June 20 on the Granite State

As I know I am a little late in posting our trips from Sunday it was a wonderful day and one definitely worth sharing.

I always find it so intriguing how in just a few short hours life on Jeffreys Ledge can change. Our morning trip was all about the birds but we were lucky enough to have a chance to search for whales before returning back to Rye Harbor. Our searching paid off as we found 2 Fin whales in close association with each other. This pair turned out to be Ladder and the same "friend" from the day before.

Ladder pictured above and the other Fin whale below

Almost 18hrs later and these two whales were still in close company! Of course perhaps overnight these whales split off and had only recently reunited, maybe they were together the whole time, what really happened during those 18hrs? Why we may never know all the answers, what we do know, and see, is recorded on data sheets (thanks to the Blue Ocean Society's dedicated interns!) so we can hopefully continue to gain insight into the lives of these water-dwelling mammals.

The afternoon continued to expand our research efforts as we yet again saw whales but the majority of them were different from what we had seen during the morning hours out on the ocean. While we did spend some time with Doric, the Humpback whale, we also got a chance to watch 2 more Fin whales moving together. These Fin whales were a different pair from the morning, and yet not that far from where we had spent time with Ladder and friend just a few short hours ago!

The dorsal fin of one of our Fin whales. Note the scarring on the tail stock of this animal which is also present in the second photo. Those scars will definitely help in the identification process of this whale!

Though I have not yet had the chance to attempt to match this travelling pair, where did they come from, how long had they been together, how long would they continue moving with each other? Our trips out to Jeffreys Ledge gives our researchers and enthusiastic passengers the slightest glimpse into the world of whales. To be lucky enough to see one whale, let alone 2 of the largest in the world surface right alongside the boat together, is quite the jaw-dropping experience. While we hope all will continue to enjoy these gigantic creatures day in and day out, each surfacing of any whale is a step towards learning more about these mammals in the sea.

Stay tuned as Beth will be updating everyone about today's trip!

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