June 18 on the Granite State

Our trip started with 3 different Minke whales as we made our way towards Jeffreys Ledge today. With some great “whale spotters” on the front of the boat we were able to spend some time with a couple of these whales as they circled around the area. These whales were spending much of their time on the surface of the water which allowed all of us on board to check out these 20-30ft creatures.

Our next sighting was much larger than our Minke whales. We found an adult Fin whale, an animal about 3X’s larger than a Minke whale! It did not take long to identify this particular whale mainly due to a unique marking on the left side of this whale. It was Loon.

Loon’s distinctive marking resembling the profile of a bird with a fish in its mouth

Loon was a whale first seen in the Gulf of Maine in 1985. That means this whale is at least 25 years old! Our Blue Ocean Society researchers have seen this whale multiple times on Jeffreys Ledge, but it has been 3 years since it was last documented in this area. Perhaps even more impressive is that since our last sighting in 2007 this whale had been reported as having a run-in with a vessel. With limited knowledge of the accident and no documentation of the animal’s status after the incident we were all unaware of what may have happened to this animal. Not only were we thrilled to have this whale back on the Ledge today, we were also able to see, and photograph, some new scars found on this animal. While scars help us to individual identify whales in the ocean it is also a sad realization of what these animals face on a daily basis.

Whales are constantly on the move, whether searching for food or travelling great distances, and become subject to vessel interactions wherever they may be. Vessels of all shapes and sizes are dangerous to whales as a propeller, or even a keel, can literally leave a mark on a whale. Ship strikes are one of the main threats to whales in the 21st century (fishing gear is the other major threat) and can cause excessive bleeding, infections at the point of impact, or injuries to bones and organs…all of which could ultimately lead to death. To be witness to a whale that has overcome all these obstacles and is still swimming in our waters today is impressive and humbling all in the same moment.

In regards to the research aspect of this whale we are thankful to have captured these new scars in photographs. We can now begin to monitor what looks to be healthy skin healing over the impressions left by a boat.

A new vertical scar, and indentation, in front of Loon’s dorsal fin

We have also noticed that this whale is missing a section of it’s dorsal fin as compared to previous photographs taken in 2007. These updated images will continue to help us identify this whale if we do get a chance to see this animal on Jeffreys Ledge again in the future.

With a very important sighting for the research aspect of the Blue Ocean Society, and an exciting finding for the crew, we aboard the Granite State still had a bit more time to explore the area. It was not long before we found yet another species of whale. We came across a Humpback whale. This whale was travelling for a bit before slowing down to make a few big circles in one area, and then pick up speed again, as it continued on its way. We are still in the works of identifying this Humpback whale but hope to have a match for all of you soon!

As we always enjoy finding animals for all to watch during our whale watches it is important to note that all of our great captains make sure to take precautions while in close proximity of these massive creatures. We are visitors to the water world of the whales during each and every trip to Jeffreys Ledge. While whales and humans have the ability to live and work side by side it remains a very fine line that can sometimes become unbalanced. It is the watchful eyes of those on the water that help to maintain this balance so that we can all hopefully continue to share the in wonders of the incredible creatures that call the ocean home.


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