Whale Sightings 07/05/23 to 07/11/23. Please find the Naturalist Notes for the week of 07/05/23 to 07/11/23 from the onboard team of naturalists for our New England Whale Watching tour in partnership with the New England Aquarium.
07-5-23
Kl. 10 og kl. 14.30 Hvalsafari
Godaften,
The 10AM whale watch trip aboard the Sanctuary eagerly made its way toward the southwest corner of Stellwagen Bank in search of whales. As we pressed through a mighty fog bank, we spotted some whale activity in the distance. Soon we were surrounded by spouts in all directions— we estimated at least 25 humpback whales in the area! Some familiar flukes in this sea of humpbacks include: Venom, Milkweed, Nile, Lollipop and her 2023 Calf, Bolide, Mend, Sprinkles, Chunk, Startrail, and Flock. As we began to make our way back to Boston Harbor, we got a bonus toothed-whale sighting of a pod of 3-4 harbor porpoise very close to the bow of the boat!
Our 2:30PM trip was drastically different from our action-packed morning. As we were making our way towards Stellwagen Bank, we encountered a single humpback whale calf. Soon enough, we spotted mom, Dross, almost a mile away from her 2023 calf! These whales soon joined back up, where we then had the pleasure of watching Dross bubble feed. It was a spectacular sight watching the calf learn new feeding techniques. We stayed for several “one-last-looks” at this pair before we finally snuck our way back to Boston Harbor.
What a beautiful summer day spent watching whales.
Bye for now!
Meg, Kate, and Emily
Kl. 11.00 Hvalobservationer
God eftermiddag,
Aboard the Asteria, the 11am whale watch rode out with calmer seas and better visibility than we have had all week! Unfortunately, with our increased visibility, it was easy to spot all the red, white, and blue balloons. We see balloon pollution increasing greatly around the holidays which has a tremendous negative impact on the ocean and the whales we love to see. With the celebrations this week, I recommend using decorations that have are less consequential to the environment (paper-based rather than plastic) and making sure to depose of them properly! When the Asteria arrived in Stellwagen Bank, we were greeted by the blows of at least twenty humpback whales! They were diving and surfacing in every direction we looked. Our first encounter was with a trio of Nile, Milkweed, and Venom. We watched these three for a few minutes before a duo that included Flock and Startrail surfaced near us. After some great looks at these whales, we slowly shifted groups to find Ravine and her 2023 calf and Lollipop and her 2023 calf. As we watched them, our prior trio (Nile, Milkweed, and Venom) and duo (Flock and Startrail) joined the area too! There was another group of four whales that surfaced near us that included a whale named Chunk. Chunk decided to leave her group and join Ravine, Lollipop, and their calves while her original group disappeared from the area. These humpback whales were all taking short dives and surfacing quickly. It appeared they were feeding below the surface! At one point, the calves got a bit curious and surfaced right next to the boat. They dove down and around us a few times before reuniting with their mothers. In between the incredible whale soup chaos, we caught a few glances of a minke whale – the smallest of the baleen whales. It was a fantastic day on Stellwagen!
Indtil næste gang,
Eman, Lily, and Anjali
Kl. 12.00 Hvalsafari
Hej alle,
Today aboard the Aurora, the 12pm whale watch made its way offshore in search of whales and other marine life. We were only a few miles off of Scituate before spotting blows from a pair of humpback whales! It turned out to be Dross and her 2023 calf. When we first started watching the pair, the calf was cruising at the surface with mom. Dross gave a beautiful fluking dive before heading down on a deeper dive. This is when the calf decided to break off from mom. The calf then began to spyhop not far from us! The proceeded to spyhop and roll around at the surface being super adorable. The calf then proceeded to give us several close approaches before making a beeline back to mom. We got some great final looks at the pair before having to head back to Boston. It was a really amazing day offshore!
Flukes op,
Colin and Jane
07-06-23
Kl. 10.00 Hvalobservationer
God eftermiddag!
