Whale watching season returns: Inside a stunning day on the Atlantic Pearl

NASSAU COUNTY, New York (WABC) -- We joined the Atlantic Pearl in Freeport for its first whale-watching trip of the season, and lately, it's been a hot spot for sightings of marine life.

"It's amazing how things have changed over the last, I'd say, ten years-we've been seeing more and more whales here. We never used to see them," Mike Danon said. "As a kid growing up, you never saw a whale here. Now, every day, we see whales. It's just a beautiful scene."

The trip is usually four hours, and you're most likely to see either bottlenose dolphins or humpback whales. Sometimes sharks and turtles are visible, but the humpbacks tend to steal the show.

"And the humpback whales are very, very personable," Captain Nick Denosia said. "They're not really afraid of boats. They love to move around and put on a show."

"When you see a whale jump and breach, I mean, it's just amazing," Danon added. "It's such a beautiful sight, and no matter how many times you see it, it never gets old."

The whale-watching season starts around mid-May and runs through November. And what brings them here? Food.

They follow the abundant supply of bunker fish. Conservation efforts have helped their population grow, creating a rich feeding ground for these marine mammals.

"We ask everyone to try and get involved; everyone has a good set of eyes and can help me out, because it's not the easiest task," Denosia said. "It's like trying to find a needle in a haystack."

Passengers are told to look for a spout of water that resembles a hose-but on the Atlantic Pearl, sometimes you get a little extra help from another animal.

"Everybody asks me, 'Where's the best place to look for the whales?'" Denosia said. "I say, just follow the dog. She'll show you where the whale is going to come up-then she'll lose her mind a little bit."

Sophia is Denosia's dog, and she's been joining these whale-watching trips for eight years. We saw her alert us to a whale before any of us could even spot it.

Maybe she's their secret weapon.

Even if you don't spot a whale, the trip still offers a relaxing escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life-letting you spend a few hours on the water, hopefully on a beautiful day like this.

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