What a Day....Welcome Back Hobo

Hello everyone.....what a fantastic day. It's days like today that really remind me why I love my job. First, I would like to say that today wouldn't have been possible with out the help of Matt on our Scout Boat. Our Scout Boat leaves before our trips and helps us locate the whales, who can certainly move around quite a bit over night and during the day.

Our morning trip took us out behind the Wolves, about 19 miles from St. Andrews where our guests were treated to a travelling pair of finback whales. While the Quoddy Link was making her way home we found a humpback whale. The humpback was positively ID'd on the afternoon trip as Hobo, a whale we are familiar with from the last 3 seasons (photos below taken on our 2:00 pm departure). Our guests on the afternoon trip also got the opportunity to spend some time with the same pair of finback whales.

We didn't leave the harbour until 6:00pm for our evening departure, a little late because of the distances travelled for both our morning and afternoon trips. About 45 minutes into our trip we got word from Matt on our Scout Boat that he had 5 finback whales travelling together!! Finback whales are baleen whales and are not known to travel in large groups. Baleen whales are sometimes found in groups, but they are classified as "unstable" because they are not usually family groups and are together for a purpose such as feeding. These unstable groups may last as long as few days or only a few minutes. The winds had increased, there was a definite chop in the sea (nothing the catamaran couldn't handle, her twin hulls make her incredibly stable) but with a boat full of hearty and eager passengers we made our way out about 20 miles from St. Andrews. When we arrived we were treated to a sight that I have not seen in my 6 years working for Quoddy Link Marine, 5 finback whales travelling so close together. It was absolutely amazing, and like I said earlier, reminds me of why I love my job so much. Below are a few pictures I took this evening. I didn't take as many photos as I could have, I made sure to put my camera down, even just for 30 seconds, to enjoy and take in what amazing sight it was to see 5, 50+ foot whales travelling in unison.

Thank You so much for taking the time to check in with Quoddy Link Marine. I'm on the water all day tomorrow, so check in and see what's new out on the Bay of Fundy.

A great trip....even with the Bay of Fundy Fog!

Hello everyone, it's Danielle with Quoddy Link Marine. The fog has arrived in St. Andrews and we are all hoping it won't stick around too long. We were stranded in port yesterday because of the poor weather (wind and fog) and our 10:00 departure was cancelled this morning as well. As 1:00 pm rolled around today the fog began to lift in the harbour and we sent our Scout Boat out to check on the conditions and help us on our search for whales for our 2:00 pm departure. With the help of Matt on our Scout Boat we were able to locate a VERY co-operative minke whale off Windmill Point, Campobello Island. We spent about 45 minutes with the whale while we travelled with "her" towards the mouth of Head Harbour Passage. You can see "her" picture on the left. She continually surfaced quite close to the boat, switching sides quite often. And, to the delight of our passengers, we were able to smell her breath! Minke whales are known to have quite a strong odor to their exhale or "blow" and are affectionately known as "Stinky Minke".

On our way back to St. Andrews we were treated with a fantastic bald eagle sighting on Nubble Island. This noble bird of prey is very numerous among the West Isles and is a common sight on our trips.

The fog is forecasted to lift tomorrow and I will make sure to keep you posted on all of our sightings. Thanks for checking in.

A breezy Wednesday...

Hello, it's Danielle with QLM back from a rather breezy day out on the Bay of Fundy. Our morning departure started off with just a light south westerly but when the time came to head for home the wind had increased to about 15 knots and we knew the chop would only increase as the tide turned. But the wind and the Bay of Fundy fog didn't stop us from seeing our familiar finback whale on either of our trips today. We spent time with "him" off Bliss Island on both of our trips. The guests on our 10:00am departure were treated to a great sighting, the finback whale surfaced very close to the boat numerous times and everyone was able to see the white colouration of the ventral surface, and one time we could even see the ventral pleats fully extended as the finback took in a big mouthful of water. Finback whales are Mysticetes, a group of whales who lack teeth and instead have baleen. The baleen hangs down from their upper jaw and acts as a sieve, straining the water, allowing the salt water to flow back into the ocean and trapping the fish or krill on the inside of the mouth where it can be swallowed whole.

