Our morning trip was wonderful. Our first looks at whales was a mother and calf Fin whale pair. These two animals were very slow moving and at one point the calf began to nurse! Did you know a Fin whale calf can gain close to 200lbs a day from the very rich milk its mother provides? That is a lot of weight but necessary for the calf as it needs to bulk up its blubber layer so that these animals can survive in the cold waters of the feeding grounds in the spring and summer.
The Fin whale calf breaking the surface of the water for a breath of air next to its mom
Both mother and calf Fin whale going on a deeper dive
Closer to the Ledge we came across more whales. Both Fin whales and Humpback whales. The interesting part was that all our passengers were treated to another behavior. Both species we were watching were resting at the surface, or just below the surface, of the water! Our Fin whale was hovering just below the surface, almost completely stationary, coming up for a breath only when necessary. Our Humpback pair, Cardhu and Pinball, were resting right on the surface of the water keeping their dorsal fins and back above the waterline the whole time they were relaxing their bodies. 
Pinball and Cardhu
This behavior from any species really gives our passengers the chance to see just how large these amazing animals are as they maintain themselves in the same spot for sometimes long periods of time.
Our other critters this morning included the Humpback whale Filament and her 2010 calf
that also spent some time nursing from its mother's rich, fatty, milk. And of course we cannot forget about Hornbill, a Humpback whale who has yet again been spotted on the Ledge. Glad this whale is continuing to benefit from the productive upwelling currents providing the basis for massive amounts of food to be eaten.
that also spent some time nursing from its mother's rich, fatty, milk. And of course we cannot forget about Hornbill, a Humpback whale who has yet again been spotted on the Ledge. Glad this whale is continuing to benefit from the productive upwelling currents providing the basis for massive amounts of food to be eaten.Our afternoon trip started with a great look at a Fin whale 
before making our way back to the Ledge. Our course was slightly diverted for a moment when we came across a Basking Shark. This fish was at the surface just about the entire time we spent with it, giving our passengers a chance to look at the 2nd largest shark in the world, on either side of the boat. It was not long before we were back underway and beginning to see spouts from whales in the distance. Little did we know what we were getting ourselves into.
before making our way back to the Ledge. Our course was slightly diverted for a moment when we came across a Basking Shark. This fish was at the surface just about the entire time we spent with it, giving our passengers a chance to look at the 2nd largest shark in the world, on either side of the boat. It was not long before we were back underway and beginning to see spouts from whales in the distance. Little did we know what we were getting ourselves into.We first stopped on a pair of large Fin whales on the move together. 
With a short time a the surface and seeing more activity close by we got a look and then....wow! Suddenly we had whales anywhere you looked. And not just one species. We had 3 different types of whales in every direction around the boat! First we had a pod of Atlantic white-sided dolphins that were just milling about taking a moment at one point to swim by and around a large Humpback whale before moving on. With such incredible conditions, it was a delight to watch these dolphins swim right around the boat and circle back again staying in the same vicinity as the Humpback! 
But that wasn't the only thing to be looking at. In the area we had 3 different adult Humpback whales, at least 2 more Fin whales and even a Minke whale that surfaced a few times. Our Humpback whales included Cardhu, Pinball and Hornbill all by themselves, yet all still circling the area. A few times it was even tough to keep your eyes in just one spot. Whales would surface, tails were being seen, and dolphins were jumping out of the water.