The 10am whale watch headed out on the Sanctuary towards Stellwagen Bank! Like the last few days, we encountered an ever-reliable Dross and her 2023 calf before making it to our destination. When we first got to the area, we spotted the calf by itself – rolling around. The calf seemed very intrigued by our presence, and continuously approached our boat (while we were safely not moving) – mugging the vessel and giving passengers great looks on all sides. After checking us out for a while, the calf then transitioned to quickly moving through the area and blowing a substantial bubble cloud!!! The last week or so we’ve noticed Dross’s calf begin to blow bubbles and mirror Dross’s behavior – but this is the first time we’ve seen it blow a large bubble cloud by itself! It has been so cool to see this calf rapidly develop and learn how to feed on its own! Bubble clouds are a behavior that this calf’s mother is famous for, and it’s awesome to see this calf learn this feeding behavior so quickly.
All of a sudden, the calf erupted into a full body breach right off the side of the boat! Although I wasn’t able to capture a photo – huge shoutout to our awesome passengers who were able to get a video (see attached). We don’t always know why whales breach, but we can theorize that this calf could have been communicating with mom (Dross had been maintaining a healthy distance for most of the trip). The breach seemed to work, because after this bout of surface activity – mom and calf started booking it towards each other. We were able to watch their adorable reunion – and soon after the calf began to nurse. Although the calf seems like it has been attempting to feed on its own – at this point in its life it is still reliant on mom for most of its food and calories.
What a cool trip!
Kate and Anjali
Kl. 11.00 Hvalobservationer
God eftermiddag,
Today aboard the Asteria we beat the heat on land and headed to the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. A bit west of the bank we found humpbacks Dross and calf – who were booking it south for about two miles. We also spotted some Wilson’s Storm Petrels and a Great Shearwater along the way. After their bout of travel, mom began to deep feed, and Dross’s calf decided to check out our boat with curiosity! A great way to wrap up the day.
Skål,
Laura, Indi, and Josiah
Kl. 12.00 Hvalsafari
God eftermiddag,
Today on the Aurora, the noon whale watchers journeyed East toward Stellwagen Bank. We didn’t even make it to the Bank before some whale activity caught our eye! We found two humpback whales – Dross and her 2023 calf. As we moved into the area, Dross went down on a dive. Luckily for us, we spotted the calf not too far away bobbing up at the surface. For several minutes, we watched the calf surface and dive in the area around us. The calf splashed around a bit with its tail as it traveled, even fluke slapped the water once! It was adorable to watch this calf exhibit different behaviors. After a few minutes, the behavior of this calf changed! It started headed straight towards a blow in the distance that we assumed belonged to its mother. We followed at a distance as the two whales joined up together. Once reunited, the mother-calf pair began logging. The water was particularly calm today, and we got exceptional looks of the whales as they sat just below the surface napping. It wasn’t long before the two woke up for their short nap and surprised us with some feeding. Dross blew a bubble cloud near our boat and Dross’ 23 calf started blowing bubbles at the surface (not quite feeding, but possible attempting to feed or mimicking its mother!). The two went down on a dive together as we slowly headed back to Boston.
Det var en fantastisk dag på vandet!
Eman and Emily
Kl. 14:30 Hvalsafari
Godaften hvalentusiaster!
This afternoon the 2:30 pm whale watch passengers boarded the Sanctuary, excited to set out in search of cetaceans. We made our way to the southwest corner of Stellwagen bank where we found over 20 blows, mostly coming from humpback whales. We noticed some splashing in the distance that was coming from Cajun 23 Calf, as this whale tail breached, lobtailed, and flipper slapped at the surface while Cajun, 3.14, Milkweed, Sprinkles, and Spell were likely busy feeding deeper in the water column as they dramatically and erratically surfaced around the area. Cajun 23 calf never slowed down the surface behaviors, and even as we travelled away from this group the splashing from this young whale never let up! We found several other groups of humpbacks including Chairlift and Bristle; and Flock and Startrail, and a quick look at a Grey seal! We saw another young and splashy humpback in the distance who turned out to be Ravine 23 calf! This whale was also continuously tail breaching, lobtailing, and flipper slapping throughout our time together. Eventually Ravine and Nile joined the calf at the surface before quickly going back down on a dive. The next time they surfaced, they were joined by Chunk! As we watched this trio, another blow caught our eye, and this belonged to a Fin whale that had joined in on the action. As we prepared for our last looks, some eagle-eyed passengers realized a pod of 30-50 Atlantic white sided Dolphins had also entered the area and were heading right towards us! We got some wonderful last looks of the day on our first dolphin sighting of the season as they raced around us.
Overall, an incredible 4 species trip, and a wonderful day for whale watching!
