July 28th
Even though the waters offshore were covered in a dense patch of fog, the whale watch crew decided to take the chance and venture out beyond the coast of Mount Desert Island to find whales. The weather has been a bit uncooperative with persistent fog and rain. But when determined and patient the whale watch can be successful in finding whales.
The morning trip was able to find a finback whale. But it was taking long dives most likely spending its time feeding in deeper water. Many species of pelagic bird species were seen such as shearwaters, razorbills, gannets, terns, and petrels.
On the 1:00 trip the whale watch ventured further offshore. Though the search was long it was worth it as the whale watch ended up finding 1 minke whale and 4 humpbacks. The four humpback whales included Siphon and her calf, a male humpback named Flyer and Canine, which was Siphon's 2004 calf. Siphon and her calf swam up to the boat, swimming around and across the bow! Also many seals and harbor porpoise were seen on the trip!
The whale watch decided to take another try and sailed off on their 4:30 whale watch. Being lucky once again they found 5 humpback whales on this trip. The humpback whale seen were Siphon and calf, Flyer, and on this trip Arrowhead was seen! The fifth whale was unknown as we were unable to get a look at the distinctive markings on the fluke or tail. But Siphon's calf put another great show for passengers as it performed some head stands and flipper slapping!
So despite the thick fog today's whale watch trips were a great success!
Friday, July 31, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
So How Are the Whales?
July 22nd
Despite some dense fog and rain, passengers on the 8:30am trip on July 22nd were treated to a finback which came right next to the boat! We also spotted harbor and gray seals along with harbor porpoise. Pelagic bird species also included northern gannets and greater shearwaters.
However, on the second trip, due to the fog, we were unable to find whales. Kaitlin Allen was on the boat using her hydrophone listening in for whales nearby. She was able to pick up some humpback calls! The seabirds were numerous offshore which is a good sign, showing us that there is still life around. Wilson storm petrels, greater shearwaters, and a pomarine jager were sighted.
Despite some dense fog and rain, passengers on the 8:30am trip on July 22nd were treated to a finback which came right next to the boat! We also spotted harbor and gray seals along with harbor porpoise. Pelagic bird species also included northern gannets and greater shearwaters.
However, on the second trip, due to the fog, we were unable to find whales. Kaitlin Allen was on the boat using her hydrophone listening in for whales nearby. She was able to pick up some humpback calls! The seabirds were numerous offshore which is a good sign, showing us that there is still life around. Wilson storm petrels, greater shearwaters, and a pomarine jager were sighted.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
July 20th, 2nd and 3rd Trip: What a Marvelous Monday
On Monday afternoon, hundreds of passengers were treated to beautiful weather and an abundance of marine life. Crystal clear skies and glass calm water awaited us offshore.
We had quite a busy 1:00 trip. All of our research staff was on board including: Laura Kennedy conducing seabird surveys, Kaitlyn Allen and George from the University of Maine's Ocean Engineering department taking time to listen in on whale vocalizations, our Allied Whale research assistant Lauren, and Dominique Walk who soon will be surveying lobster gear in relation to whale sightings. WOW! Amazing how much research takes place on the whale watch!
The whale sightings were just as amazing! On the 1:00 we saw 4 humpbacks, 7-8 finbacks, and 3-4 minke whales! We were able to identify all the humpbacks, which included Siphon and calf, and two others traveling together, Tusk and who we later identified as Partition! This was our first time seeing Partition this season. This is a female humpback first sighted in 1986! Maybe Tusk was practicing his courtship skills for this upcoming winter breeding season? We got great looks at one group of four finbacks to start off the trip and we then spotted Siphon's calf breaching in the distance. Once we approached Siphon and her calf, it seems the little one tired itself out and decided to rest a bit at the surface. Occasionally it rolled and did some flipper slaps.
As we turned for home, along the way we suddenly spotted a humpback whale flipper slapping and decided to quickly investigate. This is when we found Tusk and Partition. We got some great looks but then looked at our watches and discovered we were running late! So we headed for home. However, soon after leaving the two humpbacks we saw a whale breaching in the distance! Oh my! Poor Captain Jerry thought we would never get home! We thought it might have been a breaching minke whale! A couple of minkes were seen not to far from the breaching whale.
On the way home we saw a couple of more minkes, lots of harbor porpoise, seals, and birds. Pelagic birds seen on this trip included: greater and sooty shearwater, Wilson storm petrels, red-necked phalaropes, a North Atlantic puffin, and a skua! The life seen offshore was incredible!
Our 4:30 sunset cruise was wonderful as well! We first spotted a pair of humpbacks. It was Tusk and Partition! Tusk started flipper slapping as Partition rested at the surface. Tusk also demonstrated a really interesting behavior I had never seen before. He was doing some kind of tail "wiggle"! He would lift his tail up high and then shake it all around!
There were other blows in the distance. Two finbacks surfaced behind us. All the other whales were humpbacks. It looked like another associated pair, one juvenile, and a lone adult, with a count of at least 5-6 humpback whales. And boy did the air just stink of whale breath! We got one look at the single adult whale as we left for home and Lauren snapped a photo of the tail. After searching through the humpback whale catalog we identified this whale as a female named Fundy! This is a very special whale because it was named in memory of College of the Atlantic alum and Allied Whale researcher Rebecca Ann Clark, who passed away during the 2004 Tsunami while studying sea turtles. She grew up along the coast of the Bay of Fundy.
