Bungee and Highlighter are our FIRST HUMPBACKS of the 2011 season

Hello everyone, I have some great news...yesterday, August 5, we had our first humpback sighting of the 2011 season.  We had the privilege of introducing our passengers to Bungee (an adult female first seen in 1992 and has had 5 known calves) and Highlighter (we don't know much about this adult).  We spent time with both whales on all 3 departures yesterday travelling offshore to the Wolves Bank...it's about an hour run out there but it is so worth the trip if you are willing to go the distance. 

I would like to share some pictures with you from yesterday,

Meet Bungee

Meet Highlighter

Humpback whales are easily (fairly easily) identified by the black and white patterns or pigmentation on the underside of their flukes as well as by the shape of their dorsal fin and the jagged trailing edge of their tail.

Here are some photos from August 5

I also wanted to share this video



Another nice thing about going offshore are the seabirds, here are a few pics of greater shearwaters

The sightings on August 5 were great but it's too early to say that humpbacks are here for the season.  In our part of the Bay of Fundy we usually do not see humpbacks with any consistency until the mid-end of August and still then we usually need some good weather to travel the distance offshore to see them.  We would never guarantee any specific species on a departure but for me that's all part of watching wildlife!

Thanks for checking in,

Cheers,
Danielle