Friday September 14

Having the chance to spend time with even one whale can be quite the experience.  A moment in time where two mammals from very different "worlds" (solid ground vs. completely submersed in water) catch a glimpse into the lives of each other.  Granted most of the time we humans are watching the whales more than the whales watching us but it can still be a moment like no other.  Throw in not just one whale but a pair to start the trip with, a single circling around, and ultimately coming into an area where whale-life was completely surrounding us was not only completely unexpected but astounding with each second that went by.

The day started with a pair of Humpback whales traveling through the water together.  Nile and Tectonic were in synchrony with their surfacing and dive intervals. 

Nile in the process of heading into the depths of the ocean

Seeing these two adult whales still in our area, and currently swimming around together, was a pleasant way to start the day.

Nile

Tectonic

Further offshore we discovered another spout.  It was another Humpback whale.  Instead of constantly moving in a general direction like Nile and Tectonic had been, this particular whale was circling around the area.  While the unique markings on the underside of this Humpback whale tail were quite distinct the pattern did not trigger a bell into the plethora of Humpback whale tails we can sometimes recognize right off the bat.  After some searching we have still yet to make a positive match to a fluke found in the catalog but if/when we do we will be sure to let you all know!

The only Humpback whale of the day that is still in the process of getting matched.  There are definitely some unique black and white markings found on the underside of this tail

We began running a bit short on time in regards to any more offshore exploration and soon started to make headway back towards Rye Harbor.  Unknowing to any of us we were certainly in for a handful of surprises along the way home.

First we saw a spout then another spout.  Suddenly not too far away from us a trio of Humpback whales and at least one Fin whale were near by.  Having not yet gotten the chance to spend time with one of the second largest animals on the planet (the mighty large Fin whale!) we altered course slightly to swing through the area.  Well one Fin whale turned into two side-by-side.  Unfortunately neither one of them were surfacing much and neither one of them ever appeared to go on a much deeper dive.  After attempting to get looks at our Fin whale pair we had yet to relocate the other group in the area but instead saw splashing just up ahead.  A group of 75 Atlantic white-sided dolphins were close to us.  Since they were at least "towards" home we figured okay a quick look at some agile dolphins and we would get back underway. 

An Atlantic white-sided dolphin

Soon everything surfaced all at the same time.  The trio of Humpback whales were now close to the dolphins, the pair of Fin whales were moving in the same direction, and even now a third lone Fin whale was spotted all the while sticking close to the toothed-whales being seen in every which direction.  As one of our passengers put it "we hit the whale jackpot."  Yes we had.  Even through all the chaos of whales surfacing in every direction we were able to identify the Humpback whales as Cinder, Geometry, and Komodo.  Two new additions (Cinder and Komodo) for the season for individual whales to spend time on Jeffreys Ledge! 

Geometry and Komodo following in suit if Cinder (which had already dove down under the water at this point)

The Fin whales continued to be a bit elusive, just barely bringing any part of their bodies above the waterline, so we stuck with the dolphins before we really needed to continue towards home. 

Atlantic white-sided dolphin cruising past the boat!

We were on the move once again but before long we knew we were about to get diverted again.  More splashing was being seen out ahead of us.  Initially we thought great another pod of Atlantic white-sided dolphins.  However, the longer we watched the splashing the more we knew those weren't more of the same species we had already taken looks at.  The dorsal fin surely were consistently breaking the surface, larger dorsal fins, large bodies.... a pod of Pilot whales were just ahead of us!!! 

Pilot whales can be very easily distinguished from the other toothed-whales we occasionally encounter.  Dark color and big dorsal fins are a great indication of this species!

As if we weren't already running later than planned no way could we pass up the chance of seeing a type of whale that we have gone entire seasons without seeing!  This group of about 15 was just meandering along, constantly circling around, and surfacing just alongside the boat a few times. 

Incoming Pilot whale!