Fundy
Numerous seals, porpoise, and birds including, Wilson storm petrels, sooty and greater shearwaters, and northern gannets, were seen on the way out and on our trip home. Just another BEAUTIFUL day!
We had quite a busy 1:00 trip. All of our research staff was on board including: Laura Kennedy conducing seabird surveys, Kaitlyn Allen and George from the University of Maine's Ocean Engineering department taking time to listen in on whale vocalizations, our Allied Whale research assistant Lauren, and Dominique Walk who soon will be surveying lobster gear in relation to whale sightings. WOW! Amazing how much research takes place on the whale watch!
The whale sightings were just as amazing! On the 1:00 we saw 4 humpbacks, 7-8 finbacks, and 3-4 minke whales! We were able to identify all the humpbacks, which included Siphon and calf, and two others traveling together, Tusk and who we later identified as Partition! This was our first time seeing Partition this season. This is a female humpback first sighted in 1986! Maybe Tusk was practicing his courtship skills for this upcoming winter breeding season? We got great looks at one group of four finbacks to start off the trip and we then spotted Siphon's calf breaching in the distance. Once we approached Siphon and her calf, it seems the little one tired itself out and decided to rest a bit at the surface. Occasionally it rolled and did some flipper slaps.
As we turned for home, along the way we suddenly spotted a humpback whale flipper slapping and decided to quickly investigate. This is when we found Tusk and Partition. We got some great looks but then looked at our watches and discovered we were running late! So we headed for home. However, soon after leaving the two humpbacks we saw a whale breaching in the distance! Oh my! Poor Captain Jerry thought we would never get home! We thought it might have been a breaching minke whale! A couple of minkes were seen not to far from the breaching whale.
On the way home we saw a couple of more minkes, lots of harbor porpoise, seals, and birds. Pelagic birds seen on this trip included: greater and sooty shearwater, Wilson storm petrels, red-necked phalaropes, a North Atlantic puffin, and a skua! The life seen offshore was incredible!
Our 4:30 sunset cruise was wonderful as well! We first spotted a pair of humpbacks. It was Tusk and Partition! Tusk started flipper slapping as Partition rested at the surface. Tusk also demonstrated a really interesting behavior I had never seen before. He was doing some kind of tail "wiggle"! He would lift his tail up high and then shake it all around!
There were other blows in the distance. Two finbacks surfaced behind us. All the other whales were humpbacks. It looked like another associated pair, one juvenile, and a lone adult, with a count of at least 5-6 humpback whales. And boy did the air just stink of whale breath! We got one look at the single adult whale as we left for home and Lauren snapped a photo of the tail. After searching through the humpback whale catalog we identified this whale as a female named Fundy! This is a very special whale because it was named in memory of College of the Atlantic alum and Allied Whale researcher Rebecca Ann Clark, who passed away during the 2004 Tsunami while studying sea turtles. She grew up along the coast of the Bay of Fundy.
FundyNumerous seals, porpoise, and birds including, Wilson storm petrels, sooty and greater shearwaters, and northern gannets, were seen on the way out and on our trip home. Just another BEAUTIFUL day!
July 20 - First Trip (Three Whale Tour)
We sighted our first whales just five miles from our puffin island - Petit Manan. Two Finbacks were within a 1/2 mile of each other diving and moving with great energy. There were 100's of Greater Shearwater and dozens of Sooty Shearwater. Wilson's Storm Petrels were everywhere and dozens of Gannets, many of which were diving into the ocean. Seabird highlights also included 10 pairs of father Razorbill with young. We continued offshore and found a pod of five Finbacks over a great amount of life on our fish finder. Within in a few miles were a number of single finbacks charging around and making deep dives ...ocasionally with sun glistening off thier backs. A Minke surfaced off our bow a number of times giving passengers a great look. After awhile our friend Ed Blair arrived in his boat the Lovely Lucy, and quickly discovered a pair of humpback whales that were swimming our direction. It turned out to be Tusk (1979) and a unknown companion. Everywhere we looked their were porpoise and seals. Overall a really fabulous trip.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Close Encounters of the Whale Kind
July 16, 2009
The marine life continues to be incredible! Wow, what another wonderful day! Still many whales, birds, and seals offshore. The weather was overcast, but calm allowing us a comfortable ride and amazing looks at the whales.
During the morning trip the whale watch found 3 minkes, 10-12 finbacks, and 4 humpbacks. Three of the humpbacks were identified as Triton, Sedge, and Tusk. One other humpback was seen breaching in the distance. Many different birds as well including sooty shearwaters, greater shearwaters, a northern fulmar, northern gannets, and Wilson storm petrels. There were also tons of harbor porpoise and few jumping blue fin tuna.
On the second and third trip we defiantly had some close encounters. After stopping to check out a couple of spouts we found ourselves surrounded by 2 humpback whales! It was Siphon and her calf! They came right next the boat, swimming along the sides and underneath us!
Apparently this calf loves to be a show off and Siphon does not seem to mind at all. The calf was rolling over, flipper slapping, and trying out some headstands. It even spent time playing with some seaweed!
Coming up to say hello!
