July 20 on the Granite State

The ocean was gorgeous today! We had a little bit of an ocean breeze this morning but that helped to keep our passengers cool especially in comparison to the hot and humid temperatures that have been holding steady on land. It was a bit of a ride to the whales but we ended up finding a Fin whale and a Humpback whale relatively close by to each other this morning.

Our Fin whale going on a deeper dive

After a few good looks at our Fin whale circling the area, we made our way over to the Humpback whale. It turned out to be our familiar "friend," Hornbill!
This whale has been one of the most often seen animals so far this season. For a while, we were seeing Hornbill at least a few times a week as this whale made its way along Jeffreys Ledge in search of food. He (we are guessing Hornbill is a male: first seen in 1977 and never with a calf!) was becoming a regular sighting on our whale watches. Well, just as we were getting used to finding him in different sections the of Ledge, he disappeared. Today was the first time in 12 days that we got another glimpse of this animal. Did he leave the Ledge? Was he just winning in a REALLY good game of Hide-And-Seek with the whale watching boats on Jeffreys Ledge? Did he venture to other feeding grounds in the Gulf of Maine? While we may not know where this whale did (or did not) go, we do know he is back on the Ledge!

During our ride back to Rye Harbor this morning we ended up getting back a little later than expected when we came across a pod of Atlantic white-sided dolphins. We couldn't resist to stop and take a quick look which no one aboard the boat seemed to mind either!

The weather continued to get even better this afternoon. While the cool breeze may have died down, the lack of wind allowed the ocean to become almost lake-like conditions. Glassy calm seas definitely worked to our benefit when we ended up coming across 3 different Blue Sharks this afternoon! Our first sightings of a Blue Shark for us on the Granite State this season, and something a little different as we made our way back to the Ledge this afternoon.

We spent time with two other rather familiar whales this afternoon as we came across Diablo and her calf. The calf seemed to provide the entertainment for all of us today while we got a chance to watch this pair. The calf at times was rolling over on its side, lifting its flipper into the air, and becoming "belly up" a few times.

The calf's white flipper and part of its tail out of the water as this whale rolls over!

Not only did this whale do this behavior multiple times, it also poked its head out of the water during a couple surfacings as well. The real excitement was when this animal raised its tail for all of us aboard the boat, showcasing the unique black and white pigmentation pattern it possesses on the underside of this whale's tail.

Diablo's 2010 calf's tail pattern

Often times we do not get a chance to see the pigmentation pattern of a calf's tail as this behavior is a learned behavior, something taught between the mother and it's calf, a technique that needs practice before being able to master this ability. As we all know, learning something new can take time, and lots of practice, until a successful attempt is accomplished! It appears that the same situation may be true with mammals in the ocean too!

Again on our ride back in today, we spent a few minutes with a pod of Atlantic white-sided dolphins before continuing back to Rye Harbor. Great sightings and great passengers made today another successful and spectacular day out on the ocean!


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