Monday, July 25 on the Starfish

Fin whale, showing its white lower jaw

Today I got to be a guest naturalist on the Starfish. It's always fun to get out of a routine and hang out on another boat for the day. The whales did not disappoint!  We had 2 fin whales in the area, and spent all our time with one - one of the best fin whale sightings ever!

We were totally in the right place at the right time - this whale was apparently feeding just under the surface, and it even dove underneath us a few times.  At one point, a passenger asked if these whales ever show their tails, and I said that they usually don't, because they're so streamlined and negatively buoyant, that they don't usually need to lift their tails up for extra leverage when they go on a deeper dive.  Only minutes after the words came out of my mouth, the whale fluked!  It was a low fluke, but still - very cool.

Just when it was time to start heading back to Hampton, we got the grand finale. The whale surfaced right next to the bow with its mouth full, and then swam right around the bow and to the other side, affording us terrific looks at the whale both above and below the water.

Whale breath!

 Thanks to all who joined us today!

Why we have to keep monitoring trash and doing beach cleanups - plastic bag 20 miles offshore

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