Finally, a day out on Jeffreys Ledge without fog! With clear skies and good visibility we headed to the northern portion of the Ledge in search of whale activity. We found lots of activity but the whales seemed to be nowhere in sight. We had Bluefin Tuna splashing at the surface all the way to the Ledge, pelagic birds passing the boat, but still no whales. We ended almost as far north as you can be on Jeffreys Ledge! Thanks to everyone searching the horizon, and a watchful passenger, we found a whale. It was a Fin whale, and a very large one at that!
This animal appeared to be on the move but we soon realized this animal had a bit of a different plan once we came into the area. This whale was constantly turning in every which direction when it would come up from a deeper dive. First it would surface on our left hand side take a few breaths and dive under the water. When it would resurface minutes later behind us, breath, dive down, and then show up in another direction. We were having quite the conundrum predicting where this animal would resurface next. However, after a little patience the whale changed its behavior yet again. The whale surfaced close by and gave our passengers some phenomenal looks as this whale was travelling right along side the boat. We were even able to see its white lower jaw during its surfacing before going down on a deeper dive!
This whale's dorsal fin and small vertical white scar just above the waterline will help in identifying this particular Fin whale
This afternoon we decided to head back to the southern end of Jeffreys Ledge since our morning trip had taken us very far from Rye Harbor and we wanted to try and stay under 30 miles from the Harbor this afternoon. Our first stop was a pod of Atlantic white-sided dolphins. 
About 30-40 of these whales were circling the area, just milling about, and was a nice way to start our whale watch. We pressed on and passed by diving Northern Gannets, 4 species of Shearwaters, and plenty of Bluefin Tuna as we continued our search for marine mammals.
About 30-40 of these whales were circling the area, just milling about, and was a nice way to start our whale watch. We pressed on and passed by diving Northern Gannets, 4 species of Shearwaters, and plenty of Bluefin Tuna as we continued our search for marine mammals. 
A mature Northern GannetWe ended up spending some time with 2 Humpback whales. One of our whales was Siphon's 2009 calf. This whale, as the Prince of Whales made note of in their blog, was seen 2 days ago on the complete opposite end of Jeffreys Ledge! Apparently this whale is literally taking full advantage of the Ledge, as it appears to be seen on either end of this 33-mile underwater feature here in the Gulf of Maine. Amazing!
The second animal which also appeared to be on the smaller size is also a yearling. This whale has just been identified as Lavalier's 2009 calf. 
The very hooked-shaped dorsal fin of Lavalier's 2009 calf
Sometimes a not-so-great picture is enough to help positively identify any whale we see out on Jeffreys Ledge. Such was the case today with this fluke photo!
Two yearlings in one trip! Today was the first time this whale has been seen on Jeffreys Ledge and is an exciting find for all of us aboard our Blue Ocean Society affiliated whale watch boats today. Another whale that has come to feast on Jeffreys!
Where will we go tomorrow? What will we see during our travels? Come and join us and find out as we make our way back to Jeffreys Ledge tomorrow morning!
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