With the water being so calm you could see the entire body of the whale below the surface. While watching these whales another large humpback surfaced nearby, but it was to far to get a look at the tail. People were thrilled at the curious and playful behaviors of Siphon and her calf.
On the third trip we were afraid that the fog was going to be an issue, but we lucked out as the fog cleared as we headed offshore. We were able to find Siphon and her calf, but they were not alone. They had an escort whale with them this time. And oddly enough it was Canine, which was Siphon's 2005 calf. Maybe doing some sibling bonding?
Once again this calf was putting on quite a show! It approached the boat numerous times. It even breached several times near the boat! Siphon and Canine joined in the action as they started lobtailing and flipper slapping!
Throughout this amazing interaction a large thunderstorm was headed our way. Huge bolts of lighting split the sky and loud claps of thunder rumbled overhead, but this did not make anyone stray from watching these whales.
Along with the whales we saw numerous amounts of harbor porpoise, seals, and birds including northern gannets, greater shearwaters, wilson storm petrels, and even a puffin which appeared in front of the bow!
Another incredible day of experiencing some of mother nature's greatest wonders!
The marine life continues to be incredible! Wow, what another wonderful day! Still many whales, birds, and seals offshore. The weather was overcast, but calm allowing us a comfortable ride and amazing looks at the whales.
During the morning trip the whale watch found 3 minkes, 10-12 finbacks, and 4 humpbacks. Three of the humpbacks were identified as Triton, Sedge, and Tusk. One other humpback was seen breaching in the distance. Many different birds as well including sooty shearwaters, greater shearwaters, a northern fulmar, northern gannets, and Wilson storm petrels. There were also tons of harbor porpoise and few jumping blue fin tuna.
On the second and third trip we defiantly had some close encounters. After stopping to check out a couple of spouts we found ourselves surrounded by 2 humpback whales! It was Siphon and her calf! They came right next the boat, swimming along the sides and underneath us!
Apparently this calf loves to be a show off and Siphon does not seem to mind at all. The calf was rolling over, flipper slapping, and trying out some headstands. It even spent time playing with some seaweed!
Coming up to say hello!
With the water being so calm you could see the entire body of the whale below the surface. While watching these whales another large humpback surfaced nearby, but it was to far to get a look at the tail. People were thrilled at the curious and playful behaviors of Siphon and her calf.
On the third trip we were afraid that the fog was going to be an issue, but we lucked out as the fog cleared as we headed offshore. We were able to find Siphon and her calf, but they were not alone. They had an escort whale with them this time. And oddly enough it was Canine, which was Siphon's 2005 calf. Maybe doing some sibling bonding?
Once again this calf was putting on quite a show! It approached the boat numerous times. It even breached several times near the boat! Siphon and Canine joined in the action as they started lobtailing and flipper slapping!
Throughout this amazing interaction a large thunderstorm was headed our way. Huge bolts of lighting split the sky and loud claps of thunder rumbled overhead, but this did not make anyone stray from watching these whales.
Along with the whales we saw numerous amounts of harbor porpoise, seals, and birds including northern gannets, greater shearwaters, wilson storm petrels, and even a puffin which appeared in front of the bow!
Another incredible day of experiencing some of mother nature's greatest wonders!
What Can We Say? What a DAY!
July 15, 2009
Wow! That's what we can say! We had another beautiful summer day and numerous whale sightings. Naturalists, Zack and Linda, were on the first trip and reported great bird sightings at Petit Manan and offshore. The whale watch passed by this large group of greater shearwaters.
There were a ton of whales off shore as well! Zack and Linda said that at times it was hard to keep up! During this trip the whale watch saw 10-12 finback whales. One of the finback whales seen was later identified by research assistant Lauren as a finback named Half Moon! This might be due to the half moon-like crevice in the dorsal fin.
After some more exploring the whale watch found three humpback whales: Siphon and calf and Sedge. Siphon and Sedge are two individuals we've been seeing since 1988!
The 1:00 trip brought awe and excitement to our passengers! There were whales all over the place. I lost count! We spotted at least 5-6 finback whales in the area. We had some great looks at these whales. Checking out other spouts in the distance we came across and juvenile humpback whale! Lauren, our whale research intern thinks it might be a whale named Canine. We will confirm this once she has a chance to look at the photos. We'll let you know!
But another whale came to the surface and it was a humpback named Tusk. This is a whale that we've seen since 1980 and he is a regular to our area. Most humpback whales demonstrate site fidelity, returning to the same feeding grounds. We got great shots of his tail! He has two horizontal markings on right hand side, along upper edge of his tail that look like tusks. That is how he received his name.
While watching Tusk we then spotted a huge splash a couple of miles away so we decided to give Tusk a break and go investigate! As we approached we discovered it was a breaching humpback whale! This whale continued to breach numerous times! Over and over and over! It ended up being Siphon's calf! The calf breached a couple of time right next to the boat. Siphon was not far. She surfaced soon after the calf started breaching. But we lost count of the number of times this little calf breached! A stunning display that we don't see everyday!
We eventually ran out of time and had to head back. Also, Allied Whale's research vessel the Borealis was approaching and we wanted to give them the opportunity to see these whales and conduct their research. Along with the whales we had close up looks at harbor and gray seals and many pelagic seabirds like gannets, storm petrels, and shearwaters! We even saw 4 puffins on the ride out! Overall an incredible afternoon trip!
