Sunday, September 6, 2015

09.06.15 5pm Whale Watch Expedition 060

Good Morning Rorqual Readers,

Yesterday aboard the Cetacea I found myself in the jolly company of Cap'n Jim and the Cetacea company for a 5pm voyage on the Southwest Corner.  Under the tangerine glow of this September evening we located the humpback whales Nile and Pitcher in an association observed on several trips over the season.  Pitcher gave a few wild thrashes of the tail prior to a couple dives, while Nile flaunted her fluke pattern high atop a proud tailstock.  The vapor of their blows rose high in the sunset, as an orange blaze erupting from tall summits of dark onyx.  The waves rose as flames licking the burning red skies, and our vessel was alone in tending the pelagic fire.


Nile on a high fluking dive.  Rich Dolan, BH naturalist

Shearwaters hungry for a sunset meal.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

Droves of Cory's shearwaters crashed haphazardly into the Atlantic surface, eager for the shoals of fish illuminating the monitor of our wheelhouse fish-finder.  Emerging from the tempest of aviary bombers was the whale Lutris, accompanied by an unfamiliar humpback with a white fluke pattern.  This association joined with the Nile and Pitcher to make a quartet, perhaps increasing their might to take advantage of fish that survived the torrent of seabirds.  I rejoiced with our passengers who were too enamored with these leviathans to be perturbed by the evening swell.

Pitcher casting a hot blow into the evening seas.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

I look forward to sharing our next expedition, and partake in the merriment of this lovely Labor Day weekend!

Peace and Love,

Rich

No comments:

Post a Comment