July 24 on the Granite State

Today was another day of searching. Not only did we travel almost 30 miles from Rye Harbor this morning, we also had patchy fog to deal with, creating a bit more of a challenge when it comes to finding whales. Our passengers were very, very, patient as we traveled to areas of Jeffreys Ledge and beyond in search of whales. We however were not the only ones searching for signs of whales this morning. Multiple whale watching boats were scouring the region and coming up short as the whales we have recently been seeing had apparently all moved elsewhere.

Whales swim to areas of the Gulf of Maine in the summertime to spend months feeding on the plentiful food found on the feeding grounds, all thanks to upwelling currents at the bottom of the ocean. These massive beasts require so much food every single day that these whales must constantly be in search of large concentrations of food (schooling fish and/or krill) in order to survive the season. Today was a prime example of the fact that these whales can easily move in, and out, of areas of the Gulf of Maine at any point of time! Whales that have been seen over the past few days were gone. Gone from areas where they have been spending their time, and gone from any areas relatively close by. Whales are wild animals and while sometimes we get used to the fact that they may spend a few days (sometimes even weeks!) in the same area, all that can change in a matter of hours. So was the case today.

Whale watching vessels scoured the area for signs of life and eventually we were lucky enough to get a chance to see one. While we did see one whale breach in the distance, at one point this morning, we were unable to relocate this whale for all to see. Communicating with some of the other vessels in the area we were able to get a great look at a Fin whale this morning. While we may not have spent a long time with this whale due to our major searching efforts throughout the whole morning and the distance we travelled from Rye Harbor, we did get an amazing look. The whale surfaced right alongside the boat surfacing for a few breaths before going on a deeper dive. It was a great sight to see after spending so much time searching the horizon for whales.

A close up look at the dorsal fin of our Fin whale. The unique shape and indentations of this dorsal fin is what we use to individually identify Fin whales from each other

As we headed back out for our afternoon trip we were excited to hear a report of a whale much closer to where we have been travelling recently. Again, multiple whale watching vessels began to survey the area but we all were coming up empty-handed. As we picked up some speed to go search some other areas of Jeffreys Ledge, before too long we saw a whale spout!

It was a Fin whale. We got some fantastic looks at this animal as it continuously moved in a steady direction through the area. While spending time in the area, we saw a few Bluefin Tuna splashing at the surface and then out of the corner of our eyes, we saw something else. It was an Ocean Sunfish. These fish are the largest bony fish in the world and can reach lengths of 11ft long! While this particular fish was not that large, it was still a sight to see as this critter swam all around the boat to showcase just how bizarre looking these fish truly are for all on board!

It was a day of patience and some very dedicated marine "spotters" that made today a success. Thanks to all of our great passengers who continued to look for life throughout the whole trip today. Whales and marine life really can be spotted at any point of time during our travels!



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