07-07-23
Kl. 10 og kl. 14.30 Hvalsafari
Hej alle,
Today aboard the Sanctuary, the 10am whale watch made its way out towards the southern portion of Stellwagen Bank in search of whales and other marine life. We were in luck when we spotted several blows in the area. We started on a group of 4 humpbacks consisting of Cajun, Cajun 23 Calf, 3.14, and Spell. This group was taking very short dives, and they were not moving far which allowed us to get some amazing looks at them! We then moved on to a group of 3 consisting of Nile, Ravine, and Ravine 23 Calf. Shortly after we started watching the trio, Milkweed the humpback joined the group! This group was also taking short dives and they were spending a lot of time at the surface. The group even came up right off the side of the boat! Right before we were about to leave, Ravine’s calf did a mini breach! After the little one calmed down, we had to head back to Boston.
The 230pm whale watch made its way towards the same area in hopes of similar luck as the first trip. We were in luck as our big groups were still in the area. We started on the group of Cajun, Cajun 23 Calf, Spell, and 3.14 who were bopping around the area. A few times they came up right next to the boat! After some beautiful fluking dives from all members of the group, we moved on to another group of 4 consisting of Nile, Ravine, Ravine 23 Calf, and Milkweed. This group was cruising through the area as well, probably subsurface feeding. At one point, both groups, as well as several other humpbacks, all popped up close together causing a bit of a traffic jam! It was shortly resolved as the groups then went their separate ways. The highlight of the trip was baby Cajun who breached multiple times right off the stern! The calf continued to breach and flipper slap several times not far from the boat! Unfortunately, we ran out of time, and we had to head back to Boston. It was an amazing day out on the water!
Flukes op,
Colin and Indi
Kl. 11.00 Hvalobservationer
God eftermiddag!
The 11am headed out on the Asteria towards the southern section of Stellwagen Bank and were greeted by a sea of blows from around 25 humpback whales! We started off our day with the associations of Cajun, 3.14, Spell and Nile, Milkweed, Ravine, Ravine 2023 calf. These two associations moved close together but remained in their distinct groups! The association of Cajun, 3.14, and Spell repeatedly approached our vessel and seemed to express some curiosity towards us. While we were safely not moving, these whales would dive under our pulpits then pop up on the opposite of the boat – sometimes surfacing directly next to the boat. This gave us absolutely awesome looks at these animals! Eventually, Cajun 2023 calf – who had been rolling around and blowing bubbles by itself – joined up with mom and her association! We also had Flock and Startrail, who have been a consistent pair the last few days, and Lollipop and her 2023 calf.
What a day what a whale pile!
Kate, Josiah, and Lily
Kl. 12.00 Hvalsafari
God eftermiddag hvalentusiaster!
We boarded the Aurora for the 12 pm whale watch, excited to set out on our search for cetaceans, and we were certainly not disappointed! We found over 20 humpback whales on the southwest corner of Stellwagen bank! We started our trip with a brief sighting of a small pod of toothed whales that we believe were Atlantic White Sided Dolphins, as they quickly passed by us. We saw some splashing that originated from some surface-active humpback calves! We got some great looks at 2 breaches from these little ones in the distance before Ravine 23 Calf and Cajun 23 Calf then began to repeatedly tail breach and lobtail! These 2 were hanging out together at the surface while a massive group of adults likely fed beneath them. They were eventually joined at the surface by Milkweed, Nile, Ravine, Cajun, Spell, 3.14, and Lollipop and her 2023 calf. This massive group of whales kept up this pattern of activity for quite some time before splitting up, at which point we were treated to some looks at Flock and Startrail as they passed by us. We also got some surprise looks at a Minke whale, making this a 3 species day!
We enjoyed some wonderful last looks as we carefully made our way out of the area surrounded by blows in all directions.
Overall, a lovely day for whale watching!
Sydney and Jane
07-08-23
9am and 1:30 Whale Watch Sightings
Godaften,
What a wonderful day to be out on the water! Our 9am trip aboard the Cetacea brought us out in glassy grey seas that looked like a mirror. Perfect seas to see the dancing reflections of Wilson’s Storm Petrels – these mighty small birds migrate all the way to Antarctica during winter. Before we found whales – we had a brief glimpse of a HUGE basking shark. Though the sighting was glimpse, those that got a look were surprised at its size (at least 30 feet!). We then spent the morning with a dozen humpbacks on the SW corner of Stellwagen. We had lots of distinct groups, including: Cajun and calf, Spell and 3.14; and Nile, Milkweed, and Ravine and calf. As there were a lot of whales and boat activity, our captains carefully stayed out of gear most of the trip. Our patience and following of whale watch guidelines paid off – at one point Cajun’s group appeared right alongside us, treating our guests on the bow to some whale “snarge” followed by quite a bit of poop at the surface (these are well fed whales!). If that wasn’t enough, we wrapped up with Ravine’s calf tail breaching.