Unfortunately we had to cancel our 5:30 departure today because of weather. The outlook for tomorrow weather-wise doesn't look the greatest but I will be sure to keep you posted. Our season is still at a 100% success rate, so if you are heading to St. Andrews this summer or fall come and experience the whales of the Bay of Fundy with Quoddy Link Marine.

Before I sign off for the day I wanted to wish all of our American friends a very happy Independence Day.

Finback and minke whales....a great July day

Hello everyone, it's Danielle with our sightings for July 3rd and what a gorgeous day it was. Today was my day off so John (captain and owner) and myself left early on our Scout Boat in search of the humpback we saw yesterday, and even though we weren't able to locate her today (not for lack of trying, we covered at least 25 miles) we had a great day on the water. On both our 10:00 and 2:00 departure we spent time with a familiar finback whale. I hopped on the Catamaran after our 10:00 passengers had spent time with the finback whale and we made our way over to Head Harbour Passage where we found a minke whale. The picture above you can see a minke whale with East Quoddy Head Light and a more close-up picture of the minke whale below. This is a minke we at Quoddy Link are familiar with but is my first time seeing this season. Minke whales can be identified by their uniquely shaped dorsal fin.

Thanks for checking in, I'm back at work tomorrow and I will be sure to keep you posted on all of our sightings.

First Humpback of the 2007 Season!!

Hello everyone, it's Danielle with Quoddy Link Marine with some fantastic news. We had our first humpback whale of the 2007 season today on our 10:00 am trip! We found her.....yes her, her name is Cork, she is a 5 year-old female humpback whale (ID confirmed by Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies)....at the north-west corner of the Owen Basin. Cork was our first humpback in the 2006 season as well (first sighting on July 9th). Humpbacks are individually ID'd by the pigmentation on the underside of their tail, as well as unique scarring and the shape of their dorsal fin. I could easily recognize Cork by her tail and this is her 3rd season with Quoddy Link Marine.


Our morning trip continued with more great sightings as we headed closer to home and stopped with a finback whale off Bliss Island. Below are some pictures of the finback from our 10:00 am trip. The lower left photo shows the unique dorsal fin while the upper right shows the "blaze". The blaze of a finback whale can be seen from the right hand side, where the white colouring of the lower right jaw extends over the head and behind the blowhole. The blaze is an individual marking and can help researchers tell one finback from another.

Our 2:00 pm departure took us a little bit further than expected, about 18 miles from St. Andrews but it was well worth it. With the help of our Scout Boat we were able to find 3 new finback whales. One of the new whales is shown below (the upper right photo is an enlargement of the dorsal fin). Each dorsal fin is unique, have a look at our 10:00 am finback and see if you can see the difference.

We started our evening trips today...to great success, we spent some time with the same finback we had on our morning departure but this time just off the northern tip of Campobello Island, NB.

That's all for now, keep checking for more sightings from Quoddy Link Marine.

Happy Canada Day!

Hello everyone, it's Danielle with Quoddy Link Marine keeping you posted on our 2007 season. July is here and the whales are staying consistent. We have had finbacks on our last 3 days! Below are 2 photos taken, the top one from June 29th and the bottom from today, July 1st. These are 2 different finback whales, note the difference in the shape of their dorsal fins (the fin located on their back). Finbacks can also be individually IDed by their "blaze" and "chevrons", both of which are white, swirl-like markings located on their backs.



We have been seeing more than just finback whales...minke whales, harbour and grey seals, bald eagles and harbour porpoise have rounded out our trips.


I also wanted to keep you posted on the Gulf of Maine humpback population. There have been 31 confirmed calves and 39 "unknowns" reported so far. An "unknown" is a humpback that has not been matched to a fluke picture in the catalogue. That "unknown" number may change as some whales may be matched but I will keep you informed. Keep checking as we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of our humpbacks on their summer feeding grounds.

Tomorrow we start running three trips a day, 10:00am, 2:00pm and 5:30pm so keep checking for more updates or better yet, come and visit us and see the Bay of Fundy....Catamaran Style.

2007 whale watch season off to great start!

