August 14 - Prince of Whales- Newburyport

Oh, what a beautiful morning! Calm seas, clear skies and lots of whales! After crossing the increasingly shallow river mouth at low tide this morning (with a whopping 2 feet of water under our hull to spare) we found several fin whales near Jeffreys Ledge. We spent time with 3 of them though a few more were seen further out. One of these whale I have identified as fin whale # 0812!

Fin whale #0812

The wind picked up a bit in the afternoon but we still had a nice trip. Three more fin whales were seen in the same area as the morning trip (a pair and a single), but the whales themselves were different individuals, showing how much these huge 70' animals move in a few hours. Two blue sharks were also seen near the boat, and we even had a brief look at a basking shark!

Pair of fin whales spouting

Fin whale #0622

After 15 years of watching whales, fin whales continue to be my favorite species to watch and ID. So little is known about this second-largest animal on the planet so I feel that each and every chance we can see them and learn more about them is incredibly valuable. Thanks to everyone on board today for your enthusiasm and excitement, and special thanks to our intern Jenny, who finished her summer internship with us today! Jenny- good luck in school this year and we WILL see you this fall!

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