A special shoutout to our whale friends on Top of the Oi – they found us two basking sharks at the end of our trip, so that everyone could get a great look at this large shark species. It’s wonderful to work with colleagues that even enjoy whale watching on their day off!
The 1:30pm trip was spectacular as well! This time we found around 20 humpback whales (and also a Minke), as well as many birds including shearwaters, terns, laughing gulls, and more petrels. Cajun and her calf still hung out with Spell and 3.14; and Nile with Milkweed, Ravine and calf. We also spotted Eruption, Jabiru, Pele, and Venom. All of the groups were making tight turns at the surface and defecating indicating subsurface feeding. At one point, we had a massive group join of at least 7 whales (each time I look at my photos I count more!). We then began to be treated to three adult breaches, including more in the distance. A wonderful day!
Skål,
Laura & Jane
Kl. 10 og kl. 14.30 Hvalsafari
Good evening whale watchers,
On the 10am whale watch, the Asteria headed out on seas so calm it felt like a lake! We journeyed out to the southern portion of Stellwagen Bank to find 15-20 humpback whales in the area. We spent most of our time with Jabiru, Pele, Eruption, Sprinkles, Chairlift, Bolide, Bristle, Woodwind, Cajun and her 2023 calf, 3.14, and Spell. When we first arrived, the whales were in four distinct groups of twos and threes. As we watched the whales, we began to notice the dynamics of these groups shifting! Jabiru, Pele, and Eruption were constantly popping up with other groups, splitting, and joining new groups. We also noticed that Sprinkles, Chairlift, Bolide, Bristle, and Woodwind would join together in one massive group and then split a few minutes later! It was incredible to see the fission-fusion social system (a system where there is constant forming and breaking of groups or associations) of these whales in action. As these whales split and joined each others groups, they were taking short dives and spending most of their time at the surface. We had some fantastic close encounters of Pele, Jabiru, and Eruption as they dove near our boat. Before we knew it, our time had run out and we returned to Boston grateful for an amazing day on the water!
On the 2:30pm whale watch, the Asteria trekked back out to the southern part of Stellwagen Bank, this time through slightly rougher seas and foggy conditions. Our efforts were rewarded as we made it to the Bank. We spotted the blows of 18-20 humpback whales in the area! Our first encounter was with Flock and Startrail. These whales were moving slowly at the surface and breathing consistently every minute. It appeared that these two whales were sleeping! As we watched them, we noticed a few other blows belonging to Cajun, Cajun’s 2023 calf, 3.14, and Spell. These whales dove down close to our boat and, next thing we knew, Cajun erupted in a massive breach right off our bow!! It was absolutely incredible – just as incredible as the subsequent six breaches she did throughout the trip! In between Cajun’s massive splashes, her 2023 calf breached twice and tail breached twice. To top it all off, the Bank got busier as Bolide, Woodwind, Sprinkles, Ravine, and Ravine’s 2023 calf made their way over to us. We had whales diving and surfacing all around us for the rest of the trip. It was a fantastic time on Stellwagen Bank!
Eman, Indi, and Anjali
Kl. 11 og 15:30 Hvalsafari
Godaften hvalentusiaster!
The Aurora excitedly headed out to the southwest corner of Stellwagen bank in search of whales and we were surely not disappointed! We found the blows of over 20 humpback whales zooming around the area. We started our day with Sprinkles, Woodwind, and Bolide. While watching this trio, a second trio entered the area that included Bristle, Chairlift and Mend. These three trios travelled around the area giving us great looks on all sides. We also saw Eruption, Pele, and Jabiru in the area. We ended up finding a massive super group of whales that included Nile, Flock, Ravine, Ravine 23 Calf, Cajun, Cajun 23 Calf, 3.14, Spell, and Startrail. The highlight of the trip was when all of the whales we had seen previously and the massive group we were watching converged on the area around us. We were surrounded by whales on all sides! The perks of responsible whale watching definitely worked in our favor today as we ended up having at least 15 humpback whales close approach our boat all at once! These whales crossed our bow, drenching our passengers with whale breath, and offering exceptional views. These whales continued to circle our vessel, almost holding us hostage! As these whales moved on in search of sandlance, we carefully made our way out of the area, more then satisfied with our trip, and excited to return in the afternoon.
