Happy wet whale watch passengersCalm seas greeted us this morning as we left the Merrimack River and entered the Gulf of Maine. Cruising out to the southern end of Jeffreys Ledge, we first found a wiggly minke whale. This 30 foot whale was surfacing frequently, but not staying up for more than a couple breaths. Even so, we all got several great looks at this little speed racer.
We continued on to an area that is known by local fishermen as the "sand eel hole". We heard reports from the previous day of some whale activity here. As we approached, the rain and wind picked up, reducing our visibility. We were becoming discouraged by the lack of whales, but then Captain Billy spotted a blow through the rain-splattered windows. One blow turned into two. Two humpback whales- our first of the season- surfaced!
I have to give our hearty passengers credit- they were out on the bow and on the upper deck, moving from side to side to get looks at these hungry whales, all the while getting soaked by the blowing rain. These two humpback whales were obviously not minding the rain. Surfacing nearly every two minutes, we easily stayed with the pair as they were feeding and slowly moving to the northwest. One whale lifted its tail often, while the other was a little more shy.
Identifying these whales has proven to be a challenge. After a couple of hours of scouring our catalogs and on-line resources, one whale has been identified. The whale that repeatedly lifted its tail is the 2009 calf of Sickle! Sickle herself is a regular visitor and was seen by herself a few weeks ago on the northern part of the ledge so I am happy to see that her calf from last year has survived and is doing well. Being a year old now and returning to the feeding area on its own, this whale will now be given a name next spring. Any suggestions??
We continued on to an area that is known by local fishermen as the "sand eel hole". We heard reports from the previous day of some whale activity here. As we approached, the rain and wind picked up, reducing our visibility. We were becoming discouraged by the lack of whales, but then Captain Billy spotted a blow through the rain-splattered windows. One blow turned into two. Two humpback whales- our first of the season- surfaced!
I have to give our hearty passengers credit- they were out on the bow and on the upper deck, moving from side to side to get looks at these hungry whales, all the while getting soaked by the blowing rain. These two humpback whales were obviously not minding the rain. Surfacing nearly every two minutes, we easily stayed with the pair as they were feeding and slowly moving to the northwest. One whale lifted its tail often, while the other was a little more shy.
Identifying these whales has proven to be a challenge. After a couple of hours of scouring our catalogs and on-line resources, one whale has been identified. The whale that repeatedly lifted its tail is the 2009 calf of Sickle! Sickle herself is a regular visitor and was seen by herself a few weeks ago on the northern part of the ledge so I am happy to see that her calf from last year has survived and is doing well. Being a year old now and returning to the feeding area on its own, this whale will now be given a name next spring. Any suggestions??
Sickle's 2009 calfThis whale's friend is still a mystery, though it was seen yesterday in the same area. It could be a new animal that has yet to be documented by other whale researchers! If this is the case, it will also be given a name next spring!
****UPDATE***
This whale was just identified as Striation! Striation was born in 2007 to Pepper, one of the first humpback whales to ever be named!
Dorsal fin of Striation!
Sickle's 2009 calf and StriationOverall, a wonderful day on the ledge in spite of the rain and wind. Thanks to the Perkins School for coming along and sharing your fascination and excitement for whales with us! And thanks to everyone else for understanding Mother Nature and being prepared for all she has to show us! I can't recall a trip where all of our passengers were happy to be watching whales in the rain!
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2 comments:
Thank you for a fabulous experience my kids will never forget! My 8 year old (one of the soggy kids running from side to side) commented "This is SO MUCH better than an aquarium!!" If we could make naturalists of them all, imagine how the world could change.... Visitors from Chicago, IL.
Thank you to our visitors from Chicago! Your comment made me smile. I am happy to hear that your family had a great experience watching whales in the wild!
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