Our 4:30 whale watch was just as enjoyable! As we headed offshore we first came across a finback whale. We got some good looks, but it ended up take long dives so we decided to venture further offshore. As we were searching a large humpback whale surfaced close by so we stopped to take a look. This humpback was Sedge a male humpback we've been seeing in the Gulf of Maine since 1988! We got some great looks at Sedge as he circled around the boat. Many other blows were seen around us and 2 other finback whales surfaced nearby.
We were looking carefully at the blows in the distance. Some were finbacks but two looked like the blows of humpback. One blow looked smaller than the other. We thought this might be Siphon and her calf. As we left Sedge and slowly ventured closer we saw a calf logging or resting at the surface. Soon the mother surfaced and we discovered it was Siphon and her calf. These two humpback whales treated us to some incredible close up looks. They surfaced nearby on the left hand side of the boat, took shallow dives, a popped up right next to us! Siphon and her calf hung out right next to the boat. People were in awe and could not believe what they were seeing!
Eventually they moved off and by that time we had to head home. On the way home we spotted a large group of gannets flying over the water and had 2 more finbacks and a minke whale! Just an awesome day!
Wow! That's what we can say! We had another beautiful summer day and numerous whale sightings. Naturalists, Zack and Linda, were on the first trip and reported great bird sightings at Petit Manan and offshore. The whale watch passed by this large group of greater shearwaters.
There were a ton of whales off shore as well! Zack and Linda said that at times it was hard to keep up! During this trip the whale watch saw 10-12 finback whales. One of the finback whales seen was later identified by research assistant Lauren as a finback named Half Moon! This might be due to the half moon-like crevice in the dorsal fin.
After some more exploring the whale watch found three humpback whales: Siphon and calf and Sedge. Siphon and Sedge are two individuals we've been seeing since 1988!
The 1:00 trip brought awe and excitement to our passengers! There were whales all over the place. I lost count! We spotted at least 5-6 finback whales in the area. We had some great looks at these whales. Checking out other spouts in the distance we came across and juvenile humpback whale! Lauren, our whale research intern thinks it might be a whale named Canine. We will confirm this once she has a chance to look at the photos. We'll let you know!
But another whale came to the surface and it was a humpback named Tusk. This is a whale that we've seen since 1980 and he is a regular to our area. Most humpback whales demonstrate site fidelity, returning to the same feeding grounds. We got great shots of his tail! He has two horizontal markings on right hand side, along upper edge of his tail that look like tusks. That is how he received his name.
While watching Tusk we then spotted a huge splash a couple of miles away so we decided to give Tusk a break and go investigate! As we approached we discovered it was a breaching humpback whale! This whale continued to breach numerous times! Over and over and over! It ended up being Siphon's calf! The calf breached a couple of time right next to the boat. Siphon was not far. She surfaced soon after the calf started breaching. But we lost count of the number of times this little calf breached! A stunning display that we don't see everyday!
We eventually ran out of time and had to head back. Also, Allied Whale's research vessel the Borealis was approaching and we wanted to give them the opportunity to see these whales and conduct their research. Along with the whales we had close up looks at harbor and gray seals and many pelagic seabirds like gannets, storm petrels, and shearwaters! We even saw 4 puffins on the ride out! Overall an incredible afternoon trip!
Our 4:30 whale watch was just as enjoyable! As we headed offshore we first came across a finback whale. We got some good looks, but it ended up take long dives so we decided to venture further offshore. As we were searching a large humpback whale surfaced close by so we stopped to take a look. This humpback was Sedge a male humpback we've been seeing in the Gulf of Maine since 1988! We got some great looks at Sedge as he circled around the boat. Many other blows were seen around us and 2 other finback whales surfaced nearby.
We were looking carefully at the blows in the distance. Some were finbacks but two looked like the blows of humpback. One blow looked smaller than the other. We thought this might be Siphon and her calf. As we left Sedge and slowly ventured closer we saw a calf logging or resting at the surface. Soon the mother surfaced and we discovered it was Siphon and her calf. These two humpback whales treated us to some incredible close up looks. They surfaced nearby on the left hand side of the boat, took shallow dives, a popped up right next to us! Siphon and her calf hung out right next to the boat. People were in awe and could not believe what they were seeing!
Eventually they moved off and by that time we had to head home. On the way home we spotted a large group of gannets flying over the water and had 2 more finbacks and a minke whale! Just an awesome day!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Finbacks: Up Close and Personal
July 14, 2009
Well we certainly had a nice morning on the Friendship V! Passengers were treated to great looks at terns,puffins, razorbills, and many black guillemonts at Petit Manan. We even had a common murre fly-by! The pelagic bird diversity was great offshore as well including sooty and greater shearwaters, northern gannets, a juvenile northern fulmar, and numerous wilson storm petrels!
The whales were also numerous offshore. We spotted at least 9-10 finback whales on this trip! And we were fortunate enough to get some amazing looks. We first found two pairs of finbacks swimming in close proximity of each other. It seemed like these whales were circling around in search of or corralling their prey. One pair of finbacks suddenly surfaced near the boat! A whale went under the boat while the other came right across the bow! It was AMAZING! I could not believe how enormous this whale was! Captain Larry was able to spot the other whale on the fish finder and watch it as it quickly dived down to 150 feet below the surface! Check out this video of this close encounter. My apologies for the video beinging a bit bouncy. I was so excited I could not hold the camera still!