The 3:30 trip returned to find that the fog had rolled in, but we did not let this deter us! We started our trip with a splash from Ravine 23 Calf as she breached off of our left pulpit! This young whale breached 3 more times before settling in with Ravine and Milkweed. We saw another splashy calf in the distance, and this turned out to be from Cajun 23 Calf who was breaching, lobtailing, and tail breaching! The calf was joined by Cajun, Spell, and 3.14 at the surface. Another trio that included Bolide, Sprinkles, and Woodwind rolled into the area as well! We got fantastic looks as several of these groups close approached the vessel, and Cajun and Ravines calves continually breached, lobtailed, tail breached, and flipper slapped throughout the trip. We even had a surprising breach from one of the adults! We got some final looks at these whales as they vanished into the fog after a fantastic trip.
Overall, a truly incredible day for whale watching.
Sydney and Josiah
Kl. 12 og kl. 17 hvalsafari
Hej alle,
Today aboard the Sanctuary, the 12pm whale watch made its way towards the southwest corner of Stellwagen Bank in search of whales and other marine life. Before we reached the corner, we stumbled upon Dross and Dross 23 Calf! The two were spending a lot of time at the surface so we were able to get some great looks at them. After Dross and her little one dove, we continued on to Stellwagen. When we arrived in the area, we noticed a plethora of blows. We spent most of our time with a group of 4 humpbacks consisting of Cajun, Cajun 23 Calf, Spell, and 3.14. This group was taking very short dives and not moving a lot, so we were able to get some great looks at them. Several times this group came up right next to the boat! We also got amazing looks at the groups consisting of Jabiru, Pele, and Eruption, and Ravine, Ravine 23 Calf, and Milkweed. After several close approaches and beautiful fluking dives, we had to head back to Boston.
The 5pm whale watch made its way out towards the area in hopes of similar success as the noon trip. Through the fog we approached the southwest corner with our eyes peeled and ears open. The fog started to lift, and we spotted some humpbacks. We spent time with Cajun, Cajun 23 Calf, Spell, and 3.14. This group several times popped up right next to the boat! After this group dove, we got some brief looks at Jabiru, Pele, and Eruption who all did such beautiful fluking dives not far from the boat! We finished on the group of Milkweed, Ravine, and Ravine 23 Calf. Right before we had to leave, all 3 popped up not far from the boat and swam right off our bow! After our group dove, we had to head back to Boston. It was a really amazing day offshore!
Indtil næste gang,
Colin og Emily
07-09-23
9am and 1:30pm Whale Watch Sightings
Hello Fellow Whale Enthusiasts,
Today we boarded the Cetacea bright and early, eager to start our day in the company of whales. After a foggy ride out, we soon found ourselves surrounded by blows, in great company with other whale watchers aboard other vessels. There was an ethereal quality to our sightings as whales seemed to emerge from the gray sea below, their blows blurring with the fog above. The whales were milling about, joining and splitting in social associations. Among the whale soup we were able to identify Ravine with her 2023 calf, Cajun with her 2023 calf, Bristle, Jabiru, Spell, Flock, 3.14,Woodwind, and Chairlift! Their frequent trips to the surface, activity, and random travel pattern led us to believe that they might be feeding below. We reluctantly departed the area, the whales disappearing back into the fog behind us.
Encouraged by our morning melee, we headed back for the 1:30pm trip and found our whale pile right where we left them! This time the fog was patchier, lending us a little more visibility once arriving on the southwest corner of Stellwagen Bank. We were treated to several groups of canon or tandem fluking dives and swiveled our view all around the boat as we found ourselves surrounded by whales once more! We were even treated to a brief look at a passing harbor seal off the port side, offering wonderful views at the diversity of marine life in the North Atlantic. When our whales emerged once more, we were surprised and delighted to see Ravine’s playful calf roll over and offer us a view of their flukes and a flipper! On our afternoon trip we were able to identify no fewer than 14 individual whales including Mend, Woodwind, Bristle, Bolide, Sprinkles, Chairlift, Eruption, Ravine and calf, Cajun and Calf, Nile, Spell and Jabiru!
