From Boston to Nantucket on the great Massachusetts Whale Trail

I knew all about the whaling world of Massachusetts as a young boy. My grandfather loved the salty humour of Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick, and being a naval veteran he shared his love of the novel with me while sat in his favourite armchair. The way my grandfather brought to life the men of the New England coast pursuing nature’s mightiest creature was utterly compelling. It remained with me when I studied the book as part of my English degree, and the book continues to grapple with my imagination today.

So when I learned about Massachusetts’ celebration of Moby-Dick throughout this year — to coincide with the 200th anniversary of  Melville’s birth, on August 1, 1819 — I wanted to experience it. The author’s legacy is writ large here, and his backstory adds realism to the highlights of the recently launched Whale Trail, a 40-stop route punctuated by maritime museums, aquariums and whale-watching operators.

I booked a ticket to Boston, rented a car and — with my grandpa’s well-thumbed copy of Moby-Dick — plotted a rough tour. I would start in New Bedford, before travelling along Cape Cod through 300 years of seafaring history to Provincetown, its most northern tip. Along the way I would drink at whalers’ taverns and sample local seafood specialities, from a butter lobster roll on the beach to a platter of fried clams at a roadside shack.

Day one began at New Bedford’s Seamen’s Bethel, where I met Fred Toomey, President of the New Bedford Port Society, for a literary walk. Melville came to the chapel to pray before setting sail on the whaling ship Acushnet in January 1841, and one marble cenotaph on the wall is given over to telling the tale of a whaler who perished at sea — the same story that was the inspiration behind Moby-Dick’s obsessive Captain Ahab.

New Bedford comprises patrician-like houses, parks and the Moby Dick Brewing Company, plus the century-old New Bedford Whaling Museum, where I gawped at the world’s most remarkable collection of artefacts from the industry, from harpoons to scrimshaw — artwork made from whalebone.

Far from romanticising whale-hunting, the museum aims to nurture respect for the sea and support conservation efforts to help protect the seaboard’s 11 species of cetacean. The maxim these days isn’t pursuit but preservation.

The next day I took a trip out to the island of Nantucket. The beachfront is boutiquey, anchored by sparkling grey shingle mansions owned by the likes of John Kerry and Tommy Hilfiger, but the focus is on eco-tours, sustainable fisheries and whale-watching.

The change of pace is underlined by the dos-and-don’ts pamphlet handed to visitors upon arrival at the ferry terminal. “The crossing ducks on Lower Orange Street have the right of way,” it reads. Small wonder that the island retreat is a haven for gulls and grebes.

I happily lost the next day driving north along the JFK-inaugurated Cape Cod National Seashore to Provincetown, a weekend retreat popularised by painters, photographers and Boston’s gay community. Burlesque shows sit side by side with souvenir tat shops and tattoo parlours. The vibe is of fishbowl margaritas and tank tops, fish and chips and fishnet stockings. 

Still, you don’t really understand a place like Cape Cod until you view it from the sea. So I followed Melville’s lead and took to the frothy ocean, cruising Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary with Dolphin Fleet Whale Watch. Beyond the lighthouse at the tip of Cape Cod’s fisherman’s hook of land, we were soon in a colossal feeding ground for baleen whales. With calm seas and cloud-free skies it was a great lesson in humility, as they delivering displays of breaching that should put SeaWorld out of business. 

Herman Melville knew what he was doing when he wrote about the majesty of the whale, and it was a bittersweet moment when our boat returned to Provincetown. 

After all these years, how could I not be blown away by seeing my very own Moby-Dick leap into the light from the darkest depths of the ocean? 

Details 

Massachusetts; Mike MacEacheran was a guest of Visit Massachusetts (massholiday.co.uk). Norwegian flies to Boston from London Gatwick (norwegian.com).

For more information on the Massachusetts Whale Trail, visit massvacation.com/whale-trail