These whales are HUGE in comparison to the white-sided dolphins we had just spent time with.  Pilot whales can easily be twice the size of a full grown white-sided dolphins and having some of these whales swim just in front and just to the side of us was awesome.

Pilot whales surfacing so close to the boat

A young Pilot whale catches a glimpse of us watching it!

The unexpectedness of wildlife today was surely in the spotlight and we will continue to expect more of the unknown when we once again venture offshore for another trip to Jeffreys Ledge tomorrow!

Sunday September 9

Perhaps the only similarity between our two trips was the fact that we had "Grand Slams" during both our offshore adventures yesterday.  Though we saw at least 4 species of whales during each trip the species of whales couldn't have been more different.  Once again Jeffreys Ledge proved to be full of life AND variety!

Our morning trip ended up including sightings of four kinds of baleen whales!  Typically if we are lucky enough to spot 4 types of whales in one trip it usually ends up being mostly baleen whales (Minke whale, Fin whales, and Humpback whales) as well as the toothed-whale variety of the area; Atlantic white-sided dolphins.  Well this morning it was a very unexpected species that completed the 4 types of whales for the trip and even that didn't occur until during our travels home.  The day began with a quick look at a Minke whale before heading towards Jeffreys Ledge and coming across a single Humpback whale.  It was Patches!  This whale continues to be spending time on the ledge and was moving ever so slowly around this morning.  With minimal travel movements we were able to get some great looks at this particular whale. 

Patches

As we spent time with Patches we had an unexpected visitor swim by.  Fin whale #9709 suddenly surfaced just beyond Patches, swam in front of the boat, and dove down just off our port side!  What a great look at another species just going about its daily activities.  It was also a great size comparison to witness a full grown Humpback whale (a medium-sized whale species) to that of a Fin whale which is one of the second largest animals on the planet! 

Fin whale #9709 moving through the area!

We spent a bit more time with Patches awaiting to see if our Fin whale would circle around the area, which it most definitely didn't, before continuing on our way.  Soon we saw another Humpback whale which was in fact a mother and her calf.  Tornado and calf were meandering around as well.  The calf spent much of its time on the surface while Tornado continued to move around further down in the ocean column.

Tornado off on a deeper dive while her calf remains at the surface

Before leaving this pair we did get a chance to see the calf grab a quick morning snack from mom as it began alternating surfacing on either side of mom; an indication that nursing was most likely occurring.  Before we were out of time we also got the chance to see another pair of Humpback whales.  This time it was two adults moving around together.  Tectonic and Nile were also out on the ledge this morning.  What a nice way to get some last looks at whales before turning for home.  Little did we know we had one more surprise before getting back to Rye Harbor.

Tectonic's dorsal fin (above) and Nile's tail (below)

Every now and then we come across whales during our travels home for many times we are traveling through areas we have not yet been through.  Such was the case today but no one was expecting the species that surfaced in the area.  A highly endangered Right whale suddenly surfaced from the depths of the ocean as we moved through the area.  The tell-tale sign, a v-shaped spout, meant a very endangered whale was in the vicinity.  Being such a low-profile species and swimming almost directly away from us made it quite tricky for our passengers to see much other than that distinct spout out in the distance.  As regulations require boats of all shapes and sizes need to remain a certain distance from this type of whale so with our rare species on the move away from us we were clear to continue on home.  Just being in the presence of such a rare animal is incredible even though I know many people could barely even make out what was moving along out in the distance.  The whales once again provided quite the experience for all on board this morning.

With such a unique morning cruise we were all interested to see what Jeffreys Ledge had in store for us this afternoon.  Well the surprises continued in a completely different manor than from the morning.  For starters our first sighting was inshore of the Isles of Shoals.  Not even six miles from land we found ourselves watching a group of 100 Atlantic white-sided dolphins!

The sun was shining, the ocean was calm, and the dolphins were so close to land!

