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| Fin Whale |
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| Dyad |
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| Dyad |
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| Pinball and Calf |
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| Pinball's calf''s flipper and fluke |
Thanks to everyone who joined us today!
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| Pinball |
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Monday, July 9, 2012
July 9 Atlantic Queen Trip
Wow, it was a beautiful day on the ocean!
We had great sightings today - starting with a fin whale, who had a large, hooked dorsal fin. These huge, graceful animals are my favorite species to watch. But there were lots of other things to see today - there were several minke whales near the fin whale, and we got great looks at one of them, and even got a chance to see the "minke mittens" - the white patches on its flippers!
We then headed further offshore to find Dyad, a female humpback first sighted in 1987. Dyad didn't spend much time at the surface, but we got great looks at her flukes every time she dove down, and were treated to the always interesting sighting of whale poo- a sure sign that she was feeding!
With a little time left, we headed further offshore to find one of my favorite humpbacks - the adoptable whale Pinball and her calf - the sixth calf she has had!
We got great looks at this pair, and toward the end of the trip, the calf even rolled over on its side and we got a look at its flipper!
All in all, a terrific day. Thanks to the ladies on board for suggesting we name Pinball's calf Wizard - glad you're thinking, and wish there wasn't already a Wizard so I could suggest it for you! And thanks also to the girl who asked so many great questions - I'm sorry I didn't get your name, but found an interesting timeline on whale evolution that you can check out here!
Thanks to everyone who joined us today!
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Thanks to everyone who joined us today!
Keep in touch! Become a Fan on Facebook || Follow Us On Twitter
Prince of Whales July 9 2012
Grand slam today on the ledge. We started the day with a small pod of dolphin, only about 4 in the pod, 2 moms and 2 calves. They were exciting to see but they had other plans, they only gave us a few looks and then they were off. We continued on our journey and found a humpback whale, Ebony.
Ebony is a female humpback who was first seen in 1980/81. She had her first calf in 1983. Since then she has a total of 9 calves!
Our data shows she has not been seen with a calf since 2007. We also had 4 fin whales and 5 minke whales. They were all together then they were all gone, searching for some breakfast.
The seas were calm, the breeze kept us cool and the whales were wonderful. Safe travels to our passengers heading back to Texas and Colorado! Congratulations to Evan from Waterford CT who won our raffle today, "Stripes" Each day keeps getting better come on out and see us and some amazing whales!
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| One of our dolphin surfing in our wake |
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| Ebony's dorsal with a large scar |
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| Ebony's fluke |
Our data shows she has not been seen with a calf since 2007. We also had 4 fin whales and 5 minke whales. They were all together then they were all gone, searching for some breakfast.
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| A fin whale demonstrating a "close to boat" |
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July 8 Atlantic Queen
The best trip of the 2012 season by far! We started our exploration out to Jeffreys Ledge, and within 5 miles of shore we had our first minke whale sighting! It's always so exciting to start seeing whales so early in the trip. After spending a little time with this particular whale we decided to continue on in our search for some larger species out on the ledge.
It's a good thing we continued because after another 10 miles or so we came across a very special treat. Pinball and her 6th calf of the season were in the area. This was my first calf sighting of the 2012 season, and it never seems to get old. Mom and calf were doing well, and giving the passengers on the boat quite the performance. We were even able to see the new calf lift its tail up out of the water. Not an easy task for a newly born whale, but what a treat! I'm sure the passengers were able to hear the excitement in my voice.
Not long after seeing Pinball and calf, a third humpback came into the area. At this point we were treated to some very close to boat behaviors by all three of our humpback whales. Some of the surfacings even surprised the crew!
Meanwhile we saw 11 different minke whale sightings. A few times we were able to see the minke mittens--or white patches on the minke pectoral fins--just under the surface of the water. Finally we found Halfmoon a little further to the east.
This male humpback has been hanging out in the same general area for a few days, and we hope that he sticks around! Thank you to everyone who joined us on the Atlantic Queen yesterday. We had a great trip and hope to see you soon!
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Meanwhile we saw 11 different minke whale sightings. A few times we were able to see the minke mittens--or white patches on the minke pectoral fins--just under the surface of the water. Finally we found Halfmoon a little further to the east.
This male humpback has been hanging out in the same general area for a few days, and we hope that he sticks around! Thank you to everyone who joined us on the Atlantic Queen yesterday. We had a great trip and hope to see you soon!
