September 9 Granite State

Perhaps the only similarity between our two trips was the fact that we had "Grand Slams" during both our offshore adventures yesterday.  Though we saw at least 4 species of whales during each trip the species of whales couldn't have been more different.  Once again Jeffreys Ledge proved to be full of life AND variety!

Our morning trip ended up including sightings of four kinds of baleen whales!  Typically if we are lucky enough to spot 4 types of whales in one trip it usually ends up being mostly baleen whales (Minke whale, Fin whales, and Humpback whales) as well as the toothed-whale variety of the area; Atlantic white-sided dolphins.  Well this morning it was a very unexpected species that completed the 4 types of whales for the trip and even that didn't occur until during our travels home.  The day began with a quick look at a Minke whale before heading towards Jeffreys Ledge and coming across a single Humpback whale.  It was Patches!  This whale continues to be spending time on the ledge and was moving ever so slowly around this morning.  With minimal travel movements we were able to get some great looks at this particular whale. 

Patches

As we spent time with Patches we had an unexpected visitor swim by.  Fin whale #9709 suddenly surfaced just beyond Patches, swam in front of the boat, and dove down just off our port side!  What a great look at another species just going about its daily activities.  It was also a great size comparison to witness a full grown Humpback whale (a medium-sized whale species) to that of a Fin whale which is one of the second largest animals on the planet! 

Fin whale #9709 moving through the area!

We spent a bit more time with Patches awaiting to see if our Fin whale would circle around the area, which it most definitely didn't, before continuing on our way.  Soon we saw another Humpback whale which was in fact a mother and her calf.  Tornado and calf were meandering around as well.  The calf spent much of its time on the surface while Tornado continued to move around further down in the ocean column.

Tornado off on a deeper dive while her calf remains at the surface

Before leaving this pair we did get a chance to see the calf grab a quick morning snack from mom as it began alternating surfacing on either side of mom; an indication that nursing was most likely occurring.  Before we were out of time we also got the chance to see another pair of Humpback whales.  This time it was two adults moving around together.  Tectonic and Nile were also out on the ledge this morning.  What a nice way to get some last looks at whales before turning for home.  Little did we know we had one more surprise before getting back to Rye Harbor.

Tectonic's dorsal fin (above) and Nile's tail (below)

Every now and then we come across whales during our travels home for many times we are traveling through areas we have not yet been through.  Such was the case today but no one was expecting the species that surfaced in the area.  A highly endangered Right whale suddenly surfaced from the depths of the ocean as we moved through the area.  The tell-tale sign, a v-shaped spout, meant a very endangered whale was in the vicinity.  Being such a low-profile species and swimming almost directly away from us made it quite tricky for our passengers to see much other than that distinct spout out in the distance.  As regulations require boats of all shapes and sizes need to remain a certain distance from this type of whale so with our rare species on the move away from us we were clear to continue on home.  Just being in the presence of such a rare animal is incredible even though I know many people could barely even make out what was moving along out in the distance.  The whales once again provided quite the experience for all on board this morning.

With such a unique morning cruise we were all interested to see what Jeffreys Ledge had in store for us this afternoon.  Well the surprises continued in a completely different manor than from the morning.  For starters our first sighting was inshore of the Isles of Shoals.  Not even six miles from land we found ourselves watching a group of 100 Atlantic white-sided dolphins!

The sun was shining, the ocean was calm, and the dolphins were so close to land!

Our group of Atlantic white-sided dolphins inside of the Isles of Shoals (in the background)

This group was feeding as these were creating their own ripples in the water since they constantly were circling/turning/speeding around. 

The change in the ocean (all the extra ripples) are being caused by the pod of dolphins!

All the whales were in such a confined area that were were able to get some incredible looks at these toothed-whales just barely after begin the afternoon trip!

