Today on the Prince of Whales, we braved choppy seas and found at least 5-6 fin whales and a couple of minke whales in the 500-foot deep water just to the west of Jeffreys Ledge. To our surprise, a calf surfaced with no adult whale in sight, at least for a few minutes. Then the calf rejoined its mother and began nursing- alternating which side of the mother it surfaced on while getting a mouthful of milk below her. Fin whale calves can drink up to 50 gallons of milk per day! This was the first mother/calf pair of fin whales seen this season! Check out that bright white lower jaw!
We also recognized an old friend, fin whale #9618- a whale we've been following since 1996, and who has been seen by other researchers since 1984!
Join us next weekend for another day on the water and help us find more whales!
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