Well, we have certainly had a wonderful start to our season this year. Our travels offshore continue to be fantastic and full of marine life. Over the last few weeks we have sighted three large whale species: fin, humpback, and minke. Other sightings include: harbor and grey seals, harbor porpoise, Atlantic white-sided dolphins, and basking sharks!
Humpbacks sighted and identified in the last few weeks:
Flyer
Triton
Spar and 2013 calf
The whale watch continues to see fin whale in groups of 2-4 feeding deep in the water column. However, considering that fin whale can be an elusive species, we've continued to get amazing looks. Sometimes the whales have surfaced near the boat or moved in for a close approach. When watching whales we operate under guidelines established by NOAA fisheries. Our company is a participant of the Whale Sense program. This way we observe whales safely and do not pose a threat. Each year our naturalists and captains undergo training so we can help promote responsible whale watching practices and ocean stewardship.
Here is a video from one of our trips a couple of weeks ago:
Our company continues to work with Allied Whale. We carry research assistants so Allied Whale can continue to photograph fin and humpback whales for photo-identification purposes. Fin whales, unlike humpbacks, are little more difficult to identify in the field. The data helps scientists to learn more about whales. This way we can help protect them and learn more about the health of their habitat-the Gulf of Maine.
The boat went out today, July 3rd, after several days of staying docked due to rough and foggy offshore conditions. We will continue to keep you posted and hope you can join us on a trip!