After those incredible looks we decided to do some more exploring and soon came across a group of 5 finbacks. People were in awe as they saw the entire group surface together. We were lucky to have such great whales out there today.
The second trip was just as exciting! Naturalists Zack and Linda reported seeing a humpback whale named Canine! This whale was born in 2005 to a humpback named Siphon. The boat was also treated to great looks at 4 finback whales with one group of three traveling together. There were also jumping tuna and many birds.
The last trip wrapped up the day nicely with 3 humpback whales. Two of the three were juveniles, one of which was very curious, coming very close to the boat! The other humpback was Triton! An old favorite to our area. So an another great day and the chance to see two of Allied Whale's adopt-a-whales: Triton and Canine!
Well we certainly had a nice morning on the Friendship V! Passengers were treated to great looks at terns,puffins, razorbills, and many black guillemonts at Petit Manan. We even had a common murre fly-by! The pelagic bird diversity was great offshore as well including sooty and greater shearwaters, northern gannets, a juvenile northern fulmar, and numerous wilson storm petrels!
The whales were also numerous offshore. We spotted at least 9-10 finback whales on this trip! And we were fortunate enough to get some amazing looks. We first found two pairs of finbacks swimming in close proximity of each other. It seemed like these whales were circling around in search of or corralling their prey. One pair of finbacks suddenly surfaced near the boat! A whale went under the boat while the other came right across the bow! It was AMAZING! I could not believe how enormous this whale was! Captain Larry was able to spot the other whale on the fish finder and watch it as it quickly dived down to 150 feet below the surface! Check out this video of this close encounter. My apologies for the video beinging a bit bouncy. I was so excited I could not hold the camera still!
After those incredible looks we decided to do some more exploring and soon came across a group of 5 finbacks. People were in awe as they saw the entire group surface together. We were lucky to have such great whales out there today.
The second trip was just as exciting! Naturalists Zack and Linda reported seeing a humpback whale named Canine! This whale was born in 2005 to a humpback named Siphon. The boat was also treated to great looks at 4 finback whales with one group of three traveling together. There were also jumping tuna and many birds.
The last trip wrapped up the day nicely with 3 humpback whales. Two of the three were juveniles, one of which was very curious, coming very close to the boat! The other humpback was Triton! An old favorite to our area. So an another great day and the chance to see two of Allied Whale's adopt-a-whales: Triton and Canine!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Bring on the Whales!
July 13, 2009
Well, today marked the start of our three trip days and we hit it off with great sightings! The 8:30 trip had many whales and birds. On the Ball Park, aka Whale Park, naturalist Zack Klyver reported 6-7 finback whales and 4 humpback whales were seen. Two of the four humpbacks were Siphon and her calf. The calf was very active, breaching 8-9 times! The calf came right up to the boat and started doing head stands and rolling around. Our research intern, Laura got some great pictures!
Birds seen included a parasitic jager, Wilson storm petrels, and northern fulmers. A great trip!
The afternoon whale watch was wonderful as well. Siphon and her calf were seen in the afternoon with calf continuing to be curious as it approached the boat many times and showed off by doing headstands. Also 2 finback whales were seen!
As the boat headed out offshore for the sunset cruise the Friendship V got great looks at 4 finback whales. We also came across and juvenile humpback that gave us a great looks at its tail! A nice way to wrap up the last trip of the day!
Well, today marked the start of our three trip days and we hit it off with great sightings! The 8:30 trip had many whales and birds. On the Ball Park, aka Whale Park, naturalist Zack Klyver reported 6-7 finback whales and 4 humpback whales were seen. Two of the four humpbacks were Siphon and her calf. The calf was very active, breaching 8-9 times! The calf came right up to the boat and started doing head stands and rolling around. Our research intern, Laura got some great pictures!
Birds seen included a parasitic jager, Wilson storm petrels, and northern fulmers. A great trip!
The afternoon whale watch was wonderful as well. Siphon and her calf were seen in the afternoon with calf continuing to be curious as it approached the boat many times and showed off by doing headstands. Also 2 finback whales were seen!
As the boat headed out offshore for the sunset cruise the Friendship V got great looks at 4 finback whales. We also came across and juvenile humpback that gave us a great looks at its tail! A nice way to wrap up the last trip of the day!
Saturday's Whales
July 11, 2009
Well Saturday's whale watch trips were also successful. Naturalist Kaitlyn Allen reported 7 finback whales- a group of 6 and a single whale, on the first trip. Many birds were seen including northern gannets, Wilson storm petrels, and even a roseate tern at Petit Manan!
On the second trip a juvenile humpback was seen along with 9 finback whales- a group of 2, 3, and 4 individuals. Many northern gannets, gulls, and terns were seen everywhere!
Beautiful weather and lots of life on the whale grounds!
Well Saturday's whale watch trips were also successful. Naturalist Kaitlyn Allen reported 7 finback whales- a group of 6 and a single whale, on the first trip. Many birds were seen including northern gannets, Wilson storm petrels, and even a roseate tern at Petit Manan!
