We headed across the southern edge of Stellwagen Bank and
down the backside of the Cape where we’d spent the last 7-10 days watching
whales. In the last 24-36 hours,
things had changed a bit, with the large numbers of whales having departed the
area off Highland Light. We had
half a dozen humpback whales that remained, all having been seen the days
prior. Additionally, we saw sooty,
greater and Cory’s shearwaters and a Pomeranian Jaeger and a few minke whales
in the area.
We started with a newly named whale, Mend. Mend was
surfacing right off our bow, giving passengers a wonderful look at the long
white pectoral fins glowing green below the plankton rich water, as well as the
black bumps (tubercles) covering its head. Mend was surfacing very quietly, actually coming up in a spy
hop before even breathing. Not far
from Mend, we spent time with Flock and Ventisca (which was tagged the Thursday
prior as part of a Satellite tagging project). This pair had been seen a few times together over the 48
hours prior.
We finished our trip with a wonderful look at Eruption (also
part of the satellite tagging project), Pele and Milkweed. This trio had spent part of the day
prior associated as well. Humpbacks, like all baleen whales are solitary
animals, and do not travel in pods or family groups like toothed whales; but
they are quite social and often for associations that may last minutes, hours,
days, or in some rarer cases weeks/months or for some time each year.
2 pm Whale Watch - Joanne
We headed back to Highland light and were delighted to find
the half a dozen humpbacks still deep feeding in the area. We had several seals
close to our boat, some ‘bottling’ right next to us (like bottles floating in
water). We also had minke whales
in the area.
Ventisca, Draco, Jupiter, Snowslide, Eruption, Mend, Flock
were all nearby, starting as two pairs and a trio. But the 7 whales kept switching associations, at one point
all coming together, then breaking up into a group of 4 and a group of 3 and
finally, ending as a pair, trio, pair again (but with different whale
associated). It was a great example of the social behavior of humpback
whales. In addition, their
surfacing pattern and length of dives indicated they were likely bottom feeding
or feeding deep in the water column.
At one point, we had three humpback whales surface right under our bow,
giving us the most exceptional look at their entire bodies from one end to the
other.
On our way back in Plymouth Harbor, we got a chance to see the
Barquentine Peacemaker. She
was built on a riverbank in southern Brazil by an Italian family of boat
builders, using traditional methods and the finest tropical hardwoods. The ship
was first launched in 1989 as the Avany, a name chosen by her designer and
owner, Frank Walker, a Brazilian industrialist. They brought her to the United States to be rigged and she
sat in a boatyard in Georgia until 2000, when some interested parties took her
over and had her rigged and sailing as the Peacemaker in spring of 2007.
2 pm Whale Watch - Diane
What a perfect day to get off the wharf and go whale watching. We left under partly cloudy skies that soon turned full sun and headed to Stellwagen Bank.