Dolphins surfacing for a breath of air

This dolphin certainly made a point to tail slap a few times

Once we were underway again we were hearing reports of more toothed-whales offshore.  But they weren't Atlantic white-sided dolphins.  Instead the reports were of a species about twice the size of the whales we had such been watching.  Pilot whales were out on the distant side of Jeffreys Ledge.  We have not gotten the chance to see Pilot whales at all this season and having a group of them in our region we knew it was an opportunity we could not pass up.  Two types of toothed-whales all of which had not been around only hours ago during our morning trip!  Wow.  It was another completely unexpected surprise.  We made our way to the area and ended up spending time with ~30 Pilot whales though twice as many were also further out in the distance.  These whales are so different looking than our typically, and still not common, sightings of white-sided dolphins.  All dark in color, large dorsal fins, and bulbous flat heads are all characteristics so unique to this whale species. 

Young Pilot whale face!

Large dorsal fin of a Pilot whale

One of the many Pilot whales moving around the area

Not every day we get the chance to see two types of toothed-whales but especially having these species providing the absolutely perfect conditions to shut off the engines and just float alongside these animals was just icing on the cake!  As these whales meandered around the area we sat bobbing up and down with the swells giving all of us the chance to not only enjoy seeing these whales but also hearing each little spout these whales were making.  Awesome, awesome, moments.

After all of our toothed-whale activities we knew it was time to investigate the larger visible spouts we were seeing from other whales in the area.  Fin whales and Humpback whales were plentiful.  It was almost a bit of whale chaos as we had to ease around the area as we figured out just how many whales were around and where in fact they were moving towards.  We got some incredible looks at a few of the Fin whales circling around the area before making our way towards a pair of whales. 

One of the many Fin whales in the area

The pair we were heading towards was another mother and calf Humpback whale pair.  However, this time it was not Tornado.  A new mom decided to make herself known to Jeffreys Ledge for the first time this season.  Welcome to the area Palette and her calf! 

Palette

Palette's tail as her calf takes a breath of air along side her

More spouts continued to be seen but we knew it was time to head back to the mainland.  Jeffreys Ledge certainly did a good job today reminding all of us that when it comes to wildlife anything is possible.

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September 9 Prince of Whales

Hi Folks,
We had an interesting day today with 5 humpback whales and one entangled right whale.

 Our day began amazingly with five humpback whales near us, and others in the periphery. Our first pair of humpbacks consisted of a season favorite- Valley, and her new friend, Cacophony. This was our first observation of Cacophony on Jeffreys Ledge since the mid- 1990's!

Valley and Cacophony

Valley

 Nearby, we found another pair of humpback whales that briefly turned into a trio! Nile, Tectonic and Jabiru were hanging out for a bit until Nile started to flipper-slap. Tectonic took the brunt of her "communication" getting slapped by her massive pectoral fin a couple of times before both Tectonic and Jabiru took off and went their own way. What do these behaviors mean?? We only wish we knew.

Nile

Nile, showing her rostrum, blowholes and dorsal fin!

Nile, with both flippers up, and ready to slap!

Tectonic

Nile and Tectonic's flippers

Jabiru

After Nile stopped slapping, and moved off, we decided it was time to go as well. We began our trip back to Newburyport. But about halfway back to shore, we spotted a V-shaped blow and all black, smooth-edged tail in the air! This was undoubtedly a north Atlantic right whale!! Less than 500 right whales are believed to exist in the north Atlantic. Although regulations prevent us from approaching this critically endangered species closely, we could tell, even from a distance that this whale was in trouble. We could see a dark line (rope) going across the whale's head.

Initial image of entangled right whale

  Immediately, we called the NOAA hotline http://www.nero.noaa.gov/prot_res/stranding/ to report this whale and to request permission to approach closer than regulations allow in order to obtain images. Next, we called the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies to see if they could attempt a disentanglement effort http://www.coastalstudies.org/what-we-do/whale-rescue/introduction.htm.

Although this whale did not have a net wrapping its body, or several buoys trailing and rope encircling it more obviously, we still knew it was in trouble. Sometimes the most benign looking issues are actually critical and life-threatening issues.