On the second trip a juvenile humpback was seen along with 9 finback whales- a group of 2, 3, and 4 individuals. Many northern gannets, gulls, and terns were seen everywhere!
Beautiful weather and lots of life on the whale grounds!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Whale of a Weekend
July 10th, 2009
Phew! The beautiful weather and awesome whale sightings this weekend kept us busy! Finally have some time to catch up on the blog! On July 10th passengers and crew aboard the Friendship V enjoyed many finback whales and a few different humpback whales. Many different species of pelagic seabirds were seen as well. It seems like food remains plentiful for the marine life offshore.
On the morning trip the whale watch came across a juvenile humpback whale. This is an individual we saw a couple of days ago. Along with this humpback 6 finback whales were in the area- a group of two and a group of four.
In the afternoon a pair of humpback whales, Siphon and her calf, were found resting at the surface. We call this behavior "logging" because the backs of the whales look like logs as they rest at the surface. It is thought that whales shut half of their brain off to rest, while the other half stays awake to keep the whale swimming and breathing. After resting for a while the calf decided to do some head stands, sticking its tail out of the water.
In the late afternoon the whale watch continued to see Siphon and her calf. The calf was lob tailing and doing headstands. Such an active calf! A minke whale and 5 finback whales were also seen.
Phew! The beautiful weather and awesome whale sightings this weekend kept us busy! Finally have some time to catch up on the blog! On July 10th passengers and crew aboard the Friendship V enjoyed many finback whales and a few different humpback whales. Many different species of pelagic seabirds were seen as well. It seems like food remains plentiful for the marine life offshore.
On the morning trip the whale watch came across a juvenile humpback whale. This is an individual we saw a couple of days ago. Along with this humpback 6 finback whales were in the area- a group of two and a group of four.
In the afternoon a pair of humpback whales, Siphon and her calf, were found resting at the surface. We call this behavior "logging" because the backs of the whales look like logs as they rest at the surface. It is thought that whales shut half of their brain off to rest, while the other half stays awake to keep the whale swimming and breathing. After resting for a while the calf decided to do some head stands, sticking its tail out of the water.
In the late afternoon the whale watch continued to see Siphon and her calf. The calf was lob tailing and doing headstands. Such an active calf! A minke whale and 5 finback whales were also seen.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Jumping for Joy!
July 9, 2009
What a BEAUTIFUL day we had offshore today! The sun was shining and the seas were calm. There was an abundance of life on the feeding ground today. The wildlife was also closer to shore than usual. We only had to go about 20 miles out, 5 miles shy of the Ball Park, the area in which we go to find the whales.
At Petit Manan Island we had many nice looks at the puffins. We saw many terns and puffins carrying fish in their mouths as the flew towards the island! The researchers on Petit Manan reported over 100 pairs of nesting puffins-a new record number for this nesting island! Puffins, razorbills, and terns flew by the boat as we talked with Brian, the research station manager.
We eventually left Petit Manan to head offshore to search for whales. As we traveled through the glass calm waters, we saw many harbor porpoise, seals, jumping tuna, and birds including sooty and greater shearwaters, Wilson and Leech's storm petrels, northern gannets, and northern fulmars. Then we suddenly spotted a blow.
It was a finback whale. We got a few good looks, but Captain Jerry received calls from a couple of boats- the Lovely Lucy and a fishing vessel that found whales along the northern boarder of the Ball Park. So we decided to go check them out.
As we spotted the Lovely Lucy in the distance a whale surfaced. It was a humpback whale! After spending a little time with this whale we spotted more blows and found another humpback whale.
What a BEAUTIFUL day we had offshore today! The sun was shining and the seas were calm. There was an abundance of life on the feeding ground today. The wildlife was also closer to shore than usual. We only had to go about 20 miles out, 5 miles shy of the Ball Park, the area in which we go to find the whales.
At Petit Manan Island we had many nice looks at the puffins. We saw many terns and puffins carrying fish in their mouths as the flew towards the island! The researchers on Petit Manan reported over 100 pairs of nesting puffins-a new record number for this nesting island! Puffins, razorbills, and terns flew by the boat as we talked with Brian, the research station manager.
We eventually left Petit Manan to head offshore to search for whales. As we traveled through the glass calm waters, we saw many harbor porpoise, seals, jumping tuna, and birds including sooty and greater shearwaters, Wilson and Leech's storm petrels, northern gannets, and northern fulmars. Then we suddenly spotted a blow.
It was a finback whale. We got a few good looks, but Captain Jerry received calls from a couple of boats- the Lovely Lucy and a fishing vessel that found whales along the northern boarder of the Ball Park. So we decided to go check them out.As we spotted the Lovely Lucy in the distance a whale surfaced. It was a humpback whale! After spending a little time with this whale we spotted more blows and found another humpback whale.
There were whales all around us! We got a glimpse at a second finback whale that surfaced close enough for us to get a couple of nice looks. Eventually, we had run out of time and had to head back in. The captain told me that there was a lot of bait below the surface. A beautiful morning with 2 finbacks and 2 humpbacks.
Our afternoon trip was also just as enjoyable. The first whales we found were Siphon and her calf. This is a mother and calf humpback whale pair that we have seen over the last few days. Siphon and the calf were resting at the surface.We also had looks at two large finbacks that surfaced nearby. Like this morning there were many blows all around us and there was a patch of fish 100 feet thick coming up from the bottom of the ocean floor!