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Sunday, July 8, 2012
July 8 Granite State
How long can this beautiful weather last??? We are definitely enjoying the serene world out on the ocean as the seas continued to remain calm and temperatures were just about perfect today. This morning's trip started out inshore of Jeffreys Ledge when we saw a bunch of splashing. It was a pod of Atlantic white-sided dolphins!
Just beyond the dolphins we also watched a Minke whale lunging through the water multiple times! The dolphins were on the move but almost always continued to remain just behind where our Minke whale was surfacing. What a great way to start the day.
Once on Jeffreys Ledge the whales continued to showcase their splendor. We came into an area where we had 2 pairs of whales. Two Fin whales were moving through the water together and nearby we had two Humpback whales doing the same! The Fin whales split apart soon after we eased our way into the area and soon realized one of the Fin whale pair was good old Ladder. Ladder and its Fin whale "friends," always in close proximity to one of its kind! Eventually we ventured over towards the Humpback whale pair.
Today we saw Halfmoon associated with another adult whale, Doric! We sighted Doric on Jeffreys Ledge a couple of years ago but today was the first time this whale made its presence known for the 2012 season. Great to see you again Doric!
Before heading for home we also got the chance to see a few more Fin whales, including Dingle, and one other Humpback whale.
Dyad the Humpback was still meandering around the Ledge and got some very nice looks before turning for home. However, before too long we spotted more splashing. With a very quick look (we were running late to begin with!) we got the chance to spend a couple minutes with another group of Atlantic white-sided dolphins. Nothing like starting the day with a group of 40 dolphins to ending the trip with a group of ~50!
This afternoon we were back on the flat-calm seas in search of more whale activity. We ended up getting the chance to see, and spend time with, 4 Humpback whales this afternoon as almost all of them were creating bubble clouds. Looks like we came into the area when it was time for the whales to get some afternoon food. We first started with Dyad and got some wonderful looks at this whale before seeing another species just out in the distance.
We also got the chance to see one of the second largest animals on the planet for a couple of surfacings all the while having Dyad just out in the distance continuing to surface every couple of minutes. This Fin whale gave us a great look at its massive size before we were off again to check out some of the other spouts we were seeing just a bit away.
Our next stop was a pair of Humpback whales. Pinball and her calf were spending the afternoon near all the other whale activity and so we got the chance to spend time with Mom and her "little" calf.
A calf is not so "little" when we twice watched this pair surface and turn right in towards the boat! Pinball and her calf swam right under the boat before returning back up on the other side but leaving all of us in awe at just how incredibly majestic these mammals can be. Oh, and have no fear as always we have our engines shut off ANY time a whale decides to move in towards the direction of us!
The water was so calm we even saw a disturbance on the water of a lone fish while out with all the whales.
The day ended with one last Humpback whale. Doric was swimming along on its own, having separated from Halfmoon at some point this afternoon for whatever reason known only to them. This whale was just circling around and gave us all some great last looks before heading back to Rye Harbor.
We continue to have first-time whale watchers and experienced whale spotters each and every day so wherever you fit into the spectrum feel free to come join us anytime and see what we may experience in the future out on Jeffreys Ledge!
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| Atlantic white-sided dolphins creating quite the white water! |
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| White-sided dolphin |
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| Two species snapshot: Ladder the Fin whale in the background while Halfmoon the Humpback whale surfaces for a breath of air! |
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| Halfmoon's tail and Doric taking a breath |
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| Doric |
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| Dingle the Fin whale |
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| Dyad the Humpback whale |
This afternoon we were back on the flat-calm seas in search of more whale activity. We ended up getting the chance to see, and spend time with, 4 Humpback whales this afternoon as almost all of them were creating bubble clouds. Looks like we came into the area when it was time for the whales to get some afternoon food. We first started with Dyad and got some wonderful looks at this whale before seeing another species just out in the distance.
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| Dyad |
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| Fin whale surfacing |
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| Deeper dive for our Fin whale |
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| Pinball and her calf' (dorsal fin above the surface) just next to her |
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| The "Big-winged New Englander" (aka. Pinball) swimming right in toward us |
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| Pinball diving next to the boat |
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| Small fish probably attempting to avoid any large whale mouth in the area! |
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| It was so clam this critter was creating its own ripples on the water! |
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| Doric |
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July 8 Prince of Whales
Perfect day of whale watching! So many species, so little time! Today was a day I wished we could have stayed out until well past sunset. The whales, though spread out, were plentiful. In total, we saw 6 fin whales, 5 humpbacks (including a mom/calf pair), 4 minkes and 2 harbor seals! I think we passed by a basking shark too! Did I mention the weather was absolutely perfect too??