Our group of Atlantic white-sided dolphins inside of the Isles of Shoals (in the background)

This group was feeding as these were creating their own ripples in the water since they constantly were circling/turning/speeding around. 

The change in the ocean (all the extra ripples) are being caused by the pod of dolphins!

All the whales were in such a confined area that were were able to get some incredible looks at these toothed-whales just barely after begin the afternoon trip!

Dolphins surfacing for a breath of air

This dolphin certainly made a point to tail slap a few times

Once we were underway again we were hearing reports of more toothed-whales offshore.  But they weren't Atlantic white-sided dolphins.  Instead the reports were of a species about twice the size of the whales we had such been watching.  Pilot whales were out on the distant side of Jeffreys Ledge.  We have not gotten the chance to see Pilot whales at all this season and having a group of them in our region we knew it was an opportunity we could not pass up.  Two types of toothed-whales all of which had not been around only hours ago during our morning trip!  Wow.  It was another completely unexpected surprise.  We made our way to the area and ended up spending time with ~30 Pilot whales though twice as many were also further out in the distance.  These whales are so different looking than our typically, and still not common, sightings of white-sided dolphins.  All dark in color, large dorsal fins, and bulbous flat heads are all characteristics so unique to this whale species. 

Young Pilot whale face!

Large dorsal fin of a Pilot whale

One of the many Pilot whales moving around the area

Not every day we get the chance to see two types of toothed-whales but especially having these species providing the absolutely perfect conditions to shut off the engines and just float alongside these animals was just icing on the cake!  As these whales meandered around the area we sat bobbing up and down with the swells giving all of us the chance to not only enjoy seeing these whales but also hearing each little spout these whales were making.  Awesome, awesome, moments.

After all of our toothed-whale activities we knew it was time to investigate the larger visible spouts we were seeing from other whales in the area.  Fin whales and Humpback whales were plentiful.  It was almost a bit of whale chaos as we had to ease around the area as we figured out just how many whales were around and where in fact they were moving towards.  We got some incredible looks at a few of the Fin whales circling around the area before making our way towards a pair of whales. 

One of the many Fin whales in the area

The pair we were heading towards was another mother and calf Humpback whale pair.  However, this time it was not Tornado.  A new mom decided to make herself known to Jeffreys Ledge for the first time this season.  Welcome to the area Palette and her calf! 

Palette

Palette's tail as her calf takes a breath of air along side her

More spouts continued to be seen but we knew it was time to head back to the mainland.  Jeffreys Ledge certainly did a good job today reminding all of us that when it comes to wildlife anything is possible.

Saturday September 8

The ocean was a bit on the wild side today and knowing things were only supposed to get even more "exciting" we only had one trip instead of two today.  While the ocean was a rockin' and a rollin' the whales certainly didn't seem to mind a bit more wave activity.  Our trip started with 2 Fin whales.  Both whales were constantly changing direction, circling around the area, so it was a bit challenging to keep track of both whales.  However, we did have a little extra help regarding one of our Fin whales.  A small pod of Atlantic white-sided dolphins were escorting one of the whales in the area!  Since these dolphins can only hold their breath for 2-3 minutes at a time they were surfacing much more frequently than the Fin whale they were following.  By maneuvering the boat alongside the dolphins we were hoping eventually the Fin whale would appear.  Of course we are also thrilled when these predictions work, as it did today!  While watching the dolphins suddenly a massive spout occurred right in the center of these toothed-whales.  We got some great looks as this enormous Fin whale was constantly having the dolphins surface just in front of it.  This whale was even identified as #9709, a known female, since we were able to predict its surfacings by moving along with the dolphins!

#9709

Occasionally we get the chance to see this type of inter-species association and it is certainly something we thoroughly enjoy watching when a dolphin reaching between 5-8ft in length swims next to a whale well over 8x's that size (adult Fin whales can easily reach lengths of over 60ft)!!!