And suddenly the calf and Siphon became very active and the calf breached two times!
An awesome trip and a beautiful summer day! Our research intern, Laura, took amazing pictures. Also, check out the active calf on this video taken the day of the trip:
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Lunge Feeding Finbacks and a Humpback or Two
July 8, 2009
Although we had cloudy skies and a bit of rain it was another great day out on the water! After spending time with the puffins this morning the boat ventured off to the feeding grounds. Naturalists Zack and Linda along with research intern, Laura, were anxious of what awaited offshore. And well, it seemed that the breakfast bell was ringing! Passengers were treated to 3 lunge feeding finback whales, with 4 other finbacks surfacing nearby. Lunge feeding is an exciting behavior to witness and we don't get to see whales doing this very often. They are usually feeding deeper down in the water column. But the finbacks lunged over 30 times! There were patches of krill seen at the surface. This was probably what they were eating.
When these large baleen whales feed they open their enormous mouths, taking in prey and seawater. Being mammals, they can't drink the saltwater. The fringed, keratin plates called baleen strain the water out and keep the food in. Finback whales can have up to 900 individual baleen plates hanging down from their upper jaw. Also, stretching from the lower jaw to their belly button are approximately 80 throat pleats or grooves that expand like an accordion causing the lower jaw to balloon out and act like a pouch to gather up their prey. This allows them to catch up to 100-150 pounds of prey in one big gulp!
The afternoon trip was just as successful as the 1:00 whale watch saw 5 finbacks as well as a mother and calf pair of humpback whales. The mother was a humpback named Siphon!
The whale watch crew were happy to see that she decided to stick around and continue to feed and show off her calf. Her calf is at least 5 to 6 months old at this point. It was born in the warmer waters of the Caribbean, somewhere off the coast of the Dominican Republic or West Indies. Siphon and other calving females can lose up to 15,000 pounds during the winter months. She loses a great deal of her weight due to providing fatty rich milk to her calf and from surviving off her fat reserves while traveling to and from the breeding and calving grounds.
A great way to wrap up another day offshore. We hope to continue having many more nice days to come! Many thanks to research intern, Laura, for taking such great pictures!
Although we had cloudy skies and a bit of rain it was another great day out on the water! After spending time with the puffins this morning the boat ventured off to the feeding grounds. Naturalists Zack and Linda along with research intern, Laura, were anxious of what awaited offshore. And well, it seemed that the breakfast bell was ringing! Passengers were treated to 3 lunge feeding finback whales, with 4 other finbacks surfacing nearby. Lunge feeding is an exciting behavior to witness and we don't get to see whales doing this very often. They are usually feeding deeper down in the water column. But the finbacks lunged over 30 times! There were patches of krill seen at the surface. This was probably what they were eating.
When these large baleen whales feed they open their enormous mouths, taking in prey and seawater. Being mammals, they can't drink the saltwater. The fringed, keratin plates called baleen strain the water out and keep the food in. Finback whales can have up to 900 individual baleen plates hanging down from their upper jaw. Also, stretching from the lower jaw to their belly button are approximately 80 throat pleats or grooves that expand like an accordion causing the lower jaw to balloon out and act like a pouch to gather up their prey. This allows them to catch up to 100-150 pounds of prey in one big gulp!
The afternoon trip was just as successful as the 1:00 whale watch saw 5 finbacks as well as a mother and calf pair of humpback whales. The mother was a humpback named Siphon!
The whale watch crew were happy to see that she decided to stick around and continue to feed and show off her calf. Her calf is at least 5 to 6 months old at this point. It was born in the warmer waters of the Caribbean, somewhere off the coast of the Dominican Republic or West Indies. Siphon and other calving females can lose up to 15,000 pounds during the winter months. She loses a great deal of her weight due to providing fatty rich milk to her calf and from surviving off her fat reserves while traveling to and from the breeding and calving grounds.
A great way to wrap up another day offshore. We hope to continue having many more nice days to come! Many thanks to research intern, Laura, for taking such great pictures!
Finbacks, Finbacks Everywhere!
On July 6th, the whale watch found numerous finbacks on the feeding grounds. Naturalists Linda and Zack reported a total of 9 finback whales. The finbacks were traveling in groups of three or four.
Our research assistant, Lauren, took many great photos of the whales seen out there. Still many seabirds and seals, including this juvenile northern gannet and gray seal! It was a beautiful day with an abundance of whales!
Everyone got great looks as a group of three finbacks surfaced near the boat! It was both interesting and exciting to see these finbacks traveling in a group. It is not uncommon to see this type of behavior, but considering a single finback consumes up to 1 million calories a day, it is thought that feeding alone is more beneficial. But when there is an abundance of prey they may travel together, cooperatively feeding as they help each other corral schooling fish.
Our research assistant, Lauren, took many great photos of the whales seen out there. Still many seabirds and seals, including this juvenile northern gannet and gray seal! It was a beautiful day with an abundance of whales!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
SIPHON RETURNS!
July 7, 2009
Despite the bumpy ride we had two nice whale watches today. During our visit to Petit Manan Island in the morning we had many puffins, razorbills, and terns. One puffin and two razorbills came flying by right next to the boat for great close looks! As we ventured offshore we came across 4-5 finback whales! They were spread out, feeding on prey about 300 feet below the surface, but we managed to get some good looks.
