June 12th:
On an overcast, but calm day the whale watch disembarked on another adventure offshore from Bar Harbor. Today, the boat decided to check out territory closer to home, hoping that the whales had arrived to their usual feeding areas. We typically head out to a few different offshore areas including the Bumps, Schoodic Ridges, Ballpark, and Mount Desert Rock. All are unique seafloor features that result in upwelling currents that are forced upwards toward the surface. The physical influences of the ocean topography, tides, and currents create productive "hot spots" for food to concentrate.
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| Different feeding areas in the Gulf of Maine. The letter I indicates the location of the Schoodic Ridges. (Center for Coastal Studies) |
Not seeing the larger whales can be disheartening, but time to time it happens, especially early on in the season when plankton blooms may have occurred later in the spring. We can't predict the exact location the whales will be or how many-both of which are influenced by the location and abundance of prey. Whale watching takes time and patience, but makes us appreciate the seeing these incredible animals in their natural habitat. We always encourage passengers to try coming out at another time (vouchers given when whales are not sighted) as conditions can drastically change daily, weekly, or monthly.
June 15th:
After a few days stuck at the dock, the sea conditions were finally safe enough to allow the whale watch to go out. A visit to Petit Manan resulted in seeing dozens of puffins, numerous razorbills, and terns. Puffins were active as they flew around the boat while the island buzzed with the calls of terns and laughing gulls!
The North Atlantic puffin is the only puffin species on the east coast. We are very fortunate to have the opportunity to see these birds considering they were nearly wiped out and only nest on about four islands along the coast of Maine. We are at the most southern extent of their breeding area. When the breeding season is over, they return to the open sea not returning until the following spring! This pigeon-sized seabirds are fast flyers, as they've been clocked at reaching speeds of 50 mph!
Eventually, it was time to leave the island and start heading offshore in search of whales. A few harbor porpoise appeared here and there as the whale watch boat ventured from the Bumps to the Inner Schoodic Ridges, and eventually to Mount Desert Rock. Again, things remained slow for large whale sightings. The boat covered a great deal of area with many eyes scanning the water.
Unfortunately, searching time ran out before finding any whales and the boat had to head back to Bar Harbor. However, hopes and spirits remain high, as the it is still early in the season and our next trip could hold a completely different scenario. We shall see!
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| North Atlantic Puffins in flight! |
Eventually, it was time to leave the island and start heading offshore in search of whales. A few harbor porpoise appeared here and there as the whale watch boat ventured from the Bumps to the Inner Schoodic Ridges, and eventually to Mount Desert Rock. Again, things remained slow for large whale sightings. The boat covered a great deal of area with many eyes scanning the water.
Unfortunately, searching time ran out before finding any whales and the boat had to head back to Bar Harbor. However, hopes and spirits remain high, as the it is still early in the season and our next trip could hold a completely different scenario. We shall see!
