A day in the life of a Fin whale...

Yesterday was all about the Fin Whale aboard the Granite State. During the day we found several Fin whales, but our highlights included finding an adult female and her new calf. I find it truely amazing to see moms with their new babies. We still don't know where fin whales are born, but seeing new life on Jeffrey's Ledge is always a fantastic sight! To realize that this calf made it through a winter and is now feeding with it's mother is an amazing triumph. While the calf starts to learn feeding behaviors from it's mother, it will continue to nurse all summer long.
The adult female was identified as Fin whale #0838. This whale has yet to be named, but was first seen in 2008. Here she is photographed below. The first photo is her by herself and then with her calf.

Fin whales are identified by two features, their dorsal fin shape and their chevron. The chevron is a silvery/white pattern on their back located right past the whales blowholes. I was struck by the brightness and beautiful pattern that the calf has. It's hard to know if this pattern will darken over time. With this chevron pattern being so bright, we can actually identify who the mother is, even if we see the calf first! The calf is photographed below.

I want to thank all our passengers for joining us. Whether the whales are far away or closer inshore, it's always an adventure searching for whales! The weather is suppose to be great this coming weekend and I hope to see you on board!

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