Thursday August 15

We had quite the nice surprise today out on Jeffreys Ledge. A very familiar whale was in the area. Fjord the Fin whale has returned! This is the first time we aboard the Granite State have seen this whale this season. 

Fjord swimming alongside the boat this morning

Fjord is known to be seen on Jeffreys Ledge very early in the season (as in the first couple trips of the season in May!) and was seen by one of our other Blue Ocean Society affiliated friends back then but had not been seen on the ledge since...until today! 

Just a portion of the length of Fjord's body above the surface

We were able to get some great looks at this whale on both of our trips as it wasn't moving very far each time this whale returned back up to the surface for some breaths of air. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the day was that even though we spent time with Fjord on both trips today, the whale itself was in a completely different location between the morning and our afternoon sighting. A pristine example of how whales can, and do, move through the area and do so in just a matter of hours!

Fjord this afternoon. Thanks to our friends aboard the Atlantic Queen II for spotting this whale on their way home!



Fjord seen less than 10 miles from the Isles of Shoals this afternoon!

We also got a chance to spend time with a Minke whale this afternoon and a few seals scattered around.

Minke whale just beyond Appledore Island

Our surprise on land was that before we even left the dock this afternoon a Grey seal popped up in Rye Harbor!! Literally steps from the dock a Grey seal surfaced, checked us all out, and then disappeared. See...we really can spot marine life at any time during (and sometimes even before!) our trips!