Our afternoon trip turned out to be a memorable one for many of our passengers! While passing Egg Rock we spotted 2 bald eagles! When we reached the feeding grounds it did not take us long to find a whale. We first came across a finback whale. While watching this finback whale we saw at least a dozen gray seals and they came up very close to the boat.
This whale allowed us great looks, surfacing close to the boat! After a few nice looks we ventured off to do some more exploring. It is a good thing we did because we spotted four other blows in the distance.
As we approached a whale suddenly breached, jumping clear out of the water! It was a humpback whale and it breached numerous times as we came closer.
We noticed it was quite small and soon realized it was a calf as its mother surfaced nearby! And then we wondered......is the mother Siphon? And it WAS! We were so excited that Siphon had arrived with her 5th calf!
Siphon is a female humpback we've been seeing in our area almost every year since 1988! We can identify humpbacks by looking at the unique markings underneath the fluke or tail. Like a fingerprint each tail pattern is different. This type of whale research was pioneered at Allied Whale, a non-profit marine mammal research group based out of Bar Harbor, in the 1970's. Over time we started naming whales, based on their tail patterns. This less invasive research allows marine scientists to track their migration routes and learn a great deal about their life history.
Siphon's calves have been known to be very active. This one certainly was! It continued to breach and lobtail numerous times! Siphon's 4th calf was born in the winter of 2007 and its name is Egret. Next spring will give us the chance to name this calf.
We observed 2 finbacks that surfaced nearby as well as many different sea birds including 2 jagers! Northern Fulmars, northern gannets, shearwaters, and petrels were some of the other species we saw. But we were so excited that Siphon returned and we hope see her and her calf throughout the season!
Despite the bumpy ride we had two nice whale watches today. During our visit to Petit Manan Island in the morning we had many puffins, razorbills, and terns. One puffin and two razorbills came flying by right next to the boat for great close looks! As we ventured offshore we came across 4-5 finback whales! They were spread out, feeding on prey about 300 feet below the surface, but we managed to get some good looks.
Our afternoon trip turned out to be a memorable one for many of our passengers! While passing Egg Rock we spotted 2 bald eagles! When we reached the feeding grounds it did not take us long to find a whale. We first came across a finback whale. While watching this finback whale we saw at least a dozen gray seals and they came up very close to the boat.
This whale allowed us great looks, surfacing close to the boat! After a few nice looks we ventured off to do some more exploring. It is a good thing we did because we spotted four other blows in the distance.
As we approached a whale suddenly breached, jumping clear out of the water! It was a humpback whale and it breached numerous times as we came closer.
We noticed it was quite small and soon realized it was a calf as its mother surfaced nearby! And then we wondered......is the mother Siphon? And it WAS! We were so excited that Siphon had arrived with her 5th calf!
Siphon is a female humpback we've been seeing in our area almost every year since 1988! We can identify humpbacks by looking at the unique markings underneath the fluke or tail. Like a fingerprint each tail pattern is different. This type of whale research was pioneered at Allied Whale, a non-profit marine mammal research group based out of Bar Harbor, in the 1970's. Over time we started naming whales, based on their tail patterns. This less invasive research allows marine scientists to track their migration routes and learn a great deal about their life history.
Siphon's calves have been known to be very active. This one certainly was! It continued to breach and lobtail numerous times! Siphon's 4th calf was born in the winter of 2007 and its name is Egret. Next spring will give us the chance to name this calf.
We observed 2 finbacks that surfaced nearby as well as many different sea birds including 2 jagers! Northern Fulmars, northern gannets, shearwaters, and petrels were some of the other species we saw. But we were so excited that Siphon returned and we hope see her and her calf throughout the season!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Fantastic Finbacks on the Fourth of July!
July 4, 2009
We hope that everyone had a great Fourth of July because we sure did! Although our morning trip was quite foggy, we managed to find two finback whales. We had one good look, but they were swimming at the surface very fast. It is no wonder they are nicknamed the "greyhounds of the sea"! They can burst up to speeds between 25-30mph when chasing after their prey. Feeding was probably on the agenda for those two finbacks.
However, the afternoon trip was wonderful! The fog in Frenchman Bay had started to move off as we boarded and to our surprise, continued to due so as we ventured offshore. The visibility was improving. With binoculars in hand we scanned the horizon looking for blows rising from the surface of the water. It did not take us long. One blow eventually turned in to four blows as a group of four finback whales came to the surface.
However, the afternoon trip was wonderful! The fog in Frenchman Bay had started to move off as we boarded and to our surprise, continued to due so as we ventured offshore. The visibility was improving. With binoculars in hand we scanned the horizon looking for blows rising from the surface of the water. It did not take us long. One blow eventually turned in to four blows as a group of four finback whales came to the surface.
These finbacks were taking about 5 to10 minute dives. At one point a finback stuck its head out of the water as it surfaced! Its mouth was partially opened and the lower jaw was ballooned out indicating that this whale just came up with food in its mouth. The whales kept our research assistant, Laura, very busy! 
At one point all four finbacks came right up next to the boat. People were in awe as it gave them the opportunity to get close looks and see just how enormous these animals are! Check out this video taken from the naturalist's station on the Friendship V.
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