Blue Ocean Society's Whale Sightings

We were on the afternoon trip on Sept 26 and saw t...

2009-10-24T17:06:47.860-04:00

We were on the afternoon trip on Sept 26 and saw the rare Right whales. Do you have any pics to post? We had a great time and hope to return some day when the weather is a bit warmer.

Hi Willy, It was really cool!! We (my volunteer A...

2009-10-14T00:06:41.865-04:00

Hi Willy,

It was really cool!! We (my volunteer Amber and mate Ryan) were all high-fiving each other right after it happened! It was so unexpected and so humbling at the same time. I wish you could have been there with us! Our season is sadly over but I am looking forward to next year and seeing all of our friends again!

OH MY GOSH!!!!That is awesome that you guys saw a ...

2009-10-12T20:15:15.129-04:00

OH MY GOSH!!!!That is awesome that you guys saw a finback lift his tail!I bet it was really cool.It was probably reeeeeeeeeeally big!I hope you see that again!I can't wait until next year to go up there again!!! P.S. Thank you again for all those great trips!!!

I respect and admire the work you are doing on beh...

2009-10-03T11:29:53.775-04:00

I respect and admire the work you are doing on behalf of whales and dolphins. In a similar vein, I submit that public interest and concern for these magnificent beings can be heightened even more by blending scientific fact with speculative fiction; thereby taking the public beneath the waves into a world where they could not otherwise venture, as I have done in my latest book, The Tempest’s Roar. Please visit my website www.rarclouston.com or read my blog http://whaleanddolphintalk.blogspot.com/

It is quite incredible how easily conditions can c...

2009-09-24T22:18:36.536-04:00

It is quite incredible how easily conditions can change, in one direction or the other, out on the open ocean and this Fall has been no exception. It has been quite frustrating that a good handful of trips have been canceled due to the wind and sea state. Then again it is New England and at this time of the year it seems as though anything is possible any given day. The weather is constantly monitored starting many mornings before the sun even rises to before we leave the harbor and even after we head out. It would be so easy to have every day bring sunshine and no wind but we have to deal with what is handed to us. Granted there are some days when the ocean has lake-like conditions and then there are days like the 18th. I defintely don't deny it was a bit bumpy and we took some good salt water onto the boat. Sometimes you get more of an experience than other trips to say the least. It was a day to safely head out in search of whales but by no means was it going to be a smooth ride. It definitely never hurts to be prepared and take a sea-sick pill, just to be on the safe side, and of course I'm glad you did :) Many times I don't even get a chance to take pictures due to the condtions, or very good ones at that, but it is truly the memories that you get off the boat with that you remember the best. Granted I can imagine your trip was a trip to remember, maybe not in the best sense especially compared to last year, but the fact that we got to see wild animals in their natural habitat is quite an incredible sight. The whales don't seem to be affected by the same factors we humans have to deal with. These marine mammals are not bothered with wind or waves or sun or clouds. Getting a chance to witness a small glimpse of what these animal's do on any given day is the goal. Somedays we get a chance to see some spectacular events and other days we see what these whales spend most of their time doing. Taking a few breaths and diving back under the water is obviously much more common to see from any particular whale. We do not control these animals in any way and as much as I enjoy when we get some close encounters, it is a behavior very rarely witnessed and completely random. I am so glad you both had a chance to see what you saw last year and we have had some of the same instances this season. One of the many reasons I love my job is the exact fact that we truly have no idea what we may see, or not see, everytime we leave the harbor and go out in search of these endangered whales. How many whales we see, what species of whales we see, what behaviors are seen are completely up in the air and are as unknown to our passengers as these questions are to our crew on every single trip. I hope that you return again for another trip and hopefully don't get soaking wet (feel free to ask the crew as you board if there is going to be a "dry" or "wet" side as we head out) but to anyone else reading this we hope you realize we have no control of the whales, especially what kind of whales we may see, or how "rough" the seas may be. We cancel trips when necessary for safety reasons but not all trips are on flat calm conditions. In general when dealing with the weather it never hurts to be overly prepared. The more layers the better. You can always take off coats and sweatshirts, but it can be a VERY long trip otherwise. Please understand we do sympathize when we take an unexpected wave or splash over the boat, but sometimes it happens and we can only do so much. I appreciate your candid comment and always feel free to call the ticket office for the most up-to-date weather conditions as well as ocean conditions. You can never ask too many questions.

My husband and I were on the Granite State for the...

2009-09-23T13:01:40.411-04:00

My husband and I were on the Granite State for the whale watch today. We had scheduled to go on the 5 Lighthouse Cruise which was canceled, then for Wednesday which was also canceled, so we were very happy to finally be able to board for this particular journey. Then, we left the harbor...those waves were something else! It was all I could do to hang on to the rail and not fall over...I was very glad that I had taken the seasickness pill that were offered at the ticket house. And I was one of the "lucky" ones to receive a full dousing, a few times until I learned my lesson and spent the rest of the trip inside. I know this is not normal and I know that sometimes these things happen, but I must say we were both a little disappointed. I was never afraid for our safety, but we were both very uncomfortable for the rest of the trip. The fin whale lunge feeding was very cool, but I was busy holding on and didn't get to really enjoy it, and certainly didn't get to photograph it. This was such a deviation from our trip out last year when we enjoyed over an hour of having the boat circled by humpbacks and caused us to fall in love with whales. I don't want to discourage anyone from going on whale watches, and I'll go again in a heartbeat. But I tell you, right now I feel like once you have such a tremendous trip as we had last year, it ruins you for future trips, none can compare. I hope next time will disprove my theory. I still love you guys, just wish I'd gone on the Sunday before when the seas were calmer and the sightings were more spectacular.

