Wednesday August 22

Marine mammals: check.  Fish: check.  Beautiful weather: check.  Variety on Jeffreys Ledge: double check.

As we made our way out to Jeffreys Ledge this morning we made a few circles as we attempted to get some looks at a few Minke whales and even a couple Fin whales.  In the midst of our attempts to maneuver through the area there was a different type of fin above the water.  An Ocean sunfish was nearby!  These unique looking fish can be fearless sometimes and after we slowed down, the fish decided to swim over towards us!  The Ocean sunfish literally starting swimming laps around the boat. 

A stare-off between fish and human

No need for you to move just wait for the fish to come to you!  It was definitely one of the top best looks at an Ocean sunfish I have seen before this particular fish eventually swam down into the deep ocean.  It was time to press on and look for some marine mammals.

Such the interesting looking creature of the ocean

Most of the whales we were seeing were spending a good deal of time under the water, and as for the Fin whales, on the move.  Just as we were about to cut our losses with a pair of Fin whales spending plenty of time under the water and surfacing out in the distance we suddenly saw splashing, and there was a lot of splashing.  A pod of Atlantic white-sided dolphins suddenly had made themselves known.  We quickly realized why they seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.  These whales were on the move. 

From tail to the tip of the nose, these dolphins move with such ease!

Even as we continuously had to move along with this pod of 150 whales, we got some gorgeous looks as they appeared to move effortlessly in the water and yet were still keeping up a good pace.  With such a large group moving through the water they appeared everywhere and many times there were so many of them at the surface you just didn't know where to focus your attention towards! 

Atlantic white-sided dolphin

What a very pleasant surprise to find such a species considering we only see Atlantic white-sided dolphins on about 20% of our trips!  More marine life and yet we still had more time to do some exploring.

Next stop was back in the fish world.  We saw the dorsal fin of a Blue shark.  Unfortunately we were a bit late in spotting the fish for as soon as we slowed and our wake rolled over the area, the shark quickly disappeared.  Then just ahead of us we saw more ripples.  Another shark was near by!  Nope, wrong.  The small disturbance we were seeing was actually from another fish.  This fish appeared to be feeding on the seaweed floating at the surface of the water.  So of course since the fish appeared to be going nowhere fast we stopped to snap a few pictures.  Yes we know we are on a whale watching boat, but how often does a free swimming fish spend time on the surface without a baited hook in the water? 

Our fish was chowing down on the seaweed!

We have not gotten a positive identity on our fish-friend but what great conditions to be out on the open ocean peering down into the water.  Okay, it was time to go see those whales again.

A bit more travelling and we found another Fin whale.  Once again even this Fin whale was spending lots of time under the water.  A few times we needed to catch up to this whale and eventually got some nice looks as this whale went down on a deeper dive.

Fin whale

With a bit more time to search the horizon we decided to see if anything else was out on the ledge.  Low and behold we saw a whale surface out in the distance.  As quickly as it surfaced we stopped.  A highly endangered North Atlantic Right whale had just come up for a few breaths of air.  The rarest of the whale species here in our area was amongst us.  Extremely strict regulations are in effect for any sized boat when in the vicinity of such a rarity and so as quickly as we saw it out in the distance we knew it was time for us to go home.  Even from afar it was a special occasion to be witness to such a marine mammal.


This afternoon we had no idea what to expect since this morning's trip had been completely unusual and exciting all on its own.  Once again Mother Nature provided more unexpectedness.  Whale sighting number one was a Fin whale our friends aboard the Atlantic Queen were spending time with.  They had informed us this whale was only spending a few minutes under the water.  Considering the lengthy time all our morning Fin whales had been taking under the water we couldn't pass up the chance to check out this whale.  Turns out it was #9709, a whale first seen on Jeffreys Ledge in 1997!  We got some great looks at this animal as it circled around. 

The white lower jaw of #9709

As we spent time in the area we started to see a spout out in the distance.  One became two.  Then through the binoculars two became three then quickly four.  There were more whales just a few miles away!  After a bit more time with our large Fin whale we were off to check out exactly what was out in the distance.  Turns out there were 5 Humpback whales around!


We first started with a few singles circling around the area.  Crystal is still out there, circling around, and spending yet another day out on Jeffreys Ledge.  The other whale, a newcomer for the season, was Pumpkin Seed.

Pumpkin Seed

This whale was also doing some circling and even produced a bubble cloud, a sign of some feeding occurring further down in the ocean.  With some nice looks at these whales, and time beginning to run short, we eased our way through the Minke whales popping up and over to the trio of Humpback whales were were seeing.


Soon all three whales while still synchronizing their surfacings and dive times were also sleeping.  These whales were in the process of taking some naps.  They all remained floating on the surface, breathing every now and then, and really not moving through the water at all.