We started with a little minke- literally- it was smaller than most. We kept going to get up on the Ledge. There we spotted a blow a few miles ahead. Then we saw blow after blow. The spouts were multiplying! We came upon a fin whale, #0718, and also saw another fin whale about a half mile away. Minkes were around too!
From there, we found another fin whale. I was a bit perplexed at first. This was #9904, the mom we had seen yesterday. But today the calf was no where to be found. This isn't completely uncommon as fin whale calves tend to stray for over an hour and over a mile away from time to time. And 9904 was very busy feeding so I can see why the calf went exploring. Hopefully soon after we left, the pair reunited. We will keep a sharp eye out for them in the coming days.
After leaving the fin whales, we moved over to see a couple humpbacks. The first 2 were on the move and we only got glances but then we saw Pinball and her calf! Yea! Pinball, and adoptable whale, was awesome and her calf was a little wiggly- maybe wanting to nurse while mom was busy feeding.
A little harbor seal pup joined the fun for a bit as well!
Leaving Pinball, we found humpback whale Halfmoon in the near distance. Soon it was time to head home but we couldn't be done whale watching before a quick pass by Fin whale # 9723 and Dyad, another humpback!
Thanks to our amazing curious passengers today! You were great! And thanks for supporting Blue Ocean Society!
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We started with a little minke- literally- it was smaller than most. We kept going to get up on the Ledge. There we spotted a blow a few miles ahead. Then we saw blow after blow. The spouts were multiplying! We came upon a fin whale, #0718, and also saw another fin whale about a half mile away. Minkes were around too!
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| Fin whale #0718 chevron |
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| Fin whale #0718 |
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| Fin whale Mom #9904 |
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| Pinball, the humpback whale mom |
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| Pinball and her calf |
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| Seal pup |
Leaving Pinball, we found humpback whale Halfmoon in the near distance. Soon it was time to head home but we couldn't be done whale watching before a quick pass by Fin whale # 9723 and Dyad, another humpback!
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| Halfmoon, the humpback |
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| Fin whale #9723 |
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| Distant look at Dyad! |
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Saturday, July 7, 2012
July 7 Granite State
Jeffreys Ledge was once again the place to be today! The ocean was perfect (again!) and the whales were certainly making their presence known. This morning alone we sighted 20 whales! The breakdown included 8 Minke whales, 9 Fin whales, and 3 Humpback whales.
Upon the journey towards Jeffreys Ledge this morning we spotted a few Minke whales pointing them out to all on board as we wanted to get a bit further offshore to search for other Minke whales and other species closer to the Ledge. Once again our fishing boat friends passed along a sighting report to us and slightly altered course after being informed of a couple Fin whales not far from where we were originally were planning to start our search this morning. To our delight we came across a Fin whale mother and her calf!
As I type our incredible Fin whale ID-Master is attempting to match up our mom to a whale we've seen out on Jeffreys Ledge in the past but so far all is quiet. This potentially could be not only a new Fin whale to be seen on Jeffreys Ledge, it is also a now-known female since she was sighted swimming along with her calf whom was just born this past winter! We are always so excited to see new "life" out on the water, especially from Fin whales as many times these mammals seem to not get the appreciation they deserve as being one of the largest creatures on this planet! It was spectacular to watch these two whales meander through the water with such grace. With some great looks we continued on to more reports of whales nearby.
What did we happen to come across next??? Another mother/calf pair!!! This time it was a different species; we were about to spend some time with a Humpback whale pair! One quick look at Mom and we knew we had come across Pinball and her calf again!!!
We last saw these two whales June 23 (two weeks ago to the day!!!) and were very excited to have these animals once again nearby to watch them go about their day!
With some nice looks at our pair, a few Minke whales in the area, and even 2 other Fin whales out in the distance, we had a bit more time to explore more of Jeffreys Ledge before heading home.
