Unusual whale sightings in Maine draw onlookers to shores of Penobscot Bay

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • August 4, 2026

On Sunday at a lobster bake and art show in Northport’s Bayside enclave, more than a hundred people were treated to a special show: a humpback whale swimming back and forth just offshore for an hour. It was one of dozens of close-to-shore humpback sightings in Penobscot Bay that have been a source of wonder and delight for Mainers and visitors over the last month. Whales are commonly found in Maine waters, but typically are seen farther offshore.