Spring is a magical time on Cape Cod, as it’s the season when many of the region’s natural wonders return after spending their winters in warmer climates.
It’s also when people start coming back to the Cape after a few months away, ensuring the area becomes lively once again after a relatively quiet winter.
Booking a Cape Cod vacation rental in the spring allows you to witness these signs of spring first-hand and provides a greater understanding of what makes the Cape such a special place.
Here’s a look at five of the top signs spring has sprung on Cape Cod
1) Herring Runs
You won’t want to miss the herring runs when visiting the Cape in the spring because they provide the unique opportunity to get close to these small fish as they migrate through Cape Cod’s rivers and streams to the ponds where they’ll spawn.
Some rivers have fish ladders to aid the process, ensuring the herring reach their destination and repopulate the species.
There are herring runs in many Cape Cod towns, with some of the most significant taking place in Falmouth, Mashpee, Bourne, Brewster, and Harwich. You can check them out between mid-April and mid-May.
2) The Returning Osprey
Roughly 500 nesting pairs of osprey make their spring and summer homes on Cape Cod, so there’s a good chance you will encounter some during your vacation.
These birds typically spend their winters in South America before returning to the Cape in mid-March to hatch and raise their young.
The males usually arrive first, driving potential predators from the nest, which they return to annually, and preparing their summer home for the return of the female.
The female will stay in the nest almost exclusively after arrival, laying her eggs, hatching her young, and protecting them until they can fly.
You’ll know spring is arriving on the Cape when you see osprey guarding their platform nests above power poles and other high-up spots throughout the region.
3) Singing Peepers
The spring peeper is a type of frog that, as you might have guessed, you’ll commonly hear on Cape Cod during the spring.
These frogs live near the Cape’s ponds and marshes and let out a high-pitched peep to attract a mate, hence the name.
Spring peepers hideout under logs and leaves throughout the winter, re-emerging when the snow melts and the ground thaws. You’ll know spring is here on the Cape when you can hear spring peepers whenever you take a walk through the area’s forests or marshlands.
4) Boats in the Water
Boats will begin trickling back into the water at Cape Cod’s marinas and harbors as we move into spring. While it won’t happen all at once, some locals begin launching their crafts in March, with more vessels appearing throughout April and May.
If you arrive on the Cape in May, the marinas will be in full summertime mode, especially toward the middle of the month.
But as the first boats appear in the harbors in March and April, you’ll know that spring is here and summer is just around the corner on Cape Cod.
5) Whale Watching
The whaling industry helped establish Cape Cod in its early days, and it remains part of society today, albeit in a far different way. Whales are no longer hunted for their commercial value, but whale watching cruises assist the local economy in the spring and give visitors a good reason to check out the Cape.
Whale watching season begins on Cape Cod in the middle of April when right whales, humpbacks, finbacks, minke whales, and pilot whales make their way to the plankton-rich waters of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary between Boston and Cape Cod Bay.
These whales will also travel into Cape Cod Bay, so there’s a chance you’ll see one of these massive creatures from shore during your visit. Earlier sightings are possible, too, as locals often spot right whales from shore in March.
Taking a whale-watching cruise is your best bet, though, and you’ll know spring is here when you see these vessels returning to the harbors for the season.
Visiting Cape Cod in the Spring
Planning a Cape Cod vacation in the spring provides the rare opportunity to explore the region before the crowds arrive for the summer. It also allows you to experience these signs that spring has arrived on the Cape.
Booking a spring vacation rental on Cape Cod provides a comfortable home base while exploring and getting to know more about this unique part of the world.
