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Thursday, July 11, 2013

Thursday July 11

Today we got a chance to watch Minke whales, a Fin whale, and a stop at Boon Island to check out the seals on both of our trips today. This morning, after dodging some heavy rain storms and a quick stop to look at the seals, we made out way out towards Jeffreys Ledge. 
Seals checking us out in the waters around Boon Island (above and below)
A spout was spotted and soon we realized a different Fin whale had arrived on the ledge. This whale's body and dorsal fin was different than the other Fin whales we have been seeing recently. We watched as this whale circled around and at one point swam right in towards the boat.
Fin whale
On our ride home we even caught a quick glimpse at two different Minke whales. This afternoon we headed back out towards where our Fin whale had been in the morning. Before making our way to the area we were sidetracked with some great looks at a Minke whale.
Minke whale
This whale spent some time cruising down the offshore swells and circling around the area. We pressed on and did some searching before we were once again lucky enough to find the same Fin whale from this morning.
Fin whale spout as a dark rain cloud passes further offshore
This animal was still around and provided the opportunity to take more photographs of this whale in order to help potentially identify it.
Fin whale
We will wait to make sure the Master Fin whale IDer from Blue Ocean verifies this match but we think it is Fin whale #0282. This whale was first seen on Jeffreys Ledge in 2002 and was last seen in 2009. Welcome back to the ledge and hopefully we'll continue to see this whale moseying around the area for some more time this year!
Close-up look at of our Fin whale's dorsal fin as a possible match of #0282!

Thanks to all of passengers today who did a fantastic job spotting marine life!

Grey seal at Boon Island

2 comments:

  1. My daughter and I were on this watch with you. Both of us were very impressed with your knowledge of the ocean and the life that abounds in it. We have already decided that we would go on another watch with you when in the area. Keep up the great work.

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  2. Thank you so much for the kind words Deborah. The whales continue to share insights into their lives over the years which gives us the chance to continue learning about these creatures. The least we can do is share some of our knowledge and passion regarding these magnificent mammals to you all as well. I look forward to seeing you both again on a future trip!

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