Whale Sightings 5/16/24 to 5/17/24. Please find the Naturalist Notes for the week of 5/16/24 to 5/17/24 from the onboard team of naturalists for our New England Whale Watching tour in partnership with the New England Aquarium.
5.16.24
10:00am Whale Watch Sightings
Good Afternoon Whale Enthusiasts!
Today we set out towards Stellwagen Bank excited for the start of our 2024 whale-watching season!
Our hearty passengers’ braved bumpy seas and rainy weather and we were all soon rewarded with a sighting of a small pod of Atlantic White-Sided Dolphins! In the distance we were able to make out a few blows indicating some larger whales in the area.
Upon closer inspection we found that there were at least 2 humpback whales in the area, travelling quickly and taking long dives. After observing the two whales from a distance, we noticed some birds circling one of the whales and the pod of dolphins followed! Shortly after completing a beautiful fluking dive, our humpback whale emerged from a cloud of bubbles along our port bow!
We were able to identify this whale as Dross! We watched her circle a few more times, before she settled in for a rest at the surface, and we gently made our way back to Boston.
An exciting start to what we hope will be a great season!
Until next time!
Linnea, Kaitlyn, Jaydi, and Sarah
5.17.24
10:00am Whale Watch Sightings
Good Afternoon Whale Enthusiasts!
Today we boarded the Aurora under sunny skies and blustery wind, hopeful to find whales on Stellwagen Bank. Our passengers braved some very bumpy seas, but after a wet ride and an extended search we were able to see two blows in the distance.
We came upon a pair of humpback whales, Shuffleboard and Staccato! The pair stayed just below the surface, coming up for a breath every few minutes before Staccato dove below our vessel and out of sight. Shuffleboard remained just below the surface lending us some incredible views of the full length of her body before gently paddling her tail and emitting a long stream of poop! This was a very exciting sighting and gave us a fantastic reminder of why we call whales “the farmers of the sea”!
Staccato and Shuffleboard rejoined and continued their linear travel together. Throughout our trip today, they opted for longer, shallower dives, and neither whale showed us their flukes! They were moving slowly, which seemed to indicate they may have been resting at and right below the surface. Shuffleboard’s impressive display of defecation also indicates she has clearly been eating very well!
With a following sea, our ride back to Boston was much smoother.
Unfortunately, the building seas meant that our second tour of the day was canceled. We hope to be back on the water soon!
Until next time,
Linnea, Kaitlyn, and Kat
Boston Whale Watching: Naturalist Notes – 7/30/24 to 8/3/24