We were sad to leave, but grateful for wonderful views of these incredible creatures.
Til næste gang!
Linnea and Antonia
Kl. 10 og kl. 14.30 Hvalsafari
Godaften!
The 10am whale watch headed out glassy waters on the Asteria towards the southern section of Stellwagen Bank in search of wildlife. We were absolutely ecstatic when we got to WHALE SOUP and saw 20-25 humpback whales feeding in different associations. These groups were weaving in and around our vessel – giving passengers fantastic looks on all sides! It seemed that never more than a minute passed when we didn’t have at least one group up at the surface. Watching these whales safely paid off – as we multiple whales approach our vessel and even pop up directly next to the boat! The association of Venom and Milkweed even gave passengers a face full of whale breath when they surfaced off our starboard side. We also had the trios of Bristle, Chairlift, Woodwind and Sprinkles, Mend, Bolide and Pele, Jabiru, Eruption – as well as the pair Flock, Stairtrail in the area. We finished up our trip with the group of four – 3.14, Cajun, Cajun 23 Calf, and Spell – and got to see our calf roll around and even flipper slap (one of my favorite surface activities – their little flippers are so cute!!!)
The 2:30 whale watch returned to the same area and were very excited to see that our whales from the morning had not traveled far. The associations were in slightly different configurations from the morning – and we first spent our time with the group of five – Bristle, Eruption, Woodwind, Chairlift, and Pele. As we spent time with our whales, the fog began to roll in – luckily for us this did not hinder Ravine 2023 calf from beginning to breach!!! This little whale went from full bodying breaching to tail breaching to chin breaching to breaching DIRECTLY OFF OUR LEFT SIDE (see photos). Passengers got awesome looks at this little whale launch its entire body out of the water! Even with the fog – the calf’s surface activity drew in close the groups of Ravine, Jabiru, Nile and Cajun, Cajun 23 Calf, Spell, 3.14 – enabling everyone to still see a multitude of whales. These groups joined up together off our stern – a perfect way to end our trip!
Unfortunately, on our afternoon trip we also had a recreational vessel that was acting in ways that seemed to disturb/impact our whales’ behavior. It’s important as a recreational boater to follow local guidelines – unintentional harassment can lead to altering the whale’s natural behavior and even lead to collision. If you do go out on your own as a recreational boat, make sure to check out programs like See a Spout – which can tell you how to safely navigate around our amazing humpbacks!
Kl. 11 og 15:30 Hvalsafari
Godaften,
We enjoyed a smooth ride out to the Southwest corner of Stellwagen Bank for the 11am whale watch on the Aurora. Upon arriving, we were once again met with a sea of blows! Sightings included Cajun, her 2023 calf, Pele, Eruption, Jabiru, Woodwind, Chairlift, Sprinkles, Milkweed, and Spell! These whales treated us to many close approaches, and the calf treated us to several breaches! A brief glimpse of a minke whale rounded out our sightings as we returned to port.
On the 3:30 pm trip, we headed back to the bank, where Ravine’s 2023 calf was breaching up a storm! Accompanied by mom Ravine, as well as Nile and Jabiru, it treated us to a wonderful display of surface activity. Other adults in the area included Cajun, her 2023 calf (who briefly met up with Ravine’s calf for a playdate!), Bolide, Sprinkles, Milkweed, and Mend!
Unfortunately, our afternoon took a quick turn when we noticed Ravine’s calf with a drastic switch in behavior. While appearing to breach, it instead continued to spin multiple times, and we noticed it had picked up some fixed fishing gear. Immediately, mom came to the rescue, but calf’s erratic movements caused Ravine to catch some of the line as well. A silver lining was that the Auk was out with the whales, and able to take over standing by for us as we notified the CCS disentanglement team. Before we even began our journey home, CCS was on their way to assess the situation.
Though this is not how we hoped it would end, I am cautiously optimistic. The pair seemed to be slowing down, if only a little bit, and sea conditions were favorable, which would allow the disentanglement team to do the work we are so grateful that they do. A shoutout to the passengers on board for helping to document the situation, the crew for assisting, intern Lily for stepping up to the plate while I called, and Captain Jeff for navigating so carefully and keeping with the entangled whales as long as we could. We hope to head out to Stellwagen again, and see the calf in much better condition.
