Grades 5 and 6 Students Experience an Unforgettable Whale Watching Adventure

After Nile the inflatable whale’s exciting visit to campus the week before, Grade 5 and Grade 6 students had the opportunity to experience something even more incredible on Wednesday, May 27 — seeing a real humpback whale in the wild during their whale watching excursion.

As the boat traveled out onto the water, students eagerly searched the horizon for marine life they had spent weeks studying in science class. Their patience paid off when a juvenile humpback whale surfaced near the boat, giving students an unforgettable close encounter. Many students heard the whale’s powerful exhale and saw its blowhole up close, while others watched in amazement as the humpback demonstrated lunge-feeding behavior — a feeding technique they had recently learned about during their whale studies.

“The biggest impact on me was finally seeing the whale’s blow after waiting for so long,” one student shared. “Everyone got so excited.”

Throughout the trip, students also encountered pods of dolphins swimming alongside the boat. The dolphins delighted everyone onboard as they leaped, spun, skipped across the waves, and “bow rode” in the current created by the boat. Students also spotted porpoises, jellyfish, and schools of fish during the excursion.

For many students, the trip brought their classroom learning to life in a meaningful way. Students connected what they observed on the water to their studies of whale anatomy, feeding behaviors, migration patterns, and the differences between baleen and toothed whales.

“The trip connected to what we learned because we got to actually see the whale behaviors we studied,” another student explained. “It made everything feel more real.”

The experience was filled with memorable moments both on and off the water. Students recalled the excitement of everyone rushing across the boat as the whale resurfaced, cheering when dolphins appeared beside the boat, and sharing laughs during the long bus ride. Funny inside jokes, games played with friends, and the thrill of spotting marine life together made the day even more special.

The whale watch served as the perfect culminating experience for the Grade 5 science unit, allowing students to connect their research and classroom learning with firsthand observation and discovery. By the end of the day, students returned home with unforgettable memories, incredible photos and videos, and a deeper appreciation for marine life and the ocean environment.