August 10 - Prince of Whales- Newburyport

Apologies for the late postings! This week has been a crazy one with all sorts of pre- and post- whale watch activities scheduled- all for the greater good of the whale watch company as well as for Blue Ocean Society.

On Tuesday, August 10, we were treated to 3 species of whales, plus a blue shark and bluefin tuna! The minke whale was one of the best that I have ever seen, though unfortunately I didn't manage to get any photos of it :( But this 25-foot whale was circling the boat, and continually poking its "nose" out of the water allowing us to see just how and why it got its scientific name (Balaenoptera acutorostrata). And then of course I got the song Hakuna Matata from the Lion King stuck in my head since hakuna matata and acuto-rostrata sound kind of the same. Oh, the things we scientists amuse ourselves with....

Next, we got some lovely looks at a huge fin whale. At one point this whale turned towards us giving us a unique perspective. I am not sure who this whale is yet but the distinct chevron pattern and dorsal fin shape will certainly help.

20-foot tall blow

Head-on view of a fin whale

Distinctive chevron

Dorsal fin with a few interesting markings on the whale's right side

As we were approaching another fin whale, we were surprised to see a North Atlantic right whale surface! We got just a brief look at this whale while it was swimming away but still an amazing opportunity for everyone to see one of the most endangered whales in the world.



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