With more reports of whales a few more miles away we decided to get a bit more ocean action and spend time with a few more whales before heading home.  We ended up having 6 Humpback whales in the area.  Half of these whales were further offshore surfacing out in the distance so we decided to stick with a few of the animals a bit closer to us.  Turns out we first had Patches swim by before spending most of our time with more known females: Valley and Nile. 

Patches traveling through the area

Originally these whales were moving through the area on their own as Nile was circling around while Valley full-body breached once in a completely separate area. 

Valley was very slowly raising her tail high into the sky before disappearing into the ocean

Valley's unique black and white marking found on the underside of its tail

Soon however the two surfaced side-by-side and both started to rest.  These two whales were remaining just at the surface and moved up and down with the waves as much as we were.  We got some incredible looks at both of these whales before we were out of time.

Nile and Valley rock with the ocean waves as both remain resting at the surface allowing us some great looks.  The green coloration is these whales' flippers under the water

Nile going on a deeper dive while Valley still sleeps on the surface

Tomorrow is another day and we look forward to seeing what we may encounter as we will once again be back out in search of more wildlife!

Friday September 7

After 4 days on land we were not only eager to get back on the water but extremely interested to see what may, or may not, be around.  Now that it is September and most folks are back home after a busy summer our trips run 4 times a week and we sometimes get antsy before we get the chance to get back out offshore.  Everyday is a gamble when it comes to if we will see whales, where they may be, and what they may actually be doing if/when we do get the chance to see them.  There tends to be many things not in our favor (we cannot control the weather, all the whales are wild meaning there is no chance of us having ANY idea where they may be headed or how long they may stay under the surface of the ocean, etc) and yet here we are always wanting to have the opportunity to "roll the dice."  Luckily we do have plenty in our favor including one of the most important aspects: Jeffreys Ledge.  This natural topographical feature creates lots of upwelling currents (churning of the ocean from the bottom of the seas right up to the surface of the ocean) ultimately creating plankton which brings in the fish which can easily cause the whales to swim into the area!  So even after being "land-locked" for a few days we knew there is always the chance of something perhaps spending some time out, or around, the ledge.  Then again we are always also anxious as a whale's movements can be so drastic.  One minute they can be around and the next they are gone.  Once again the nutrient-rich body of water off the coast today provided plenty for us to look at even if we haven't been scouring the horizon for signs of whales all week.

Dolphins were first on the list.  A pod of at least 150 Atlantic white-sided dolphins were EVERYWHERE.  It is highly possible there were more as a few groups, comprising of a good-sized number, were constantly being seen out in the distance and yet we had plenty of them to look at close by!  This group was on the move, possibly chasing down small schooling fish below the ocean's edge, and forced us to have to keep up with the movements of this constantly moving group.  What a pleasant way to begin the day especially with the shear number of whales in this particular group.

Leaping dolphins!

Perhaps the dolphins distracted us enough for soon after leaving the group we came across a Fin whale not far beyond the smaller whales.  This Fin whale, while "smaller" in size (still probably a good ~40ft long) was swimming just below the surface giving us the chance to watch this animal pump its large tail up and down moving itself forward.  At one point you could see from tip-to-tail of this whale as it effortlessly swam alongside the boat.

Fin whale at the surface. Above: The front part of this whale as you can even make out this whale's flipper (light green patch) seen extending out the side of this whale.  Below: The dorsal fin and some of this whale's back

With our excitement continuing with such nice sightings before reaching Jeffreys Ledge we knew we had to see if anything else was spending some time in our area a few more miles offshore.  Soon we were surrounded by more whales.  There were two other Fin whales circling around as well as another species, some Humpback whales.  Our first Humpback whale was Patches spending most of its time "hovering" at the surface; a good indication this whale was napping. 

