Another Amazing Day on the Bay

Hello all, well, it seems like everyday I am bringing you reports of these amazing trips we keep having....and today is no different!

Our 10 am trip was an inshore trip, there were so many fin whales and 3 North Atlantic right whales we decided to stay inshore (there was also NO boat traffic so this made the decision much easier). We counted at least 12 finbacks between White Island and Campobello!! We also sighted 3 critically endangered North Atlantic right whales just off Head Harbour Passage. On both trips today we saw right whales with significant scars and injuries from entanglements in fishing gear as well as propeller strikes. These are the 2 biggest threats that whales face today.

Below are photos from our 10 am trip. The top photo shows a right whale who has lost 1/2 of their fluke to an injury (most likely a prop) who I have tentatively ID'ed as Clipper (right whale ID is certainly not my specialty, I have the photos in to be identified but I tried to ID from the Right Whale Catalog) and the bottom picture shows a young right whale with scars on the caudal peduncle (tail stock).



Below is a video taken by one of our passengers (Carolyn McIntyre) of Clipper diving. Thanks so much for sharing Carolyn.



Our 2pm departure took us directly offshore, behind the Wolves in search of the large group of North Atlantic right whales we have been seeing there over the past 5 days. We made the choice to run offshore even though there were reports of all finbacks, minkes, humpbacks and right whales in the inshore waters but there was also boat traffic...it's not the right way to watch whales. We certainly found some right whales offshore, conservatively 15-20 individuals. The 2 photos below so an adult male, Ruffian, first seen in the Bay in 2005. He has some serious scars (my guess would be from an entanglement).


The next 2 photos are from SAG's, or surface active groups. Please visit the post from a few days ago to learn more about SAG's and right whale courtship behaviour.

I also have a few videos to share with you today!!

This is a young right whale who got a little curious with our boat.



This 2nd video show some clips I took of the surface active groups, or SAG's on today's departure.



We also had a great humpback sighting offshore on this afternoon's departure...welcome Pike back to the Bay of Fundy! Pike is the 2007 calf of Six and was seen here last season and seen earlier this year in the southern Gulf of Maine.


Thanks for checking in again today...the weather is suppose to be great for the next few days, I hope to have more great sightings to share but as I have said before, this is wildlife and every trip is SO different, and I love that part of my job.

Cheers,
Danielle