An ocean vista photo by Hash Milhan, CC-BY-2.0

On each New Year’s Eve, millions of Americans make resolutions to improve themselves and their lives during the coming year. While many of these New Year’s resolutions involve giving up something, dieting, working harder at our jobs or at the gym, New Year’s resolutions can be more pleasant, as well. This year for example, resolve to spend more time appreciating the oceans. This simple resolution can take many different forms for different people, but will add a richness to one’s quality of life, regardless of the tack one takes toward the goal.

For many, appreciating the oceans is as simple as planning more family days at the beach. Most Oceanside communities have town beaches that are either free or available for a nominal parking fee. Beach days are not only an opportunity to enjoy the ocean breeze, sunshine, and building sand castles, but also about spending time with family. Young kids will enjoy frolicking at the water’s edge under the watchful eye of parents, and creating mythic castles with real moats and towers. Adults can enjoy a day of relaxation, swimming, and joining in with the children as they play. Packing a lunch in a well insulated cooler can help reduce the cost of this family day-trip. Just be sure to remember a strong sunscreen as the sea and the sand can reflect the sun’s rays and give you an extra helping of sunburn if you’re not careful.

Almost every port city offers deep sea fishing options. Whether you can charter a small private boat with an experienced guide, or you choose a spot on a larger party boat, you’ll enjoy the sights and sounds of the oceans. Fishing in the ocean holds a little extra excitement for most. Hauling fish up hundreds of feet from the bottom of the ocean gives one plenty of time to imagine that they may have hooked a shark or some other fierce denizen of the depths, and once in a while, it really is a monster of one sort or another. Cod, haddock, fluke, and more can be the catch of the day on these expeditions and helpful deck hands are there to cut the filets for you so when you get home it’s as neat as store-bought fish, but much fresher and more flavorful. Equipment is generally provided on the ship along with basic instruction for beginners.

Whale watches or pelagic bird watching cruises are another way to get out on the ocean as a part of your New Year’s resolution. Coastal harbors and ports generally host whale watch companies that offer either half day or full day cruises. The captains of these vessels go out every day and know just where to go for the best whale watching opportunities. Their livelihood is tied up in the health and safety of the whales so they keep a respectful distance to avoid harassing the whales, yet get you close enough for excellent viewing with or without a good pair of binoculars and photography. Many whale watches also include an on board naturalist who narrates the event, helping to identify whales and talking about the meaning of their behaviors. Sometimes, the whales surprise even them. This video was taken from a whale watch out of New Hampshire’s Rye Harbor in 2009.

Most people think of bird watching around backyard feeders or along the forest edge, but there are many, many birds that spend all or most of their lives at sea which can only be seen by boat. Many tend to feed upon the same small fish and crustaceans that feed the whales so they can often be seen on whale watch trips. Other cruise lines offer trips specifically designed for viewing these pelagic bird species. In 2009, I was lucky enough to capture a Great Black-backed gull that caught a common tern out of the air and proceeding to swallow it whole as it bobbed gently in the waves off the Isles of Shoals tern breeding colony off the coast of New Hampshire.

 

This year, make a New Year’s resolution to spend more time appreciating the oceans, whether by visiting if you are close enough, or learning more about them remotely if you are too far inland. If you do, then, as Dr. Seuss wrote, “Oh, the things you will see!”