Thanks very much for a great day. We appreciate a...

2009-09-09T14:05:10.758-04:00

Thanks very much for a great day. We appreciate all the information you provided and enjoyed looking at the wonderful photos you took.

David and Donita

Robin, Thanks for your comment. Glad you enjoyed ...

2009-09-07T17:54:38.895-04:00

Robin,

Thanks for your comment. Glad you enjoyed the trip and hope to see you again soon!

Jen

We have been on several whale watches over the yea...

2009-09-06T22:56:06.482-04:00

We have been on several whale watches over the years and we have to admit this was the most exciting one yet. We saw more whales and more activity than ever. It was nice to have 5 other family members with us who had never had the experience and see the awe on their faces.

Holy cow - right whales? Holy cow. That's awesome!...

2009-09-06T10:27:44.033-04:00

Holy cow - right whales? Holy cow. That's awesome! I hope they stay safe.

I wish I was there on the boat.

Hi Willy! No blue whales yet, but there were a co...

2009-09-05T20:33:43.525-04:00

Hi Willy!

No blue whales yet, but there were a couple of right whales reported this week!

Any sign of a blue whale?

2009-09-04T15:58:19.546-04:00

Any sign of a blue whale?

an awesome experience. it lived up to our expecta...

2009-09-03T23:05:34.020-04:00

an awesome experience. it lived up to our expectations and excitement. the sheer number of dolphins was amazing. the whales were very cooperative. the staff and crew made the trip very special. i highly recommend this trip !

I was glad that we got to see so much!

2009-08-27T16:41:41.602-04:00

I was glad that we got to see so much!

Wow, you got a great picture of that finback barre...

2009-08-23T11:07:24.233-04:00

Wow, you got a great picture of that finback barrell roll!! That was the highlight of the trip for me. I agree that I was apprehensive about yesterdays trip due to the weather on shore. But, inevitably, the Captain was right and the weather out on the water was not only okay, but actually very nice! So glad to have gone and it was great to see Ladder! 'Til next time.

Hi Willy! That sounds like a wonderful name for Cl...

2009-08-21T21:39:31.661-04:00

Hi Willy!
That sounds like a wonderful name for Clipper's calf! I will try to find a Monkey-shaped mark on its tail and suggest that at the next naming meeting!

Clipper's calf is my favorite! I will be calling i...

2009-08-21T11:57:43.403-04:00

Clipper's calf is my favorite! I will be calling it Monkey because it reminds me of Curious George, who is always getting into mischief because he is so curious!

Becky, Thanks for coming. Glad you enjoyed the tr...

2009-08-21T10:39:30.071-04:00

Becky,

Thanks for coming. Glad you enjoyed the trip - it truly has been an amazing season! Hope to see you again soon!

Jen Kennedy

What a fabulous trip! The crew did a great job, bu...

2009-08-21T09:29:54.360-04:00

What a fabulous trip! The crew did a great job, but the whales, porpoises, and dolphins definitely were the stars of the show. We've been on whale watches before, but never one where we saw so many at once or such diversity. I have a photo of Sword breaching as my desktop wallpaper now, and I got a good one of Mudskipper too (he's vertical!).

Thanks for a great and a very informative trip.

Kara, Jerry & Sam

I am so glad you got to see the humpbacks breachin...

2009-08-20T21:52:46.705-04:00

I am so glad you got to see the humpbacks breaching! I saw that Clipper's calf was breaching the other day and that was awesome!

I wish I was there every day with you!

Each time we go on a whale watch it is better than...

2009-08-20T21:29:27.020-04:00

Each time we go on a whale watch it is better than the previous trip. We've seen it all this season - from frisky little harbor porpoises and dolphins to giant breaching humpbacks.

The Prince of Whales is the boat to be on. The crew finds the whales and the passengers are great. Everyone is in awe over the wildlife out there.

This was an amazing day. I have never seen so many...

2009-08-20T19:10:30.121-04:00

This was an amazing day. I have never seen so many whales in one day! I am ready to go back next week. It is amazing to see how the planet's creatures can be so powerful and angelic all in one! I can t say enough..amazing!
-becky
Dover

What a magical day. The whales and dolphins at on...

2009-08-20T12:16:53.076-04:00

What a magical day. The whales and dolphins at one point were everywhere!

It was a great trip! I have been on at several wh...

2009-08-20T12:14:25.905-04:00

It was a great trip! I have been on at several whale watches in the past 15 years, and this one was the most varied.

Good job, crew.

Hello--I was on this whale watch (my 3rd with you ...

2009-08-19T10:51:59.601-04:00

Hello--I was on this whale watch (my 3rd with you this summer but by far the best one for me!!)--it was incredible. To see the playfulness of the baby humpback. And to see the humpback come out of the water with its mouth wide open was a first for me (I caught it in my binoculars). I'm rattling on here so you can tell how much I enjoyed the trip. THANK YOU