Patches' dorsal fin "bobbing" at the surface

We left Patches to continue on with its sleeping patterns and instead made our way over to a pair.  This pair was a mother and it's calf!  The calf was also spending most of its time at the surface, just like Patches, resting while mom was spending most of her time further below.  Having these two very relaxed Humpback whale pair close by gave us some very nice looks at mom's "small" calf.  Thanks to our friends aboard the Prince of Whales (who had ventured into the area) they were able to snap a quick photo of Mom's tail.  Other than rolling on her side for a moment, Mom never showed any part of her tail while we were around.  We had an inkling as to who it might be but the Prince of Whales passed along the exciting news.  Tornado and her calf were here! 

Tornado's flipper above the waterline as the calf's back can be seen just in front of Mom's flipper

That is actually Tornado's calf above the surface.  Tornado herself is just barely above the surface (Tornado's dorsal fin can be seen on the left side of the photo!)

This is the first time this pair has been seen on Jeffreys Ledge this season.  Tornado herself is a familiar whale to the area over the years and we love seeing familiar tails, especially with their calves, move on into the area.  What a nice surprise!

The day wasn't done for as we went searching for another whale we had seen in the distance while watching Tornado and her calf, we suddenly spotted who we were waiting for.  Out of the blue one very large Humpback whale came clear out of the water.  A full body breach!  Unless you were one of the few lucky passengers who happened to be looking in the right place at the right time you most likely instead saw the enormous splash created by such the event.  Even though this whale only jumped once we got some great looks as Tectonic continued to move around the area.

Tectonic

It was another adventure today as whether we go on two trips in one day, or only a few times a week, the whales keep us on the edge of our seats as we continue to search for such mysterious and wondrous creatures!

Tectonic in the process of swimming further down into the ocean's depths

Monday September 3

Happy Labor Day everyone!  Even though for many this marks the "unofficial" end of summer for us it marks the start of our fall season!  Whales over the years have continued to keep us on our toes all the way to the end of our season (which ends mid-October!) and today was no exception.  Our trip today involved a little bit of patience which surely paid off as the trip progressed.  We once again had a few long-diving whales including a Fin whale we attempted to get looks at before heading to an area where we got reports from our friends on the Prince of Whales of a few Humpback whales and even another Fin whale around.  We headed in that direction and started with a tail breach from one of the Humpback whales.  Even with this behavior occurring out in the distance it was still a large splash as one of these whales launched the back part of its body into the air and then came crashing back down on the surface.  That was actually the most activity we ended up seeing from any of the whales in the area as 3 Humpback whales, a pair and a single animal, were moving around.  We made our way over to the pair which was steadily swimming together and yet neither one made even the smallest indication of a deeper dive.  No strong arches were seen, no tails above the surface, just a few breaths before disappearing for a while.  Luckily we made some good predictions and with a little luck on our side both whales returned back up to the surface close by for everyone to check out these mammals! 

The dorsal fins from our Humpback whale pair showing just how differently these fins can be shaped on each whale (above and below)

We then decided to press our luck with the other Humpback whale in the area.  Unfortunately we saw this whale for even less amounts of the time above the surface than our pair.  Still no fluking and on the move.  Sometimes these whales surely like to remind us all that being wild animals means these whales are on their own schedule doing whatever they want whenever they want.  We see such a small glimpse into their lives and anytime a whale is around is a treat all on its own.  We decided to maneuver our way back over to the pair of Humpback whales since the third one in the area was being less than cooperative for our purposes.  Instead of the Humpback whales though we quickly were diverted.  Splashing quickly began evident just off our starboard side!  The whole time we were in the area random splashing was being seen but, it was so brief and so sporadic we were on a waiting game.  Eventually the wait was worth it.  These dolphins were coming right in towards us.  However, they weren't white-sided dolphins at all which is typically the toothed whale species we sometimes get the chance to see during our travels.  No these whales were something much different.  A pod of Common dolphins were coming straight towards us! 

One look and we knew these weren't the type of dolphins we most commonly see.  Instead these were Common dolphins (even though they are quite uncommon to us out on Jeffreys Ledge!)