Our next stop was an area where our friends aboard the Prince of Whales had been shortly before. We came into an area where there were whales everywhere. It was a bit of "whale pandemonium!" Minke whales kept surfacing every which way, we had 3 Fin whales cruising here and there, and a Humpback whale making bubble clouds in the middle of it all! Anywhere you looked there were whales. We are able to identify a few of the animals circling about including Dyad the Humpback whale, another Fin whale mother/calf pair(!!!) #9904 and calf, and potentially even Fin whale #0635! What a way to end a trip.
This afternoon it wasn't a difficult decision to head back to where we had seen so much activity only hours before. On our way out we too saw a few Minke whales before hearing of multiple whales from our friends aboard the Atlantic Queen just a few miles from where we were planning on going. We ended up coming into an area where there were 4 Humpback whale and a few more Minke whales scattered around the area! We got the chance to spend a bit of time with Dyad the Humpback whale once again before venturing on towards Pinball and her calf, both of which had moved a bit from where we had sighted them during our morning trip!
And let us not forget about Halfmoon the humpback whale who was also swimming nearby as we spent time watching all these whales.
With a quick look at the fish finder we knew why all these whales were close by. There was PLENTY of food in the water! The few snapshots I captured showcase the depth of the water (# in the lower right-hand corner) and the high concentration of food scattered throughout the water column!
Our final familiar animal for the day turned out to be one of our many Minke whales we sighted during our day today. I know this photo is a bit tricky to understand but this Minke whale is currently going on a deeper dive (directly away from us) but if you look closely it has a propeller wound on its back. An unfortunate event of interacting with a boat in the past has caused this whale to bear such scars from the interaction but luckily has been able to survive such the ordeal. Great to see "Scar Minke" once again on Jeffreys Ledge as many a "whalehead" knows this animal quite well on Jeffreys Ledge.
Who knows if these whales will be anywhere near the area where they were seen today but we know we are all looking forward to seeing what may be out there again in the morning! Congratulations to all of our first-time whale watchers today! It was a wonderful day to be on the water seeing whales for your first time (or Birthday celebrations, or returning faces!) as we hope the whales were able to leave quite the imprint in your memory today!
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Upon the journey towards Jeffreys Ledge this morning we spotted a few Minke whales pointing them out to all on board as we wanted to get a bit further offshore to search for other Minke whales and other species closer to the Ledge. Once again our fishing boat friends passed along a sighting report to us and slightly altered course after being informed of a couple Fin whales not far from where we were originally were planning to start our search this morning. To our delight we came across a Fin whale mother and her calf!
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| Fin whale mother and calf pair going on a deeper dive |
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| Currently unidentified female Fin whale mom but still exciting to see her and her calf on Jeffreys! |
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| Fin whale calf! |
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| Pinball and her calf getting some fresh air |
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| Pinball's tail and her calf's dorsal fin |
Our next stop was an area where our friends aboard the Prince of Whales had been shortly before. We came into an area where there were whales everywhere. It was a bit of "whale pandemonium!" Minke whales kept surfacing every which way, we had 3 Fin whales cruising here and there, and a Humpback whale making bubble clouds in the middle of it all! Anywhere you looked there were whales. We are able to identify a few of the animals circling about including Dyad the Humpback whale, another Fin whale mother/calf pair(!!!) #9904 and calf, and potentially even Fin whale #0635! What a way to end a trip.
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| Dyad's back and dorsal fin |
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| Dyad the Humpback whale |
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| Pinball and her calf giving our passengers a great look as the two whales swim across our bow |
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| Pinball and her calf going on a deeper dive |
With a quick look at the fish finder we knew why all these whales were close by. There was PLENTY of food in the water! The few snapshots I captured showcase the depth of the water (# in the lower right-hand corner) and the high concentration of food scattered throughout the water column!
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| Lots of fish swimming around towards the bottom of the 194ft of ocean we were in! |
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| This portion of the ocean contains plenty of fish starting from ~50ft below the surface of the water pretty much straight down to the bottom at 188ft underneath us! |
Our final familiar animal for the day turned out to be one of our many Minke whales we sighted during our day today. I know this photo is a bit tricky to understand but this Minke whale is currently going on a deeper dive (directly away from us) but if you look closely it has a propeller wound on its back. An unfortunate event of interacting with a boat in the past has caused this whale to bear such scars from the interaction but luckily has been able to survive such the ordeal. Great to see "Scar Minke" once again on Jeffreys Ledge as many a "whalehead" knows this animal quite well on Jeffreys Ledge.
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| Scar Minke is still going strong! |
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