Good Afternoon Fluke Faction,

Today we commenced our 9am expedition on the Southwest Corner with Cap’n Bill aboard the Cetacea.  Our adept chieftain sighted three blows lingering on our easterly route, and we quickly recognized Pele and Milkweed amongst the trio!  Mend was also traveling along the two cetacean comrades, but only one of the several synchronized dives revealed the third characteristic fluke pattern.  These whales were diving in intervals of 3-5 minutes, and eventually displayed random travel as a possible sign of foraging or subsurface feeding.

Milkweed traveling with trio. Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

Pele fluking after Milkweed and Mend. Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

At one point a young man, Alexander, observed that Milkweed diverged from her company for one surface interval, peerless behavior she had demonstrated on our last whale watch.  Our insightful passenger may be joining us again for another whale watch in a couple days, as this budding biologist (or future naturalist?) understands that the animal sightings are highly variable on every trip.  Milkweed even surfaced and fluked twice within one minute, suggesting a brief but high rate of vertical travel for purposes unclear.  The oceanic dance of life continued even into the sky, and Miranda joyfully pointed out a juvenile gannet soaring excitedly over our vessel.  We soon departed this dynamic activity to search Midbank, but only happened upon buoys that floated as silent chaperones.

One of several acoustic buoys on the shipping lane. Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

Today’s morning adventure gifted us with close looks of oceanic mammoths, and I can only hope for these whales to continue flourishing in their coastal feeding grounds.

Peace and Love,

Rich