A great day with finback whales

Hello There, it's Danielle with Quoddy Link Marine. We had a great day today, even with 15 knots of southwest wind. Our morning departure took us off Blacks Harbour with 2 finback whales. The photos below are from our 10:00 am trip. We did take a trip to the east and have a look around the Wolves and our Scout Boat was looking to the west for humpback whales but we were not able to locate any today.

The wind increased and the tide began to ebb on our 2:00 pm trip so the weather wasn't suitable to run offshore but we did have 3-4 finback whales around Nancy's Head, Campobello Island. We also had a minke whale in Head Harbour Passage.

Our evening departure was similar, even though the tide had turned the seas were still a little choppy. We got to spend some time with 2 finback whales off East Quoddy Head Light and a VERY co-operative minke whale at the entrance to Head Harbour Passage.

Thanks for checking in with us. I'm on the water all day again tomorrow and I will make sure to keep you posted.

Sometimes you have to stop and listen

Hello everyone, I'm sorry it's been a few days since my last post. We have been deep in the fog over the past 3 days. On July 10th we managed to get our 10:00 am and 2:00 pm departure in. On our morning trip we stopped with 2 different minke whales. One minke was off Greens Point Light and the other in the "Happy Hunting Ground", an area affectionately named because traditionally it has been a common area to view whales. We got a call from John on our Scout Boat that he had a humpback whale offshore towards the Wolves. We made our way out and found thick fog but calm seas. In conditions like these what we do is stop, shut our engines down and listen for the whales....yep, listen! It's a very exciting experience and everyone on the boat was great, being very quiet so we could listen for the blow of the whale. On a calm day the blow can be heard up to 2 miles away. We could hear the whale breathing and with much patience, adjusting our position and listening again we were able to locate a single humpback whale. We spend some time with Rhino (you can see her dorsal fin below), a mature female humpback before we had to make our way back to St. Andrews.

Our 2:00 pm departure on July 10th took us back offshore in hopes of seeing Rhino again. The wind had increased and made listening for the whales very difficult. We did see a minke whale and to our delight "she" came over to have a closer look at us. The minke circled the boat many times giving us excellent views of "her" white pectoral flippers. The picture on the left was taken during our 2004 season but I wanted to share it with you, it's exactly like what we saw on our trip. It is very rare to have the curiosity returned and when it happens is absolutely incredible.

All of our departure were cancelled yesterday, July 11th, because of the thick fog.

Today, July 12th, our 10:00 am departure was cancelled as well, because of the fog but we did get out on our 2:00 pm trip and we had a Hat Trick! A Hat Trick is what we call it when we get the opportunity to show our passengers all 3 species of whales commonly seen in our part of the Bay of Fundy. We stopped with a minke whale around Whitehorse Island and then to our surprise a finback whale surfaced close to our boat. After spending some time with these whales we got a call from our Scout Boat that he had a humpback whale. We made our way offshore as the fog was closing in on us but we very happy to find a large hole in the fog when we got to the humpback. We got to spend time with not 1 but 2 humpback whales, Rhino and an unidentified smaller humpback (there are no photos, it was my day off today). Everyone on board had a fantastic trip.

Well, the weather forecast for tomorrow looks good and I am on the boat all day so I will keep you all posted. Our whale sightings for our 2007 season is still 100% so come and experience the whales of the Bay of Fundy with Quoddy Link Marine, we would love to show you our world.

A video with Scream

Hi everyone, I just wanted to share a little video that Melanie (one of our naturalists) took. This is from our close encounter with Scream on July 9.

I LOVE MY JOB!!

Hello everyone, it's Danielle with Quoddy Link Marine. I don't even know where to begin about today. I have spent the last hour going through my photographs and emailing Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown, MA and it has been confirmed we had 13 new humpbacks today!! That's more humpbacks than I have seen in any other year.....in the whole season and we had 13 new humpbacks today, as well as Rhino, a mature female that we saw for the first time yesterday, so that makes 14 humpbacks in total.....so let me introduce....
Pierce












Mallard










Thistle












Galapagos














Scream

Waterspout

Hawksbill

Shockwave











Ibex (Mr. Burns)....a favorite from the Nova Scotia side of the Bay of Fundy.









Grand Manan

Puppet

Littlespot

Blanco

Our 10:00 am trip was extra special with a close encounter from one of our new whales. Scream came very close to the boat, circled us many times and even did a few spyhops (when a whale raises his or her head out of the water). The photos below are from our close encounter with Scream.

The last part of my day I would like to share is on our evening trip we had the pleasure of seeing 4 humpbacks travelling together. Below is a dive sequence with Rhino (left) and Blanco.
OK, time for me to get some sleep before another day on the water. Thanks for sharing our amazing day :)

Welome Rhino to the Bay of Fundy

Hello everyone, it's Danielle with Quoddy Link Marine back from 13 hours on the Bay of Fundy and what a day it was...again. Today really reminded me why it's so important to have patience and be willing to look for whales, because you never know what you may find. Our morning trip took us off Southern Wolf Light where we found (with the help of our Scout Boat) 4 finback whales. They were spread out a little bit but in the end 2 whales came together and were travelling side by side.

Our 2:00 pm trip left St. Andrews to head back out towards the Wolves to where we left the finback whales. As we were on our way offshore we heard word that the whales were being difficult to watch, staying down for long periods of time and making some big moves. At the change of the tide whales can be unpredictable. We travelled east behind the Wolves in search of the finback whales but we found a minke whale instead. After a short period of time we decided to head back towards Southern Wolf and John, our captain, informed our passengers "there's plenty of opportunity to see whales on our way there". Well, on our way to Southern Wolf we found not 1 but 3 finback whales and a humpback whale. I was especially excited because it was a new humpback, one I didn't recognize. She has been positively ID'd as Rhino, a mature female (thanks to Jooke Robbins at Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies for help with the identification). The photos on the left show her fluke as well as her dorsal fin. We stayed with her for about 45 minutes (until I could get a decent tail shot for photo ID) and then we had to make our way home.

Our evening trip left a little late because of our extensive afternoon search but we made a beeline for our Scout Boat who was keeping a close eye on our new humpback whale. We spent a good hour with Rhino and our passengers were treated to our first humpback breach of the 2007 season! A breach is when a whale fully or partially jumps out of the water and the reason for this behaviour is not fully understood. Researchers speculate it could be to knock parasites off their body, to attract mates and establish dominance during the mating season or just for fun. Our ride home was a happy one and everyone got to enjoy a beautiful sunset.

Thanks so much for checking in, I'm back on the water in the morning.....who knows what the Bay of Fundy will share with us tomorrow so check back soon.

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.