THE PELAGIC PILGRIMAGE: 09.07.15 11am & 3pm Whale Watch Expeditions 061 & 062

Good Afternoon Mysticete Maestros,

Yesterday at 11am we joined Captain Chip aboard the Aurora for the southern promenade of Stellwagen Bank, a celebrated feeding ground of the migratory humpback whale. Our summer NEAQ intern, Cassie, aided in spotting an association of three humpbacks amongst five neighboring cetacean sightings. One white fluke pattern belonged to an unknown humpback seen the previous evening, and we later identified the other associates as Komodo and Twinkle. Chip negotiated with active seas to regale passengers with close observations of these logging leviathans. We soon left the trinity of slumberers, passing the NOAA vessel Auk as its occupants observed a pair of humpbacks whales.

15BH44 blowing mightily. Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

Our 3pm sojourn for the Southwest Corner came to a premature end three miles west of the bank, as we observed a humpback whale jouncing jovially from blustering seas. Cassie promptly identified the whale as Nile, recognizable by her dorsal fin ornamented in white blazes and also from her cavernous tagging scar. Nile and I have shared the seas on many occasions over the last two seasons, but never had I seen such a frenzied tempest of breaches from this monumental mysticete. Upon diving the aeronaut would christen the surface with monstrous halos of brown defecation, signatures of massive feasts necessary to sustain this grand queen.

Nile plowing through the seas. Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

Rostrum of Nile. Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

We surmised that Nile breached at least twelve times upon our arrival, but we also witnessed four breaches from an anonymous whale in the vicinity. We were unaware of any interactions prior to our approach, but during our observations the unassociated whales breached within moments of each other. The mighty glare of the sun and a distant fluke pattern evaded identification. Our focus was admittedly on Nile, as her cycle of breaches, flipper slapping, and bowel evacuations next to our boat prompted Cassie and I into a camera duel for photographs (admittedly, her flipper photo won)!