3 Humpbacks all in a row

We were able to get some incredible looks as Pina, Chablis, and Churn seemed to be motionless on the water's edge.  What a fun and once again different experience out on Jeffreys Ledge. 

Chablis' tail and Churn's dorsal fin

We actually saw Chablis May 26 this year and it has been almost 3 months before this whale has once again been around our part of the ocean.  Who knows what might swim in, or out, of the area tomorrow but we are surely intrigued to find out!

Chablis

Churn

Pina

Tuesday, August 21

The weather simply does not get any better than it was for our morning adventure out to Jeffrey's Ledge.  

Flat calm seas and clear blue skies made for great whale spotting conditions.  We started a little inshore of the ledge with a couple of Minke whales that were swimming close by the boat. Minke whales are the smallest of the baleen whales in our study area, but they still have average lengths of about 20 feet long and are much larger than us humans.  As they swam around us, they gave us an idea as to just how small we are in comparison to everything we see out on the open ocean. 

Once we decided to continue offshore, we spotted a spout a couple of miles ahead of where we were.  When we got closer to where the whale was, it went down on a deep dive and we realized that we had a very large Fin whale in our area.    On average, fin whales will stay underneath the water anywhere from 2-10 minute dive intervals before returning to the surface to take a few breaths along the surface.  On occasion if they are migrating to different areas to feed, they will hold their breath for a little longer to maximize their travels.  When this fin whale did resurface, it had been down for over 14 minutes and had travelled about 1.5 miles away.  before we were able to get closer, the fin whale had gone on another deep dive, so we decided  to continue exploring other areas, where that whale had traveling on its mind. 

In total for the morning we ended up with 9 minke whales, 2 harbor seals, 1 quick look at a Loggerhead turtle, and 1 fin whale.  

As we headed offshore for our afternoon trip, the weather continued to be perfect and our sightings actually started even before the Isles of Shoals.  We found 2 Minke whales very close to shore and I'm happy to report that we found a minke whale that we have seen earlier this season.   This particular whale actually does not have a dorsal fin anymore.   This whale sustained some type of injury from an unfortunate human interaction, but has survived to tell it's story.  You can even see where the wound is healing with white areas surrounding a pink flesh area in the center.  It was such a treat to see this whale again.

This minke whale sustained an injury after an unfortunate human interaction
and now lacks a dorsal fin.  Thankfully it's wound is healing well.

As we continued past the Isles of Shoals and towards Jeffrey's ledge, we encounter 2 small pods of Atlantic white sided dolphins.  We had excellent conditions for dolphins and what a nice group it was.  While watching the dolphins, we received a radio call from our friends from the Prince of Whales, that they had found a couple of Fin whales along with a single adult Humpback whale about 6 miles from our present location.  We spent a few more minutes with the dolphins, then decided to head south to see if we could relocate any of the whales they had spent time with.

As we approached the area, we saw a small amount of spashing in the distance and thought that was where the humpback whale may be and continued on...then, out of no where we saw a very large splash off our left side in the distance.  The big splash was from a big whale coming clear out of the water.  With that, we headed towards to big splash, but wondered what the other disturbance was.  As we approached the area and slowed the boat down, the humpback whale surfaced right next to the boat off our right side.  It wasn't long before we realized who we had in the area.  We had found a whale named Ebony, an adult female who has brought at least 10 calves to Jeffrey's Ledge in the past. 

Ebony going on a deeper dive

Ebony's all Black Tail

While watching her, we did see a few fin whales in the area, but we didn't have a lot of time left to spend off shore and decided to spend quality time with Ebony.  She does not have a calf this year,  but she gave all our passengers such great looks and it was a perfect way to end our afternoon and our day overall. 

Saturday August 18

Four species of whales made for a great "Grand Slam" of whales today aboard the Granite State.  First stop: dolphins.  This group of Atlantic white-sided dolphins were all spread out allowing for everyone on board, as well as boats in the area, to have plenty of opportunities to check out these fun whales to watch.  Once again no matter where you happened to be around the boat these whales were everywhere.

Dolphins surfaced all around the boat

As we ventured further offshore our Captain began spotting whales from miles away.  The incredible crisp/clear horizon was the perfect backdrop to spot whale spouts from forever away.  With all the spouts being seen we knew we had to make our way over to check out the area.  The closer we got, the more blows appeared.  We quickly realized we had 6 Fin whales close by!  All these whales were constantly circling around.  Due to the fact that we were in an area where there were lots of whales with no rhyme or reason to these animal's surfacings we knew it was safer for the whales if we just stayed put and let the whales move around as they so desired.  We wanted to make sure we were not cutting off the natural travel pattern of any of these wild animals so instead of attempting to make our way to each whale before diving further down in the ocean, we ended up just moseying around looking at whatever decided to surface close by.  What fun it was to look in so many directions around the boat as all six whales continued coming up in so many different locations around us.