Hello everyone, it's Danielle with Quoddy Link Marine back in St. Andrews. I'm very sorry for the lack of posts but I am back with a long overdue update. The 2007 season officially started on Saturday, June 23rd and all week we have had a 100% success rate with whales!! To make things even better we have had a few finback whales arrive earlier than usual. Finbacks, usually not arriving in our part of the Bay of Fundy until July, are the second largest whale, reaching over 75 feet and 180,000 lbs and their exhale, or "blow" is so loud it can be heard over a mile away! The photos below are from my first day on the water, Wednesday, June 27th.

A finback whale sighted not far from Campobello Island, New Brunswick.











A minke whale, in the same family as the finback, Balaenopteridae. A very sleek and fast whale reaching 25-30 feet in length and 20,000 lbs.










Thanks for checking our updates, the 2007 season is off to a fantastic beginning. Keep checking daily for more updates.

More new mothers off New England

Hello there, it's Danielle with Quoddy Link Marine here to report 2 new mothers on the feeding grounds off the New England states.

Rune, seen here was first seen in 1980, is the mother of at least 7 calves, with her most recent calf this year.





This is Shark and she was reported travelling with a calf and Raccoon just east of Stellwagen bank on Saturday, May 26th.





Humpback whales are relatively easy to tell apart from one another because of the unique pigmentation on the underside of their flukes. The humpbacks we see in the Bay of Fundy are part of the Gulf of Maine population and during our whale watch season I photograph every humpback we see each and every trip we are out. This data is given to researchers at Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies to help learn more about the population as a whole.

Thanks for checking in....more to come soon.

3 new mothers in the Gulf of Maine

Hello everyone, it's Danielle with Quoddy Link Marine. I've mentioned in earlier posts that even though it's too early for whales in the Bay of Fundy, humpbacks and finbacks are arriving daily in other parts of the Gulf of Maine from their wintering grounds. Three new humpback mothers have been reported in the Stellwagen Bank area. These whales include:


Nile (image by PCCS), born in 1987 has now had 3 known calves; Amazon (1998), Aswan (2000) and her new 2007 calf.





Pepper (image by PCCS), first sighted in 1976 and is part of the original Atlantic Humpback Whale Catalogue. Pepper now has 7 known calves but no known grandcalves; Aurora (1982), Siete (1986), Tadpole (1989), Paprika (1992), Zenith (1996), Bishop (1998), Habenero (1997) and her new 2007 calf.



Perseid (image by PCCS). This is her first known calf.







Thanks for reading and keep checking back for more whale news.

IFAW asks Quoddy Link Marine for help in their fight against commercial whaling

Hello there, it's Danielle with Quoddy Link Marine with a serious message today.

Quoddy Link Marine works cooperatively with Allied Whale, Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies, The New England Aquarium and Grand Manan Whale and Seabird Research Station providing crucial whale sighting information. We are also part of the the Atlantic Large Whale Disentanglement Network, standing by and helping when we can with photographs and staying with the whale until the disentanglement team arrives from Campobello Island.

Yesterday I was contacted by IFAW, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, asking for my help to spread the word about their campaign to help stop the slaughtering of whales for commercial purposes. The email included this message,

"On May 28th the U.S. is hosting the International Whaling Commission’s (IWC) Annual Meeting, which is in jeopardy of being led by a pro-whaling majority for the first time in 30 years.

Fifty humpback whales have already been added to this year’s hunt quota by Japan . This, in addition to habitat destruction and global warming makes it more imperative than ever to support the cause to stop whaling. To help spread awareness, IFAW will travel to the IWC meeting in the Cape Air IFAW Whale Plane, a Cessna 402 painted with inspiring images of humpback whales by famed airbrush artist Jürek, renowned for his Grateful Dead artwork. The plane will travel across the country from May 10th to 20th making stops in key cities to spread the word, and carrying 50 children's drawings of humpback whales to present to decision makers at the IWC in Anchorage , Alaska.

Patrick Ramage, the Global Whale Program Manager will be posting updates on this important campaign, along with ways to help save the whales, on his blog: Update from the Whales Need Us plane"




Check out IFAW.org to learn more about their fight to stop the slaughtering of whales for commercial purposes

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this important post. Keep checking back for everything new with Quoddy Link Marine.

Happy Mother's Day!!

Hello everyone, it's Danielle with Quoddy Link Marine. First, I want to wish all Moms out there a very Happy Mother's Day.



