Greetings Mysticeti Menagerie,

This morning we concerted with Cap’n Jim and the Cetacea crew to find humpback whales on the Southwest Corner.  The presence of whale watch vessels atop blissful seas was a welcome sight, and after a few moments we found joy upon three recognizable leviathans!  Nile, Perseid, and Fracture were diving in cetacean synchronicity, revealing black and white prints of a Rorschach quality. 

The trio of mammoths was faithfully departing on dives of 3-5 minutes, but their rhythm was thrown asunder when their linear travel was interrupted by a large sailing vessel, the Oliver Hazard Perry.  We departed these whales after they safely resurfaced, leaving them under the cautious watch of fellow whale watching vessel Miss Cape Ann.   

Our passengers were soon imparted with exceptional views of a probably mother-and-calf pairing!  The larger of the two traveling whales was exhibiting its fluke, but the smaller whale travelling in unison was keeping its pattern below the seas.  Being the newest NEAQ naturalist makes every humpback whale, familiar or unknown, seem new and exciting for me.  As the combined efforts of naturalist and intern yielded no identification, I heartily elect our readers to help discover the name and history of this whale, in our efforts to catalog and safeguard our cherished mammalian neighbors.

Tomorrow brings another adventure, and I will endeavor to further open our window to the beauty of the ocean blue!

Peace and Love,

Rich

Fracture amongst trio of Nile and Perseid. Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

Fracture, Nile, and Perseid. Rich Dolan, BHC Naturalist

Whales diving under the Oliver Hazard Perry. Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

Shuffleboard diving with calf nearby. Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist