown Wednesday. Ken Grille Truman Dickerson can be reached at
Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Miami Herald
First whale ever named by scientists spotted off Massachusetts again. Meet Salt
A great grandma sea creature was spotted off the coast of Massachusetts. On July 30, boaters got the chance to see the humpback Salt, the first whale to be named by scientists, according to a Facebook post by Hyannis Whale Watcher Cruises. Boaters in the Cape Cod Bay and Stellwagen Bank were able to see the 'magnificent' Salt, who was first named in 1975, the group said. Over the years, Salt has birthed 13 calves, which later gave her 11 grandchildren and one great-grandchild, boaters said. Salt can be seen showing off her tail as she leaves boaters in awe, the video taken shows. Salt's presence has helped contribute to 'the understanding of humpback whale migration patterns, calving rates and overall biology,' the group said. Facebook users ran to the comments to their thoughts on the 'beautiful' photos with one person saying, 'spectacular.' 'How super exciting!!! So glad to see Salt again!,' another wrote.