On the Mother's Day theme, another female humpback, Loon, was reported with a calf off Cape Cod. That brings the total to 8 calves so far reported in the Gulf of Maine.



I have some good new to report. The right whale that was reported entangled on September 27, 2006, 17.5 nm southeast of Swallowtail, Grand Manan in the Bay of Fundy was sighted gear-free . Disentanglement attempts occurred in the Bay of Fundy as well as off the coast of Georgia in January. The right whale was sighted on May 11, 2007 only 200 yards from shore off the east coast of Cape Cod close to Truro, MA and appears to be gear free (see image on right).

That's all for now, thanks for checking in.

Quoddy Link Marine is going GREEN!

Hello, it's Danielle with Quoddy Link Marine, keeping you posted on all things Quoddy.

First, Quoddy Link Marine is going green. Wind turbines have been installed at our office and are currently powering our exterior lighting. Expansions are soon to come and will include interior lighting, cash register, computer and LCD screen. In order to include the interior parts of the office solar panels will have to be added.

Second, I want to report that our upper deck has been certified by Marine Safety to carry 30 passengers instead of 20. Our capacity is still 47 passengers and 3 crew, the change just allows more guests to enjoy the Bay of Fundy breeze at the same time. There are advantages to viewing from both the upper and lower deck. The upper deck gives the advantage of height, allowing our passengers to look down into the water, and on sunny, clear days you may even be able to see the entire body of a whale through the surface of the water. The lower deck allows you to be at the same level of the water and to view the whales from a completely different angel. The majority of my photos are from the lower deck. The lower deck also allows you to get out of the sun and wind for a while. My advice would be to experience both, the upper and lower deck, it's worth it!

Third, another mom has been reported by Whale Center of New England. Lavalier was photographed with her calf on May 2/07 on Stellwagen Bank.

Another FAQ!!

What kinds of whales will we see?

A very common question. What kinds, or species, of whales we will see will depend on many factors, including; the time of season, the weather and where your captain is willing to take you. The time of season is very important. In our section of the Bay of Fundy, typically minke whales are the first species to arrive (usually around mid-June), the finbacks are next (usually around the beginning of July) and then the humpbacks (usually around mid-August but sometimes as early as the beginning of July).

The weather, another factor we have no control over. Sometimes the weather may dictate where we go, if it's too windy or foggy we may not to be able to travel to the "offshore area", where we usually see the larger whales like finbacks and humpbacks. Minke whales are usually more common in the inshore, protected areas and when the weather is bad, the inshore area may remain calm and relatively warm. Please feel free to check on the weather forecast the evening before your trip but all trips aren't decided upon until about 30 minutes prior to departure.

The one factor we can control is where we choose to take our passengers. If the weather co-operates, and the season is right for larger whales, like finbacks and humpbacks, sometimes there is a choice where to go. There are many times when there are whales about 10 miles from St. Andrews and whales 16-20 miles from St. Andrews and at these times we may have the choice to stop and stay at the first whales we see......or go further. With Quoddy Link Marine, we always go further. I have worked with the company for 6 years now and I can't think of a time when John or Matt (our 2 captains) didn't choose to go the distance to show our passengers the larger whales. To tell you the truth, we want to see the finbacks and humpbacks as well. Our Scout Boat helps out here as well, scouting the further locations for us, so when we leave St. Andrews we may not even stop at the closer whales (they may be close but there is almost always too much boat traffic). If we can show our passengers finbacks and/or humpbacks over minke whales, we will try. We will also try to leave boat traffic behind, it's not the best viewing experience to have too many boats with the whales and more importantly, it's not good for the whales either.

The most important piece of advice I can give you is ASK QUESTIONS, visit the various tour companies, look at the boats and make an educated decision about the company you want to go whale watching with, and we hope you choose us, Quoddy Link Marine!

That's all for today's update! Keep checking back and we'll see you in St. Andrews!

New mothers in the Gulf of Maine

Even though our whale watching season doesn't start until the end of June in St. Andrews, humpback whales are already arriving on their summer feeding grounds off Massachusetts. Our humpbacks are part of the Gulf of Maine population and I want to keep you posted on the new mothers and familiar "faces" when they are sighted. Humpback whales are named and identified based on the black and white pigmentation on the underside of their flukes (the whale on the left is Parachute, a humpback I have been photographing since 2003). The names are not gender specific because usually at the time of naming the sex of the whale is not known.