As we approached more closely, which was difficult as the whale was evasive and moving randomly, we realized just how critical this situation was. The rope just in front of the whale's blowholes was very tight and could be embedded.

Right whale's left side showing rope in front of blowholes

Right whale's right side showing rope and black float

Right whale- right side showing blowholes and rope/float in front of blowholes.

 At the time of the sighting, we did not know who this whale was but after talking with an expert at PCCS, we believed this was right whale #3996, a whale that was first reported entangled back in February- 7 months ago. The right side of the whale's head showed a small black float buoy, which could be consistent with gill netting gear.  After spending nearly an hour with this whale, trying to document the entanglement and waiting for word if a team was coming to help the whale, we heard that, based on the time of day and distance, no one could come to help. The decision to leave the whale was sad, but there was nothing else we could do for it.  We can only hope that this whale is seen again soon, earlier in the day and closer to a response team. Otherwise, well.....

Although I can't say for certain what type of fishing gear was on this whale, or where the whale encountered it, I would like to take this opportunity to encourage everyone to research the origins and collection methods of the seafood you consume. I am all for supporting your local industry, as several of my cousins are fishermen, but if that industry is catching seafood that has limited or reduced stocks, or the method by which that seafood is brought to your plate endangers the lives of other animals or habitats, you may want to reconsider your choices. Just think about what other forms of life are being injured or killed in order for you to enjoy your dinner. It is a choice- a very important choice in regards to the whales we love to watch.

I want to thank all of our passengers for their patience as we documented the entangled right whale and made the necessary phone calls. I know it was a long trip- much longer than planned, but that is what we need to do when one of our whales- especially a critically endangered one- is injured and needs assistance.

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September 9 Atlantic Queen

Pilot whale mom and calf

What a day!  We had a variety of marine life in the Jeffreys Ledge area today, but the highlight for me was seeing pilot whales - a species that I haven't seen since 2008!  

But before we saw the pilot whales, we were surprised to find 3 fin whales, traveling very close together. One had a huge series of prop scars on its right side, evidence of an interaction with a boat, illustrating one of the main threats to whales - ship strikes.

Fin whale

Fin whale

Fin whale

We then moved on to see the pilot whales - there were 30-40 in this very active group.  We saw several calves, and witnessed multiple spyhops (when the whale pokes its head up above the surface to look around), and even a whale swimming on its back!

Pilot whale

Pilot whale swimming on its back!

Pilot whale on its back

Spyhop

Mom and calf

There were also a few humpbacks around - we got a good look at one of them, although it didn't lift its flukes up very high, so we haven't identified it yet.

Humpback whale tail

It was time to head for home, and as we headed back to Rye, it was under beautiful, sunny skies.  We got to see a few minke whales very close to the boat as we headed home - a perfect end to a great day on the water!

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September 8 Granite State

The ocean was a bit on the wild side today and knowing things were only supposed to get even more "exciting" we only had one trip instead of two today.  While the ocean was a rockin' and a rollin' the whales certainly didn't seem to mind a bit more wave activity.  Our trip started with 2 Fin whales.  Both whales were constantly changing direction, circling around the area, so it was a bit challenging to keep track of both whales.  However, we did have a little extra help regarding one of our Fin whales.  A small pod of Atlantic white-sided dolphins were escorting one of the whales in the area!  Since these dolphins can only hold their breath for 2-3 minutes at a time they were surfacing much more frequently than the Fin whale they were following.  By maneuvering the boat alongside the dolphins we were hoping eventually the Fin whale would appear.  Of course we are also thrilled when these predictions work, as it did today!  While watching the dolphins suddenly a massive spout occurred right in the center of these toothed-whales.  We got some great looks as this enormous Fin whale was constantly having the dolphins surface just in front of it.  This whale was even identified as #9709, a known female, since we were able to predict its surfacings by moving along with the dolphins!

#9709

Occasionally we get the chance to see this type of inter-species association and it is certainly something we thoroughly enjoy watching when a dolphin reaching between 5-8ft in length swims next to a whale well over 8x's that size (adult Fin whales can easily reach lengths of over 60ft)!!!