Today is only the second time the Granite State has ever gotten the chance to see this particular type of whale.  Interesting enough our first sighting was last year on September 27.  Almost one year later and we got the completely unexpected opportunity to spend time with these whales. 

Common dolphin leaping out of the water

Not only were we watching Common dolphins but there were also two young whales in this group.  Watching them dart back and forth just as easily as the larger adults was a blast.  Can you pick out the young whales in the photos that follow?

What a completely awesome, unsuspecting, find!!!  After some incredible looks at the Common dolphins we made our way back over towards the original pair of Humpback whales.  They had continued in their travel patterns but were still synchronizing their movements.  Just before leaving we even got to see one of these whale's tails giving us the opportunity to positively identify this whale as Scratch, an adult female!

Scratch

As we travelled back towards Rye Harbor our Captain spotted more splashing.  No way.  We were about to show everyone on board another type of toothed whale.  A pod of Atlantic white-sided dolphins were just off course from home. 

Atlantic white-sided dolphin

So we diverted for a bit and got to see more dolphins, the type we typically see, if we are even lucky enough to see dolphins to begin with.  What an incredible way to wrap up a fantastic day!

An Atlantic white-sided dolphin half above the water being a bit playful as it constantly surfaced with "belly flop" each time it came above the waterline

Saturday Septmeber 1

Our whale watch started with a group of whales today.  We were treated to a pod of Atlantic white-sided dolphins before getting to Jeffreys Ledge this afternoon.  Initially this group was on the move charging through the waves but soon started to dart back and forth close by.  These whales were probably trying to chase down some afternoon fish food! 

Atlantic white-sided dolphins on the move

Eventually the group continued on but this time started to "ride the waves."  These whales were cruising along with the ocean movements.  Sometimes this type of whale will use the wake we create as an opportunity to give themselves a bit of a break and surf down our wake.  Today however these whales were not interested in our wake, just the constant wave-action of the ocean.  We were able to get some wonderful looks at our group before getting word from our other whale watching friends of larger whales on the ledge. 

Dolphins jumping through the wavy ocean

We made our way to where a Fin whale was reported.  Along with the fact that there was a Fin whale came the news that this whale was spending lots of time under the water.  The whole time we were in the area this whale was showcasing its amazing ability to hold its breath for all dives intervals were lasting 15 minutes in length!  Luckily we managed to get some great looks at this animal for it surfaced close by on each occasion.  Looks like Fin whale #0622 was circling around the area. 

An extremely small glimpse into the actual size of a Fin whale.  Moments later Fin whale #0622 was heading down into the depths of the ocean once again (below)

Fin whale #0622

With lots of time waiting for this animal to return back up to the surface and seeing more spouts further offshore we decided to press on and investigate some of the other whales a few miles away.  We maneuvered our way over to another species after passing a couple other Fin whales.  There happened to be a pair of Humpback whales around.  Owl and Bat were swimming around together. 

Bat and Owl

As we spent time in the area we continued to see whale spouts further offshore.  Eventually Owl and Bat surfaced in completely separate area from each other and so we let these lone animals continue on with their day and with a bit more time for exploration we headed towards some more whales. 

Bat going on a deeper dive

All in all we ended up spotting 8 Fin whales today, including #0622 and #0834, along with two other pairs of Humpback whales. 

Fin whale #0834

Low and behold we found Pinball and her calf, a very exciting pair to see as it has been over a month since we last saw these two whales in our part of the ocean!

Even with only the top most portion of this whale's tail above the waterline we were thrilled to know Pinball and her calf were still spending some time around the area

Along with Pinball and her calf moving through the area we also saw out in the distance Humpback whales Springboard and Chromosome move through the area together.  Another Humpback whale was also spotted but we were out of time and needed to head home.  It was quite the day of activity even though many of our whales were spending lots of time under the water.  Even with the large lung capacities of these wild creatures it was another lively day on Jeffreys Ledge.