The new mothers for 2007 so far are:

Blackhole
Fern
Photon
Reflection
Roswell
Scratch

I will keep you posted, if there are questions please feel free to drop me an email.

More FAQ's.....All about whales

Hello again, it's Danielle with Quoddy Link Marine. I thought that I would share some more "Frequently Asked Questions" with you, these ones all about the whales...

Can we touch the whales?

NO, we don't touch or feed the whales, we can't "call them with a whistle", and most likely we don't even know right where they are when we leave St. Andrews. The whales, as well as the seals, porpoise and all of the other animals we see, are wild. It is their home, and they go where they want. Sometimes the whales do set up patterns, and this can make them much easier to find. We do have a "Scout Boat" which can leave before our trip and help search for the whales.

How close will we get to the whales?

Honestly, we can't answer that before we leave, because these are wild animals but the most important point you must know is our captains are very experienced (over 12 years on the water with whales) and they know how to position the boat so as to give you the best view of the whales. You always want to travel with the whales, letting them lead the way, so they can change direction when they want, and you never want to be in a position to cut a whale off. When we view these animals we must respect their boundaries and stay a safe distance away, it is so important for their survival. It is very important to note that Quoddy Link Marine is a signee to the Bay of Fundy Whale Watchers Code of Ethics (http://www.bayoffundytourism.com/environmental_leadership/code_of_ethics.php).

Will the whales "jump"?

This is a very common question. The act of jumping or "breaching" out of the water is an awe-inspiring thing to see, but it doesn't happen on every trip. The most common whales that breach in our area are humpback whales, usually seen in August-October in our part of the Bay of Fundy.

Will the whale raise its tail?

Another very common question. Not all whales raise their tail. Humpback whales will most likely raise their tail on their terminal dive (whales will usually do a series of dives and then arch their back and dive deeper, this final dive is called a "terminal dive"). Finbacks, the second largest whale in the world and much larger than humpbacks do not typically raise their tail. Finback whales can reach lengths of over 70 feet and weigh more than 180,000 lb.

Why is that whale all alone?

Baleen whales, like humpacks, finbacks and minke whales are commonly found alone or in small, unstable groups. These groups form and may stay together for a few days, a few weeks or only a few minutes. It is very common to see a humpback whale travelling on their own. Humpback, finback and minke whales are here in the Bay of Fundy to feed and nurse their young, you don't see the large groups like you would on breeding grounds. The Bay of Fundy is an important feeding, nursing and courting ground for the North Atlantic right whale, who can often be seen in large aggregations, known as surface active groups or "SAG's". We usually do a few right whale trips a season, taking a limited number of passengers 30-40 nm from St. Andrews out into the middle of Bay of Fundy in search of right whales. Please keep in touch if you are interested in our special right whale trips.

OK, that's all for now, if you have any questions of your own please feel free to send me an email. Keep in touch and read more about Quoddy Link Marine and our adventures on the Bay of Fundy, or better yet come and join us and experience the Bay.....Catamaran Style.

What do you do in the winter?? And a few other FAQ's

Hello, it's Danielle back with Quoddy Link with some more pre-season information. I wanted to start a series of posts that cover a bunch of FAQs or "Frequently Asked Questions" that our guests ask while either on the boat or before they book their tour.

The first question...What do you do in the winter?

It's a very common question so I'm going to share a little of what John Eldridge, our captain and owner and myself did this winter.

John had the opportunity to spend 5 weeks in the island paradise, Dominica while on working assignment. Dominica (pronounced Dom-in-eek-a) sits midway along the Eastern Caribbean archipelago, just a few miles from Martinique to the south and Guadeloupe to the north. The island is sparsely populated with around 70,000 people inhabiting its 289.5 square miles. A significant portion of the population lives in and around the capital city, Roseau. Dominica is an arcadia of unspoiled nature. Tropical forest coats two thirds of the island, which nourishes 1,200 plant species. Rivers, lakes, streams, and waterfalls abound, fed by the islands high annual rainfall. Its volcanic physique points to extensive geothermal activity above and below sea level.