With more reports of whales a few more miles away we decided to get a bit more ocean action and spend time with a few more whales before heading home.  We ended up having 6 Humpback whales in the area.  Half of these whales were further offshore surfacing out in the distance so we decided to stick with a few of the animals a bit closer to us.  Turns out we first had Patches swim by before spending most of our time with more known females: Valley and Nile. 

Patches traveling through the area

Originally these whales were moving through the area on their own as Nile was circling around while Valley full-body breached once in a completely separate area. 

Valley was very slowly raising her tail high into the sky before disappearing into the ocean

Valley's unique black and white marking found on the underside of its tail

Soon however the two surfaced side-by-side and both started to rest.  These two whales were remaining just at the surface and moved up and down with the waves as much as we were.  We got some incredible looks at both of these whales before we were out of time.

Nile and Valley rock with the ocean waves as both remain resting at the surface allowing us some great looks.  The green coloration is these whales' flippers under the water

Nile going on a deeper dive while Valley still sleeps on the surface

Tomorrow is another day and we look forward to seeing what we may encounter as we will once again be back out in search of more wildlife!

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September 7 Granite State

After 4 days on land we were not only eager to get back on the water but extremely interested to see what may, or may not, be around.  Now that it is September and most folks are back home after a busy summer our trips run 4 times a week and we sometimes get antsy before we get the chance to get back out offshore.  Everyday is a gamble when it comes to if we will see whales, where they may be, and what they may actually be doing if/when we do get the chance to see them.  There tends to be many things not in our favor (we cannot control the weather, all the whales are wild meaning there is no chance of us having ANY idea where they may be headed or how long they may stay under the surface of the ocean, etc) and yet here we are always wanting to have the opportunity to "roll the dice."  Luckily we do have plenty in our favor including one of the most important aspects: Jeffreys Ledge.  This natural topographical feature creates lots of upwelling currents (churning of the ocean from the bottom of the seas right up to the surface of the ocean) ultimately creating plankton which brings in the fish which can easily cause the whales to swim into the area!  So even after being "land-locked" for a few days we knew there is always the chance of something perhaps spending some time out, or around, the ledge.  Then again we are always also anxious as a whale's movements can be so drastic.  One minute they can be around and the next they are gone.  Once again the nutrient-rich body of water off the coast today provided plenty for us to look at even if we haven't been scouring the horizon for signs of whales all week.

Dolphins were first on the list.  A pod of at least 150 Atlantic white-sided dolphins were EVERYWHERE.  It is highly possible there were more as a few groups, comprising of a good-sized number, were constantly being seen out in the distance and yet we had plenty of them to look at close by!  This group was on the move, possibly chasing down small schooling fish below the ocean's edge, and forced us to have to keep up with the movements of this constantly moving group.  What a pleasant way to begin the day especially with the shear number of whales in this particular group.

Leaping dolphins!

Perhaps the dolphins distracted us enough for soon after leaving the group we came across a Fin whale not far beyond the smaller whales.  This Fin whale, while "smaller" in size (still probably a good ~40ft long) was swimming just below the surface giving us the chance to watch this animal pump its large tail up and down moving itself forward.  At one point you could see from tip-to-tail of this whale as it effortlessly swam alongside the boat.

Fin whale at the surface. Above: The front part of this whale as you can even make out this whale's flipper (light green patch) seen extending out the side of this whale.  Below: The dorsal fin and some of this whale's back

With our excitement continuing with such nice sightings before reaching Jeffreys Ledge we knew we had to see if anything else was spending some time in our area a few more miles offshore.  Soon we were surrounded by more whales.  There were two other Fin whales circling around as well as another species, some Humpback whales.  Our first Humpback whale was Patches spending most of its time "hovering" at the surface; a good indication this whale was napping. 

