There’s something about the early summer mornings north of Fox Island—chill fog mingling with sunlight, capelin shimmering just beneath the swells. It was on such a day that Sandy, a stately female humpback, swept in with effortless grace, flipping a glistening tail as if to announce, “I’ve arrived!”

Not one to linger in obscurity, Sandy made her way to Bay Bulls by the next tide, showing off her broad back and steady confidence. For days, she graced those waters—June 24th, 25th, and 26th—turning Bay Bulls into her own personal dining room, with the resounding blows and thunderous splashes echoing off the cliffs. The seagulls seemed mightily captivated by all the commotion—and who could blame them?

On June 28th, Sandy slipped along to Off Motion, her broad silhouette framed by the rolling coastal mist. But Bay Bulls clearly held a bit of her heart, as she returned again and again, from the end of June into July. Each visit was a treat for those onshore; her visits on July 4th, 5th, and 6th were matched only by her grand sweeps through Witless Bay and Mobile Bay, each location lending a different tease of her majestic form beneath the seawater’s restless silver.

Sandy’s summer rounds wouldn’t be complete without a final bow to Tors Cove, where she was last spotted on July 18th, before circling back to Witless Bay just two days later. For a few weeks, she seemed to be everywhere at once—a real treat for those lucky enough to catch her in their binoculars.