Sharks In Cape Cod Bay - Oh My!

Sharks are a part of summer on Cape Cod. They seem to follow the seals as they move about. This year we've seen seals in the bay. So, we have sharks here also. Check out this video, shown on NECN earlier today, taken by a local fisherman late last week. Oh My!

2011 - Big July 4th Weekend Ahead!

This coming weekend, anchored by the 4th of July, on Monday, is a big weekend on the Outer Cape. Check out these activities...

Orleans -

• Friday - July 1st - Fireworks at Rock Harbor (rain date July 2th). These fireworks will be easily viewable from Skaket Beach (Orleans) and First Encounter Beach (Eastham)
• Monday - Parade - 10 AM - from Eldredge Parkway to Main Street

Wellfleet -

•  Monday - July 4th - Parade at 9 AM

Provincetown -

• Monday - July 4th - Parade at 12 Noon on Commercial St
• Monday - Fireworks at dusk (9 PM-ish)

Photo of the Day - Colorful Neighborhood

I took this photo a few days ago on Rock Harbor Rd, between Orleans and Rock Harbor. They are each one bedroom, no bath. No Title V septic. Cute.

Eastham - A Great Place to Live!

Eastham's a great place to live. I think so, but you can't take my word - I live here. But the Boston Globe ran an article highlighting the 12 'best' places in the Greater Boston area to live in 2010. Like all these studies, they have their list of important criteria. One new factor was real estate value retention. This is an area where Eastham really shines. Eastham was the only town on Cape Cod that made the list. TAKE THAT, CHATHAM! (just kidding). Read the article in the online edition of the Boston Globe.... Here. The Globe correctly reported that Eastham's real estate has held its value very well since the 'peak' in 2005.

Of note, the article mentions watching sunsets from Fort Hill. My favorite Eastham sunset places are First Encounter Beach and Rock Harbor (the Eastham side). There aren't many places on the East Coast where you can see a sunset over water.

Picture of the Day: Rock Harbor Captives

I was out looking at new listings this morning and was at the Eastham side of Rock Harbor. I found these two fishing boats, locked in the ice - waiting for spring. With snow coming tomorrow, spring may be a ways off.

Eastham's Dolphin Strandings

As the weather turns cold, we've had more than the 'normal' number of dolphin strandings on the bayside of Eastham. The last two days has had two, one on Campground Beach and another in Rock Harbor. Read about them on the Cape Cod Times website.

Also, check out this video...

Cape Cod Manatee Swimming South

Over the last few weeks we've been reading stories about a manatee that has been swimming in and around the Cape. We saw the manatee in Dennis & Rock Harbor. The problem with this 'cute' story is that similar stories seem to always end badly, with the warm water mammal succumbing to hypothermia as the water temperature drops well below what the animal needs to survive. Well, we may have seen the exception to the rule with a manatee that's been named Ilya. Ilya has been spotted traversing the Cape Cod Canal and swimming south. Catch the story from the Boston Globe.

Rock Harbor Fireworks - July 3rd

The annual July fireworks will be held at dusk at Rock Harbor, in Orleans on Friday, July 3rd. Excellent 'seats' can be had at Rock Harbor (both Orleans and Eastham sides) and Eastham's First Encounter Beach. These are a lot of fun, so plan an evening meal on the beach, followed by the fireworks. Some tips; 1) bring bug spray and 2) bring a flashlight. You won't believe how dark it gets after the fireworks are over. The rain date is Sunday, July 5th.

Note: the annual Wellfleet fireworks are scheduled for Friday, August 28th.

Wild Care To The Rescue

Wild Care, of Eastham, has been treating injured, ill and orphaned native wildlife since 1989, with a goal of releasing them back into the wild capable of independent survival. Wild Care works to prevent wildlife casualties through public education and live counseling, and to engage the community in conservation through volunteerism. Most recently they rescued a red-necked grebe from the frigid waters of Rock Harbor. Read about this rescue, and about Wild Care on their website.

Rare 40 Foot Fin-Back Whale Ashore in Eastham

The 'talk' of the weekend in Eastham has been to rare 40 foot fin-back that came ashore on Dyer Prince Beach (just north of Rock Harbor) in Eastham this past Wednesday or Thursday. The animal was alive when discovered, but soon after died of exposure on the beach. The photos are truly amazing. Take a look at the photos on the Turtle Journal. I'll have a few more photos tomorrow.