Just a few of the many Fin whales seen today (above and below!)

As we continued to spend time with all these second-largest living animals on the planet we knew there was still another species of whale a few miles away.  Reports of a Humpback whale had been made known and after a few of the other boats in the area had gotten the chance to spend time with and move on from that whale we knew we could make our way to another species of whale to show our passengers.  After travelling a few miles we saw the tell-tale sign of a Humpback whale: a tail rose high above the surface.  As we made our way to this animal, with a single look at it's dorsal fin, we knew in an instant who was in the area.  Crystal once again was making itself known. 

Another day of Crystal still on Jeffreys Ledge!

This whale spent the entire time we watched it circle in extremely tight circles producing remnants of bubble clouds and also filtering out lots of salt water.  All these activities meant one thing: Crystal was doing some feeding.  So much food was being picked up on our fish finder that one time Crystal himself swam far below the boat, close to a good amount of food, we were passing over.

Our fish finder screen in split in half (left vs. right) to pick up the same water at different intensities.  Note in the 165ft of ocean water we were floating over the large "blob" of red/yellow color on the left is all food in the water and a 40+ ft whale (small "blob" on the right portion of the screen) is Crystal.  Kind of puts into perspective just how much food was in the water.

With the addition of a scattering of Minke whales throughout our day we knew another great day was had out on the ledge.  As always it was a pleasure seeing our passengers experience the excitement and giddiness we too feel when we get the chance to spend time with such incredibly amazing mammals known as whales and share in the pure awe of their habitat.  Familiar faces, newly seasoned whale-spotters, and visitors from all around the globe made for a wonderful experience during our travels today!

Crystal's tail with the pink sky in the background

Friday August 17

No matter what trip you were on today the marine life on Jeffreys Ledge was pretty much absolutely stellar.  This morning we ended up with a grand slam of whale species.  Lots of Minke whales, 4 Fin whales, Crystal the Humpback whale, and a pod of 75 Atlantic white-sided dolphins topped the list of whale activity.  Our first stop of the day was a result of lots of splashing in the distance.  A group of dolphins were not far from home!  These whales were great as they spent so much time under the pulpit, around the boat, and in our wake, allowing for awesome looks in every direction! 

Atlantic white-sided dolphin swimming right at the surface of the ocean

Nothing beats capturing a dolphin jump out of the water!

Once we finally left our great group of whales we set our sights on a few Minke whales we were seeing not too far away.  Little did we know the more time we spent in the area the more whales that began to appear.  Amongst all the Minke whales seen this morning (more than 10!) we spent time with Fin whale #0622. 

#0622

While this whale was on the move we did get a few great looks as this animal stopped to circle a few times before pressing on once again through the area. 

When you snap a photo of a whale and the Isles of Shoals in the same picture you know you are still close to home!

With some nice looks at everything we began to make our way further offshore when once again we stopped short.  An enormous Basking shark was swimming along.  This fish was HUGE.  We haven't seen Basking sharks in a good month so we were excited to spot this one that swam straight in towards the boat before continuing to swim just under the surface.  What a fantastic look at this massive creature. Eventually we made our way out towards Jeffreys Ledge as all this activity had us still very much inshore!

The dorsal fin and front portion of one very large Basking shark

Once on the ledge we came into an area where we've been seeing whales recently and suddenly more whale spouts started to appear.  Whether the same whales we still around or not, animals were still near by!  As we eased our way into the area we saw 3 more Fin whales and 1 Humpback whale.  The Fin whales were being a bit sporadic and having not gotten the chance yet to see a Humpback whale we made our way over to this particular species.  Instantly we knew who we were watching.  Crystal was surfacing in extremely tight circles.  Not only was this whale doing some feeding, as indicated by the remnants of bubble clouds rising to the surface, this whale was also leaving behind brown clouds!  Whale poop was dissipating on the surface almost every time this whale was at the surface.  Bubble clouds and whale defecation... all great signs of lots of whale food in the area! 

Crystal and a small brown cloud appearing just in front of this whale's tail

This afternoon we headed out towards the Ledge where we had seen so much whale acitivty only to find just one thing had remained the same.  The crazy amounts of food we were picking up on our fish finder was insane.  Large patches of bait were everywhere and while we saw none of the same whales we had spotted in the morning there was still plenty to look at.  We first started with a single Fin whale which turned into two as well as 3 Minke whales darting around the area.  Whales surfaced on the left, right, front, and back, making everyone's head turn in the best way possible!

One of our Fin whales this afternoon

Whales were popping up everywhere.  After going in circles we made our way a bit further offshore only to be once again encompassed by whale activity.  More Minke whales and more Fin whales were around.  We ended up watching a mother/calf pair of Fin whales as they moved through the water, making sharp turns constantly.

