August 31st on the Granite State

While it may be the end of August, the weather and the whales, are still going strong! We ended up with 5 different species of baleen whales today. We began our trip with a Fin whale circling the area as this whale was staying under the water for only a few minutes at a time. After a plankton tow from our crew, we realized why this animal was constantly changing direction and circling around. The fine-meshed net collected plenty of plankton! Whether this animal was feeding on the plankton or the small schooling fish feeding on the plankton itself, this whale was definitely enjoying the productivity of Jeffreys Ledge.

As we continued further offshore we ended up finding 2 Minke whales and another baleen species; a Humpback whale. It was Hornbill and while this whale appeared to be moving through the area, we were able to follow it's travel pattern for a bit as this animal would surface for a few breaths before going down on a deeper dive. With some nice looks, we were off again in search of more marine life.

Out in the distance we saw a Sei whale. This whale appeared to be circling and as we changed our course, in between us and the Sei whale, a highly endangered Right whale came to the surface. What a surprise! We sat with our engines off until this whale continued to move past the boat and away from the Sei whale before we were able to ease our way over to our now 5th baleen whale of the trip!

We quickly realized the reason behind the Sei whale's behavior. This whale was actively feeding! We watched as this whale was constantly taking tight turns, rolling on its side, and had its mouth open. We were even lucky enough to see the whale's pleats (or lower jaw) fully extended outward as the whale was utilizing all space in its mouth to gulp in as much food as possible!

Our Sei whale on it's side with it's flipper and a portion of its dorsal fin above the water. Even the extended pleats can be seen just in front of the flipper!

The dorsal fin of our Sei whale

A beautiful day and incredible sightings. Thanks to all who joined us today whether it was your first time or are a seasoned whale watcher. Everyone helped in spotting all kinds of marine life today!


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