June 19 on the Granite State

Today was the day of the Fin whale. Maybe not for the rest of the world but for those who joined us during our trips today these whales were in full swing and the stars of the show. While we have no control over what any whale does when we are in proximity to them, the whales seemed to make sure everyone's focus remained on them today.

During both our morning and afternoon trips today we found Fin whale #9709. We have sighted this whale multiple times in the past few weeks on Jeffreys Ledge and has become a whale that our summer interns aboard the boats get exciting seeing again and again! As has been typical for us on the Granite State this whale provided some great looks to our passengers as this animal remained concentrated in one area. To our surprise this whale at one point even rolled over on its right side, causing a small portion of it's tail to be seen above the water line!

One of our other Fin whale sightings today was also quite active in its own way. This particualr whale often times would lift the portion of its body beyond the dorsal fin, known as the tail stock, to the surface of the water. This behavior, while seen occasionally by some of our Fin whales, is a behavior we have yet determine and understand the actual purpose of. It is amazing to realize with all that we know of these whales there is still much to be learned and discovered about these massive animals.

By far our most exciting luck with whales today was with a pair of Fin whales! As Jen mentioned in her posting on the Atlantic Queen II, very rarely do you ever get a chance to watch 2 Fin whales move and forage together, but for whatever reason our familiar Fin whale Ladder is always doing so!

Ladder's dorsal fin and scar pattern

Today was our first looks at Ladder for the Granite State this season and this whale did not disappoint our passengers or Ladder's biggest fan of all time, our crew member Will! Not only was Ladder and this other Fin whale surfacing simaltaneously throughout much of our time with these animals, these two whales were actively feeding a few times as well! One of our pair surfaced sideways with its mouth full of salt water and fish, its lower jaw completely extended to maximize space, and thus food, in its mouth! One of our whales even pooped in the water nearby. This cloudy mass in the water was brown, meaning this whale had recently been eating a lot of herring!


Whale defecation is a great indicator of a productive area. The higher the fish concentration, the more food consumption most likely taking place by a whale, the more waste that whale needs to get rid of. Thanks to the upwelling currents of Jeffreys Ledge and other underwater features in our area, the nutrients necessary to cause plankton to begin to grow is the true foundation for feeding whales. It is the abundant amounts of plankton that bring the fish into the region before the whales come to feast on all the fish.


To make today's experience even that much more memorable, both Ladder and company rose up from the depths of the ocean literally right next to the boat!

A close look at a Fin whale's blowholes and an even closer look at a chevron pattern!Having the chance to see one Fin whale so close, let alone 2, is something I think everyone on board will not soon forget. Talk about really getting an appreciation of this animal's size! What a day.


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