Sunday, June 29

Our morning trip started off great today. We got some great looks at such a distinctive Minke whale (thanks to its uniquely shaped dorsal fin).

Minke whale

A closer look at this Minke whale's dorsal fin shape

Conditions were beautiful and with more whales being reported further offshore we were excited to see what we would come upon next. Unfortunately the whales had other plans. Multiple times we would see whale spouts, move into the area, only to then wait 15+ minutes and still not have any luck relocating any whales nearby. We tried and tried and then tried some more. Eventually our patience paid off. We made our way back towards an area where we had attempted to watch one of the many whales from earlier in the trip. This whale was not only spending just a few minutes under the water but was also circling around the area in general. Sometimes a whale's behavior can be extremely cooperative for us and other times extremely challenging for us. All we can do it try and sometimes just let time pass. Less than an hour later not only was this whale still in the area but being much more conducive to actually watch this wild animal. We ended up getting some fantastic looks at this Fin whale!

Such nice looks as this whale circled around us

After investigating our photographs and our Fin Whale Catalog we are happy to report we had a new visitor for the season. Fin whale #1008 has returned to Jeffreys Ledge after first being identified in 2010.

Fin whale #1008

Fin whales certainly have a way of showcasing just how enormous they are when they swim through the water

As we spent some great time watching this whale a surprise fin suddenly appeared close by. There was a Basking shark near us.

Basking shark turning right in towards the boat!

What a great way to end our trip especially having cruised around the exact area early and having no luck whatsoever in the marine-life department. Wildlife certainly continues to do a great job reminding us how lucky we are to see any part of the ocean-dwelling world and that things can, and do, change constantly.

This afternoon we headed back offshore to where the Fin whales had been earlier in the day. This time things were quiet where only hours before we had seen whale activity. Instead just a few miles away another Fin whale was moving about. This whale was definitely darting all around. It was another new visitor to the area for us this year.

Check out the lighter shade of skin forward of this Fin whale's dorsal fin!

At the same time we spotted this whale another visitor popped up out of nowhere. It was a Minke whale but not just any Minke whale, it was Scar! A very well-documented whale seen around Jeffreys Ledge since 1995!

Even from a distance we know Scar Minke is around as a result of this whale's extremely noticeable scar/divot on its body

What great sightings to see having moved into the area. Before heading for home we were able to check out another Fin whale. It turned out to be #1008 but in a much different location than where it had been seen during our morning trip.

 More great looks at #1008 (above and below) moving around this afternoon!

The whales today certainly had their own agendas, which they always do, helping to make today and each and every one of our trips unique in their own ways.