Fin whale #9904's dorsal fin and its calf's spout above the water

We even got fooled by a few more Fin whales in the ares as they passed on by before making our way back to the pair we were originally watching.  Mom even lunged through the surface once as she was seen on her side, with her flipper high in the air, capturing and catching lots of food in its mouth!

As we headed for home we made a slight diversion as we came across another pod of Atlantic white-sided dolphins!  This group consisted of 100 individuals including lots of young whales moving through the water.  As they travelled into the waves they provided an incredible look as they jumped and charged their way through the ocean.  What an incredible way to end an already incredible day.

One small dolphin + one large dolphin = so much fun to watch!

Dolphins on the move (above and below)!

Many thanks to our returning friends, family, and new acquaintances that joined us today.  Both trips were so fantastic in their owns ways that I hope it was nearly impossible not to enjoy time spent with the life out on Jeffreys Ledge today!

Thursday August 16

The ocean remained just picture-perfect all day today allowing for us not only to see well out towards the horizon for whale spouts but also giving all of us the opportunity to enjoy any marine life we saw today even if they remained just below the water's edge!

This morning our first stop was on a few Minke whales.  We ended up counting four different Minke whales in one area.  They were everywhere! 

One of the 4 Minke whales we started the day with!

As these whales continued to circle around we got some great looks before heading towards Jeffreys Ledge.  Our next stop was on a few more whales but slightly larger than our Minke whales we had seen.  We had two Humpback whales swimming around together.

One look at one these two whales, even with just seeing their dorsal fins, we knew exactly who we were near.  Not only was Crystal still around and in a different section of Jeffreys Ledge than recently sighted, this whale was now associated with Clipper! 

Clipper's back and dorsal fin as Crystal goes on a deeper dive

If you have ever been privy enough to spend time with Clipper you know this particular Humpback whale is one incredibly large whale.  Her (yep, this whale has had many calves over her lifetime) overall girth is just enormous especially when in the vicinity of another Humpback whale.  Not only was this the first time we have seen her this year but she is definitely a favorite amongst the crew and were thrilled to have her, and of course Crystal, still spending time on Jeffreys Ledge!

Welcome back to Jeffreys Ledge Clipper!

Great seeing Crystal still in our area!

We did also get a few very quick looks at 3 Fin whales as we traveled around this morning but all were being a bit "shy," coming up for a few breaths, before disappearing below the waterline.  More Minke whale sightings on our ride home wrapped up a very nice morning trip!

Fin whale diving further below the ocean's surface as we headed towards home

This afternoon, with the weather continuing to be spectacular, we decided to really press our luck.  Reports of whales had been mentioned further south heading north.  If that held true we knew we could make our way to some other animals and check out exactly which whales were on the move.  Unfortunately as we ventured off in hopes of intersecting the reported animals, we learned those whales had all turned around. Now the whales were swimming south; further away from us...  We were already pretty much committed to heading in this particular direction so we pressed on.  Our extremely patient passengers sprang to excitement when we finally began to spot whales.  The more time we spent in the area the more spouts we were seeing.  After passing by lots of Harbor porpoise, Harbor seals, and even a few Minkes (we wanted to give ourselves as much time as possible where the whales had been reported to spend time with them), the wait had been worth it.  10 Humpback whales were seen including many of which we've seen this season and even a few newcomers: Valley, Nile, Tripod, Chromosome, Draco, Palindrome, Geometry, and Doric were our identified animals.  Most whales were in pairs while the rest of them circled the area as we were all constantly looking left and right as whales surfaced in every which direction.  Below are just a few of the many whales seen during the trip!

Valley and Nile moving through the water together

Geometry

Draco

Palindrome

Doric

Of course within all the chaos of the whales there was also another marine creature... A Leatherback turtle was at the surface!!!  Even though this reptile was only above the surface for a brief moment it was an incredible unexpected find!  AWESOME.

Leatherback turtle at the surface for some air before disappearing into the ocean!

The day finished with just one more type of marine life.  An Ocean sunfish was "lazily" swimming at the surface as we all got a great look at this interesting looking fish!

Dorsal fin (above) and body (below) of our Ocean sunfish sighting

Many thanks to all who joined us today as we spent some incredible time with all sorts of marine life out in the open ocean today.  While we typically avoid travelling more than 30+ miles to find whales every now and then we get a bit adventuresome in our own way and give ourselves a bit of nervous anticipation, something probably many of you feel when you go out in search of wild animals.  Sometimes the effort pays off and sometimes we come up short but we certainly enjoy being out on the water looking at everything we can look at before we run out of too much time!

Sprinkles sure have a way of making us smile after they pass us by!