Patches' dorsal fin "bobbing" at the surface

We left Patches to continue on with its sleeping patterns and instead made our way over to a pair.  This pair was a mother and it's calf!  The calf was also spending most of its time at the surface, just like Patches, resting while mom was spending most of her time further below.  Having these two very relaxed Humpback whale pair close by gave us some very nice looks at mom's "small" calf.  Thanks to our friends aboard the Prince of Whales (who had ventured into the area) they were able to snap a quick photo of Mom's tail.  Other than rolling on her side for a moment, Mom never showed any part of her tail while we were around.  We had an inkling as to who it might be but the Prince of Whales passed along the exciting news.  Tornado and her calf were here! 

Tornado's flipper above the waterline as the calf's back can be seen just in front of Mom's flipper

That is actually Tornado's calf above the surface.  Tornado herself is just barely above the surface (Tornado's dorsal fin can be seen on the left side of the photo!)

This is the first time this pair has been seen on Jeffreys Ledge this season.  Tornado herself is a familiar whale to the area over the years and we love seeing familiar tails, especially with their calves, move on into the area.  What a nice surprise!

The day wasn't done for as we went searching for another whale we had seen in the distance while watching Tornado and her calf, we suddenly spotted who we were waiting for.  Out of the blue one very large Humpback whale came clear out of the water.  A full body breach!  Unless you were one of the few lucky passengers who happened to be looking in the right place at the right time you most likely instead saw the enormous splash created by such the event.  Even though this whale only jumped once we got some great looks as Tectonic continued to move around the area.

Tectonic

It was another adventure today as whether we go on two trips in one day, or only a few times a week, the whales keep us on the edge of our seats as we continue to search for such mysterious and wondrous creatures!

Tectonic in the process of swimming further down into the ocean's depths

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Prince of Whales September 7

Summer is not over, boy it was a hot one!  Our first stop of the day was with a group of harbor porpoise, they quickly disappeared as they usually do.  Our next stop was with a minke whale who popped up a few times and decided to continue on its merry way. 
We looked over the southern part of the ledge very carefully and we had not seen any blows so we headed north,our friends on the Granite State let us know they had some whlaes so off we went.

"Tornado" heading towards us



"Tornado" rolling over,notice the pleats!

"Tornado"s" fluke

Tornado and calf #7

Tornado was born in 1988 and had its first calf in 1995 named Parallel. Mas-Menus in 1998, Beanie in 2000, a calf in 2003, Samurai in 2006, and a 2008 calf. Its amazing to think she was only 7 years old when she had her first calf!

As we spent time with our mom/calf pair a fin whale moved into the area.

Fin whale's blow holes

It did take some searching today but once again the journey and the time spent looking for whales did pay off.  Thank you to all of our passengers who brought there patience with them today,we appreciate it very much.



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September 3 Atlantic Queen

What a great way to spend Labor Day yesterday out with the whales. It was a beautiful day out on the water with a definite fall breeze in the air. We started with a juvenile whale that unfortunately was taking really long dives. Typically out on the summer feeding grounds, humpback whales have dive times between 4 and 7 minutes. This whale, however, was diving for well over 10 minutes. Luckily we also saw a blue shark that looked to have some kind of tag attached to it. Can you see it in the photo?

We decided to not overstay our welcome and further explore the Gulf of Maine. I am so glad that we did!

We saw a few spouts up in the distance and decided to investigate. The spouts belonged to two humpback whales. One of which was Mogul who put on quite the show for us on board. We saw the spouts in the distance but as we were approaching Mogul gave us a beautiful tail breach. Unfortunately it surprised us all on board, and I'm not quite sure if anyone was able to get a photo. Absolutely amazing to see in real life though!

We also had Scratch who is a female humpback whale born in 1978 and first seen in 1979. She had 7 calves! The last of which was in 2007. She had the mostly black fluke that you see below.

What a special day! I certainly enjoyed myself and hope that you did too. Thank you to everyone for joining us and a special congratulations to Elliot and the rest of his friends from South Africa for winning the whale adoption. I hope you enjoyed your first time on a boat!

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