Basking shark seen on sunset cruise

During last night's sunset cruise for Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, Capt. Pete Reynolds slowed the M/V Granite State down when he spotted an approximately 15-foot (or so) basking shark off the mouth of the Piscataqua River. We watched for a few minutes as the shark swam slowly around the bow of the boat.

There have been a number of shark sightings in the area lately -- click here.

Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse painting project completed

Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse in New Castle, New Hampshire, has just been painted thanks to Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse -- see www.portsmouthharborlighthouse.org. The work was carried out by the J.B. Leslie Masonry Company and Johnson Interiors.

This photo was taken just a few hours after the job was completed and the scaffolding was removed. The project also included the placement of netting under the lantern gallery to prevent cliff swallows from nesting there. The swallows are now happily nesting in nearby Fort Constitution.