A toast the whales!
Ashlyn and Lily
Kl. 12 og kl. 17 hvalsafari
Dear Whale Watchers,
Today the Sanctuary headed out to the Southwest Corner of Stellwagen Bank to go humpback spotting. And we found them! On the noon trip, there were between fifteen and twenty-four humpbacks in the area including Milkweed, Pele, Eruption, Nile, Jabiru, Bolide, 3.14, Cajun, and her calf. They were moving in triads around the area and were probably feeding below the surface. There were quite a few small recreation boats in the area but they were very well behaved.
The 5pm whale watch headed to a similar spot which now had very few recreation boats and encroaching fog. There were between eighteen and twenty-two humpbacks in the area. These included Pele, Milkweed, Eruption, Cajun, her calf, 3.14, Spell, Bolide, Woodwind, Bristle, Chairlift, Startrail, Jabiru, and Sprinkles. It was a wonderful farewell to whales. On a personal note, this was my last trip. This has been an amazing community both today and when I started as an intern in 2015. Thank you to everyone who made this experience as incredible as it has been.
All my gratitude,
Mira and Jane
07-10-23
9am and 2:30pm Whale Watch Sightings
Hej alle,
Today aboard the Cetacea, the 9am whale watch made its way out towards Stellwagen Bank in search of whales and other marine life. We spotted several blows from several different groups of humpbacks when we entered the area. We started on a group consisting of Bolide, Milkweed, and Sprinkles who came up right near our boat! After some great looks at them, we noticed some splashing in the distance. This turned out to be Cajun 23 Calf who was breaching up a storm! Cajun, Spell, and 3.14 were close by as they surfaced right near the jumping calf. As the adults would dive, probably foraging for food, the calf continued to breach and tail breach! Eventually our little one calmed down and began closely traveling by mom’s side. We got a few looks at another pair I am still working to identify before getting our final looks on Ravine and her 2023 Calf. After news of the calf getting entangled yesterday, we called the disentanglement team to update them about the mom and calf pair’s whereabouts. We contacted other boats in the area to keep a sharp eye out for the pair before we had to head back to the dock.
The 230pm whale watch made its way out towards the same area in hopes of similar success to the first trip. Through the wind and the heavy rain, we were determined to find wildlife. Despite the heavy rain, we spotted several blows when we arrived in the area. We spent our time with a group consisting of Cajun, Cajun 23 Calf, Spell, and 3.14. The group several times popped up right near the boat! The calf even breached a few times not far from us! At one point, another group popped up close to Cajun’s group and we had a whale traffic jam at the surface which is always a cool sight to see. After both groups went down on some beautiful fluking dives, we had to make our way back to Boston. It was a really awesome day out on Stellwagen Bank!
Indtil næste gang,
Colin and Antonia
Kl. 10.00 Hvalobservationer
God eftermiddag,
The Sanctuary braved the fog and rain as we slowly made our way to Stellwagen Bank on the 10am whale watch. As we arrived, we caught sight of a triangular fin in the water! It turned out to be a massive basking shark hanging out at the surface. We got some incredible looks at this shark as it swam alongside our boat. After a few minutes, the shark slipped below the surface, and we continued on in search of whales. Our efforts were quickly rewarded as we found ourselves in an area with 15-18 humpback whales! Our first encounter was with Jabiru, Pele, and Eruption. These whales were taking short dives and spending ample time at the surface! We watched as they surfaced with their mouths facing upward – a behavior indicative of them feeding! After some time with these three, we moved on to another group of whales. We identified these whales as Cajun, Cajun’s 2023 calf, 3.14, and Spell. Cajun’s calf was feeling a bit playful and was tail breaching, tail lobbing, head breaching, breaching and rolling at the surface. The adults kept busy, diving and surfacing regularly as they fed. Before we knew it, we were running out of time with the whales. As we slowly started turning our boat back to Boston, Cajun’s calf erupted in a massive breach! Before we could process what happened, three more breaches followed – one from each of the three adults in the group! To top it all off, Cajun’s calf ended this spectacular event with one more breaches! It was an incredible event of five breaches with four different whales. As we finally began heading home, we got bonus looks of Jabiru, Pele, Eruption, and four other whales that were in the area.
