Thursday started off with a breeze, but quickly died down as we made our journey out towards Jeffreys Ledge. The whales have definitely been making us work for those sightings as of recent, as we are frequently travelling 20+ miles offshore before we start seeing those distant spouts. By the time we reached the ledge, it was a beautiful, calm summer day offshore.
Humpback whale, Sedge, diving
Our sightings consisted of two humpback whales, both very familiar friends for us, Sedge and Pinball! Both of these whales started off very close to one another, but began moving in opposite directions. We stuck with Pinball for a while before ultimately trying to do some more searching. We travelled a decent ways before our next sighting, Sedge! Again!!! This whale wasted no time making its way east, so much so that we figured it had to have been a different whale before closer inspection.
Pinball approaching boat
Pinball diving
After saying our final goodbye to Sedge, we did a big circle around the general area, searching for other whales that had been reported nearby, but alas, no success. A heavy haze had been wreaking havoc on our visibility so perhaps they were just barely beyond where our eyes could see. No problem though, we completed our circle by getting some last looks at Pinball, before she came in towards us and provided some amazing views as she went down on a deeper dive. A beautiful send off before turning back towards home!
Friday's trip began with that same long drive offshore, but quickly became worth the wait once we made it to our destination. We were immediately sat in the middle of several humpback whales. All of these whales travelling independently of one another, but still in close proximity. We were first able to spend time with Owl, Yurt, Spika, and one more humpback whose ID is currently pending.
Humpback whale, Owl, diving
We could see more whales in the distance, so we slowly moved our way over towards them. Closer inspection revealed that it was humpback whales Valley and Bungee travelling in association with one another. We only stayed for a few quick looks before it was time to turn back towards home. We didn't make it very far before...
BREACH
Two of our original humpback whales, Yurt and Spika, both jumped clear out of the water several times! We truly never know what we are going to see offshore. People often ask us what to expect from these animals, and the very unsatisfying (or satisfying) answer we often reveal, is that we just don't know. These two whales breached more in one trip than we had in the entirety of our 2024 season (3 times last year, 6 times in the last day). The interesting behaviors didn't let up there however, as both these whales began flipper slapping repeatedly.
Huge flipper!
We were truly fortunate to be at the right place at the right time. Eventually, these whales resumed more "normal" behaviors, and it was really time for us to head home. We are looking forward to seeing what the weekend brings next!
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