While on the island John had the chance to see sperm whales! Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) are the largest living toothed animal in the world. Sperm whales got their name from the from the milky-white substance (spermaceti) found in it's head originally mistaken for sperm. The function of the spermaceti and the organs it fills is still largely unknown but three strong hypotheses exist: to control buoyancy, to aid in echolocation and for male-male combat.







Sperm Whales are amongst the most sexually dimorphic(that is, males and females differ greatly) of all cetaceans. Males are typically 30%–50% longer (16–18 m) than females (12–14 m) and are twice as massive (50,000 kg vs. 25,000 kg, ). At birth both males and females are about 4 m (13 feet) in length and mass of 1,000 kg.









This is a photograph that John took while in Dominica of a sperm whale, note the large, triangular flukes. In the background you can see the capital city of Dominica, Roseau.


















As for my winter, I have been spending most of my time in Ottawa, ON. I currently have a job at at Natural Pet Foods (http://www.naturalpetfoods.ca/), a small, family-owned store specializing in holistic pet foods (including kibble, canned, raw and pre-mixes). I did have the chance to take a vacation with my boyfriend to Kissimmee, Florida. While down south we had the opportunity to snorkel with manatees, Trichechus manatus, in Crystal River. The population of Florida manatees is endangered, with numbers estimated at 2000-3000 individuals. The number of deaths is increasing each and every year, with most being attributed to ship strikes. All of the manatees I saw had scars from boat propellers on their backs.

Manatees are herbivores and an adult will consume about 9% (50kg) of their body weight a day in plant material. They will eat over 60 varieties of plant species and can weigh over 500 kg.

This image shows me in the water with 2 manatees. These manatees are wild, living in Homosassa and Crystal River, 2 warm, spring fed rivers. The tour we went on operated by Captain Joe (http://www.fun2dive.com/) was fantastic. We had the chance to learn about manatee manners, evolution and behaviours before we entered the water so we knew how to swim safely with them, it's their home, and their comfort and safety came first. The larger manatee here is actually chewing on a rope that is hanging off the side of the boat.

Here are some more FAQ's that are asked....

Should we bring binoculars?

Yes, but binoculars are not great for watching whales, they are mainly used for looking at stationary objects like seals on rock and bald eagles in trees. We do use binoculars when looking for whales in the distance. When looking for whales we have to look for blows, or "spout", which can be seen from a few miles away on a clear day. The best advice we can give is bring your binoculars if you would like, but when we are watching whales, put them down and use your eyes, otherwise you will miss a lot of the experience.

Can we bring our camera?

OF COURSE! But when photographing whales, the best advice I can give is when we get there, put your camera down and just watch the whales, learn a bit of their behaviour, and don't spend the entire trip looking through your view finder or at your LCD screen, use your eyes, take in the experience. When on the boat I can offer some advice on photographing the whales as well.

What should we wear?

Layers, layers, LAYERS. We can't stress this enough. Even if it's beautiful and warm on land in St. Andrews please bring warm layers (coat,pants, sweatshirt....hat and mittens even, it's cold on the open Bay of Fundy). There is no quicker way to ruin a trip then to be cold and we do have some blankets on board but please dress warmly. Also, sunscreen is essential, when on the water to get hit twice, once from the sun, and again from the reflection off the water.

Is there a bathroom on the boat?

YES, there is a modern, electric washroom on the Quoddy Link.

Is there a snack bar on the boat?

No, there is not a snack bar on the boat but feel free to bring along a lite snack, or even a small cooler. It is a good idea to at least bring along a bottle of water. Please, no alcohol, we are not licenced. We do provide free hot chocolate and a small taster, to give you a flavour of New Brunswick.

How many passengers are there on the boat? How many guides?

The Quoddy Link hold 47 passengers and 3 crew but actually there is room for over 60 passengers, the numbers are kept down for comfort and viewing. There is a large upper deck that can hold 2o people, seating runs down the middle of the boat so on the lower deck everyone can stand at the sides and have a clear view out an open window. It's essential that the windows open, to hear the whales and smell, yes...SMELL them, is all part of the experience. There is covered seating for 47, and the windows can be closed, so in case of rain, EVERYONE will stay dry.

