Friday on the Atlantic Queen

What a beautiful day on the water! After a long cruise out to the eastern side of Jeffreys Ledge, we got to spend some time with one of the first whales identified in the Gulf of Maine population - "Mars," a female first identified in 1979!  OK, maybe she wasn't one of the very first whales named, but is one of the older whales we've had the pleasure of seeing on our whale watch trips, and it's always very cool to spend time with these whales who are old enough to have calved several times and even become grandmothers!

When Mars was first seen, she was already an adult, meaning she was at least 7 years old - so the earliest she would have been born would be 1972, and maybe it was long before that. So, she's well over 30 years old. That's about middle-aged for a humpback, who are thought to have a lifespan of about 70 years.

Mars was named for the Roman god of war (even though she's a female - now, when we name whales, we don't give them names that obviously refer to gender, as often we don't know their gender when they are named).  It's obvious that Mars has been through some trials in her life, so her name is pretty fitting. She's got lots of scars, some that look like evidence of an entanglement.  Despite her somewhat crazy-looking appearance, she seemed healthy today and it was great watching her swim around in the beautiful blue Gulf of Maine today!

Thanks to all who joined us today. Hope to see you again soon!

Keep in touch! Become a Fan on Facebook || Follow Us On Twitter