It was a fantastic day on the water!
Eman and Anjali
Kl. 12.00 Hvalsafari
God eftermiddag!
Some lumpy seas and intermittent rain awaited our us on our 12pm journey to Stellwagen aboard the Aurora. Upon arriving at the southwest corner, we were met with a flying whale! Mend had taken it upon herself to surprise us with some random breaches, as she attempted to make her way into a group with Bristle and Othello. They eventually became a trio, sharing the same area as our trusty trio, old flames Pele, Eruption, and Jabiru. It seemed as though Jabiru didn’t appreciate sharing space, and we heard about it via several trumpet blows. Both groups took turns swimming parallel to us, allowing for awesome looks! After a last breach off our starboard side, we turned in the direction of home, this time welcomed by rain.
While our eyes were peeled for Ravine and calf after the calf’s unfortunate entanglement yesterday, we did not spot them. However, my cautious optimism remains, as our devoted colleagues at CCS were able to make some progress on the disentanglement! Some line remains, but with continual monitoring, hope that it will recover is still alive.
Flukes up!
Ashlyn and Kaitlyn
07-11-23
9am and 2:30pm Whale Watch Sightings
Hej,
The crystal clear visibility was a welcome sight after weeks of foggy weather and the whale sightings were equally spectacular as well. Several groups of humpback whales zipped around us among many “bait balls”- schools of small fish that are caught to be used as bait by fishers swimming so close to the surface that we could see the movement of the water. The whales were clearly feeding, as evidenced by their quick surfacings and erratic movements. Cajun, her 2023 calf, Bolide (see photo for evidence of a recent entanglement event), Sprinkles, Woodwind, Milkweed, Flock, Startrail, Pele, Eruption, Jabiru, 3.14, and Spell rounded out the list of IDs for the morning and we cruised in after enjoying a fantastic time on Stellwagen Bank.
By the afternoon, many of the same individuals were still present, however they were spread out and there was less bird activity and glassier seas. Interestingly, Spell had split from the larger group previously comprised of Cajun, her calf, 3.14 and Milkweed. The calf rolled and splashed intermittently while sticking closer to mom than in the morning and we were treated by a few sporadic breaches from an adult in the distance. We spotted a harbor seal and a few shearwaters, but otherwise enjoyed a less frantic trip and had time to really admire the whales as they swam in circular patterns around us. Overall it was a terrific day!
Laura L. and Kaitlyn
Kl. 10.00 Hvalobservationer
God eftermiddag!
The 10am whale watched headed on the Sanctuary towards the southwest corner of Stellwagen Bank. We were ecstatic when we spotted the blows of at least 20 humpback whales in scattered associations with Provincetown in the background. We spent the first part of our trip with the association of Woodwind, Bolide, and Sprinkles! These three adults kept surfacing powerfully – this mixed with lots of bird activity was a good indication that these whales were busy feeding on small schooling fish underwater. We then spent our time with a group of 5 – Milkweed, 3.14, Spell, Cajun, and Cajun 23 Calf. We got awesome looks at this adorable calf as it continuously popped up around the vessel. While our vessel was safely not moving – we also got great views at the duo Flock and Startrail – who dove right towards our vessel! We finished up our whale watch when our group of 5 popped up right on our bow – what a great way to end our trip. Big thanks to our friends from Whale Sense for joining us today!!!
Kate, Laura, and Jane
Kl. 12.00 Hvalsafari
God eftermiddag hvalentusiaster!
We boarded the Aurora excited to head out to Stellwagen bank in search of cetaceans. We made our way towards the Southwest corner of Stellwagen and quickly saw several groups of blows in the area! We estimated almost 20 humpback whales in several social groupings around us. We were able to identify several of these whales including Bolide, Sprinkles and Woodwind; Jabiru, Pele, and Eruption; Startrail and Flock; Mend, Bristle, and Chairlift; and Cajun, 3.14, Spell, Milkweed, and Cajun 23 Calf. Startrail and Flock treated us to several close approaches, and Startrail even pooped at the surface several times, evidence that they were likely feeding below the surface. We wrapped up our trip with some beautiful looks at Eruption, Pele, and Jabiru as they closely approached us and travelled the length of our port side before making our way home to Boston.
Overall a great day for whale watching!
Sydney and Antonia
Boston Whale Watching: Naturalistiske noter - 23.05.07 til 23.11.07