There are 3 crew, 2 guide and 1 captain, aboard the Quoddy Link, all with first aid and all crew take a Marine Emergency Duties coarse.

Are young children and babies safe on the boat?

Definitely, the boat is fantastic for families. We do ask that all children are accompanied by an adult when on the upper deck, and on the stairs, at ALL times, and there is absolutely no running allowed on the boat. The Bay of Fundy is big and we must respect it, so please be safe. We do have first aid but we don't want to have to use it. If someone gets hurt we may be over an hour from port, so again, please be safe. As for infants, you are more than welcome for bring a stroller on the boat, there is plenty of room.

Do you go out in the rain...fog....etc?

Rain, yes, the whales are already wet, they don't care if it's raining. Fog....it depends. Some seasons the whales will set patterns and we can locate them relatively easy in the fog. Sometimes the fog will clear in areas where some whales are and sometimes it's just TOO foggy. Thunderstorms, NO. With all weather, our captain will make an informed decision (sometimes going out to check on the weather in the open Bay of Fundy with our Scout Boat) about 30 minutes prior to departure. The weather can change very quickly on the Bay of Fundy and it can also differ greatly from St. Andrews to where we have to go to see whales. Feel free to call the day before for a weather outlook but again, no decision will be made until 30 minutes prior to departure. We thank you in advance for your patience if weather becomes a factor.

Well, that's all for today, keep in touch for whale FAQ's, and we'll see you soon. We hope you choose to come and experience the Bay of Fundy.....Catamaran Style with Quoddy Link Marine.

Sperm whale information from www.wikipedia.com

Dominica information from www.dominica.dm

A Long, Overdue Update!

Hello Everyone, it's Danielle back again with Quoddy Link Marine. I hope everyone out there had a great winter and I'm sure most of you are looking forward to some warm summer weather as much as I am. I am sorry for the lack of postings over the winter, I'm currently living in Ottawa, ON. Well, with the summer season quickly approaching there is some news that I would like to pass along.

First I want to take some time to introduce you all to three humpback whales that we spent a lot of time with in the 2006 season that are no longer "unknowns". Each spring, whale researchers and tour operators get together to name unknown humpbacks (humpbacks that have not been sighted in previous years) as well as new calves that have been sighted for the first time away from their moms (they don't give the calves official names until they are sighted on their own the following year). The "Gulf of Maine Humpback Naming Conference" was held this year on April 7th in Essex, MA. The following three whales can now be known as:


Due (pronounced DOO-ee) for the 2 straight white marks on the left hand side of the fluke. Due is Italian for 2.










Mustache for the obvious white mark on the left hand side of the fluke.











EKG for the black marks on the lower right hand side of the fluke that resemble an EKG reading.










We will keep you posted if these humpbacks are re-sighted again this summer in our part of the Bay of Fundy

Some GREAT news related to the Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick's Musquash Estuary has been officially designated a Marine Protected Area (MPA)!! The Musquash Estuary, located 20 kilometres west of Saint John, is the last largely intact and relatively pristine salt marsh in the Bay of Fundy. The designation of an MPA will mean an end to coastal development in the area and a ban on aquaculture. Both measures are designed to ensure that the salt march continues to serve as important habitat for birds and sea life. (Information from WWF - Canada and Photograph by David Thompson)




On a much sadder note, a North Atlantic right whale that was known in the Bay of Fundy was found dead on March 25th, 2007 on Crowell Basin, 75nm SW of Yarmouth, NS. Right whale (RW) #1424 has been a known entangled case for over 5 years, first sighted entangled on February 12, 2002 off the coast of Florida. RW #1424 was last seen alive, still entangled but apparently healthy on September 13, 2005 in the Bay of Fundy. Here you can see RW #1424 in a SAG (surface active group) of over 50 individuals.




Here is the official record for RW #1424 in the Bay of Fundy on September 13, 2005.














This is the sketch of the entanglement, essential for researchers and rescuers, in order to make a plan on how to proceed with the disentanglement attempts.















That's all for now, please keep checking for future updates, our season will begin the June 23rd, so if you are planning a trip to St. Andrews by-the-sea, visit Quoddy Link Marine, and experience everything the Bay of Fundy has to offer......Catamaran Style.