With a short time a the surface and seeing more activity close by we got a look and then....wow! Suddenly we had whales anywhere you looked. And not just one species. We had 3 different types of whales in every direction around the boat! First we had a pod of Atlantic white-sided dolphins that were just milling about taking a moment at one point to swim by and around a large Humpback whale before moving on. With such incredible conditions, it was a delight to watch these dolphins swim right around the boat and circle back again staying in the same vicinity as the Humpback! But that wasn't the only thing to be looking at. In the area we had 3 different adult Humpback whales, at least 2 more Fin whales and even a Minke whale that surfaced a few times. Our Humpback whales included Cardhu, Pinball and Hornbill all by themselves, yet all still circling the area. A few times it was even tough to keep your eyes in just one spot. Whales would surface, tails were being seen, and dolphins were jumping out of the water. To add to the excitement of the whales, the birds were taking full advantage of the productive area as well. We saw hundreds of Wilson's Storm Petrels "dancing" on the water, picking up plankton with their feet as well as lots of Shearwaters circling the area waiting for small schooling fish to be forced upwards to the surface from all the whales below. After getting some looks at our whales we saw even more blows off in the distance and decided to go check them out! A great idea not only to get a chance to see some other whales but to find out just which individuals had come to feast on all the food.
Turns out we found more Humpback whales! The first pair we came across was Leukos and her 2010 calf! While Leukos has been seen by researchers here in the Gulf of Maine already this summer it was great to get a chance to see her with her calf.
Leukos at the surface while her calf rolls on its back exposing its bright white pectoral fin and portion of its tail above the surface of the water
We saw this animal a few times during our 2009 whale watching season, which means the whole time she was on Jeffreys Ledge Leukos was pregnant with her now free swimming calf!
Before long another pair of exhalations were sighted and we were off again! This pair of whales were identified as Grackle and Fracture.
These two whales are both adults as Fracture was born in 1990 (20yrs old!) and Grackle was born in 1997(13yrs old!) A few times this pair surfaced simultaneously in front of the boat as we sat with our engines off over a good patch of bait (thanks to our fish-finder on board!) giving us some incredible looks at these large adult whales. Soon it was time to go and head for home, but we weren't done with whales yet! Another Humpback whale surfaced close by as we began heading back to Rye Harbor. With no time to stop, thanks to a few clicks of a camera and the whale going on a deeper dive, we captured it's tail and recently identified this whale as the Humpback whale Lavalier. 
This whale is actually an animal none of us aboard the Granite State have ever gotten a chance to see in person and are thrilled to have gotten the moment to capture this whale on Jeffreys Ledge! What a great way to end an already wonderful day out on the water.
Before long another pair of exhalations were sighted and we were off again! This pair of whales were identified as Grackle and Fracture.
These two whales are both adults as Fracture was born in 1990 (20yrs old!) and Grackle was born in 1997(13yrs old!) A few times this pair surfaced simultaneously in front of the boat as we sat with our engines off over a good patch of bait (thanks to our fish-finder on board!) giving us some incredible looks at these large adult whales. Soon it was time to go and head for home, but we weren't done with whales yet! Another Humpback whale surfaced close by as we began heading back to Rye Harbor. With no time to stop, thanks to a few clicks of a camera and the whale going on a deeper dive, we captured it's tail and recently identified this whale as the Humpback whale Lavalier. This whale is actually an animal none of us aboard the Granite State have ever gotten a chance to see in person and are thrilled to have gotten the moment to capture this whale on Jeffreys Ledge! What a great way to end an already wonderful day out on the water.Great whales, passengers, and an extra thanks to our Blue Ocean Society interns on board today! Michelle, Reagan and Heather were a huge asset during today's trips. Answering questions and collecting lots of data was at times a bit hectic with all the animals we sighted. With these girls literally recording every action of these animals (down to the second!) of all that we were watching today I appreciate all the hard work and focus that was required. Keep up the great work!
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2 comments:
Melanie, thank-you for the detailed account of our trip. We saw so many whales it was impossible to remember and keep up. You, Heather and the crew did a great job, it was truly a memorable experience. The posted photos are fantastic. Everything about the trip is very much appreciated.
Tim and Jen, THANK YOU! It was a bit of a crazy day and I am glad you both can look back through the these pictures and recall what a great day it was out there. Thanks for the feedback as I will be sure to pass along your comments to the Granite State crew and our Blue Ocean intern, Heather.
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