August 15 Granite State

The rain eventually caught up with us this morning as we ventured offshore en route to Jeffreys Ledge.  Luckily our hardy passengers were willing to chance the fact of getting a little wet to go in search of marine mammals!  All in all we ended up spotting 3 Minke whales and 5 Fin whales throughout our travels today.  The clouds and rain turned into sun and warmth all the while searching and spending time with whales.  Both the Minke whales and the Fin whales were being just what they are; wild animals.  All had their own agenda moving wherever they desired whenever they desired.  For us some whales were a bit more challenging than others.  One Fin whale surfaced for a single breath every 6-7 minutes while another Fin whale was spotted for just one breath before disappearing into the depths of the ocean without being resighted for a good 15 minutes.  Luckily even though a few of our whales were being a bit "difficult" a few of our sightings were quite the opposite!  We got some wonderful looks at two different Fin whales moving around one particular area.  One whale was definitely cruising through the ocean, charging through the waves as it did, but was moving just along side the boat giving us all a great look at this very large mammal!

One of our Fin whales on the move

One of our other cooperative animals in the area was Fin whale #0331.  This animal was circling around the area and even rolled on its side multiple times.  Even though this whale was below the waterline when it rolled, the light coloration of a Fin whale's belly created a massive linear "green sheen" just off our port side giving us the verifcation that we were looking at the entire belly of this whale!  Wow.  During one rolling event the tip of its tail broke the surface of the water, slicing through the waves, before disappearing as this whale rolled right-side-up just as easily as it had rolled on its side in the first place.

Fin whale #0331's very uniquely shaped dorsal fin

Many thanks to all our passengers who definitely got a little wet before drying off in the bright sunshine that engulfed us during our mid-morning whale adventures.

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