Oh Happy Evening Fluke Fellowship,

Today aboard the Aurora we joined Captain Earl in our quest for megafauna on the Southwest Corner of Stellwagen Bank.  Our 11am adventure began with an exciting discovery of two highly dynamic humpback whale associations, a welcome challenge of tracking and identification for NEAQ intern Megan and myself.  We were pleased to recognize Pele in addition to Cajun and Jabiru who both had calves in tow.  These mountains of mysticete were reluctant to fluke in our favor when diving for 2-4 minutes, but their characteristic dorsal fins betrayed their attempts at anonymity! 

An association of humpback whales.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

Onlookers observe flukes spanning 15' wide.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

Jabiru's 2015 Calf rolling.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

One calf evades a potential entanglement.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

Jabiru fluking for a dive.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

The aquatic quintet crossed paths with a humpback coalition of four including Hancock and her 2015 calf, who were all dexterous in evading lobster buoys and many a recreational fishing boat.  These vessels were in the company of the Auk, a NOAA research craft whose crew deployed a zodiac craft to monitor boat interactions with whales.  As we left cetacean and craft to the watchdogs of the ocean, we cautiously approached humpback dame Glo-Stick who punished the sea surface with pectoral flipper slapping and tail-lobbing!  

NOAA sends a zodiac from the Auk to investigate boat activity.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

Goo-Stick flipper slapping.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

Our 3pm return to the Southwest Corner began with a continuation of the pelagic percussion that ended our previous trip, but these were thunderous antics of an unknown humpback whale NEAQ naturalists nicknamed 15BH34.  This individual seemed young in regard to body size and coloration of its fluke pattern, but it was ambitious in breaching and pectoral flipper slapping!  This whale eventually descended on a long dive, but we revisited two humpback associations whose participants remained faithful to the location we investigated on our 11am trip.  At close proximity we identified A-Plus and Perseid as they travelled with Hancock and her 2015 Calf, and of the second sighting we rediscovered Pele who accompanied Jabiru and Cajun who were with their calves.

15BH34 dual flipper slapping.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist 

15BH34 on one of several breaches.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

We were thankful for the herculean resolve of Cap’n Earl, who was skillful in evading both associations as they continued to surface next to the Aurora!  The whales seemed to be traveling randomly and displaying curiosity toward our steel chariot, and at one point Hancock’s association surfaced off our stern with some very close spyhopping.  Our obligations to terrestrial life soon pried us from these creatures, and so we made for the coast amidst a lightning storm of mythological proportions!  The thunder of this tempest could not quell the indomitable spirit cultivated by today’s encounters.

Pele and the port pulpit.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

This adventure also commemorates my final voyage with Megan, who will continue to safeguard our natural world in her future scientific endeavors!

Peace and Love,

Rich

Good Afternoon Stellwagen Scouts,

For our 12pm expedition we made haste with Captain Jeff to the Southwest Corner aboard the mighty Aurora.  Our ambition to encounter humpback whales was made a reality when we discovered a mother and her much smaller humpback calf as they lazed upon ocean’s surface.  They descended on dives of 4-6 minutes, revealing no full fluke patterns for our appeasement.  Passengers were aghast when a tempest of rusty murk erupted from the mother’s tailstock, and the scale of this unsavory cloud challenged the size of the nearby calf!  Their identities remain a mystery, but their success in finding prey to eat was of no question.

Unidentified mother's dorsal fin.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

Rostrum of mother from first sighting.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

Cetacean defecation.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

Cetacean defecation. Brown indicated diet of fish.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

We initiated the second half our adventure with some intimate looks at a second mother and calf pair!  These whales were heading to the east with intent, fluking with grace to reveal ventral paintings of monochromatic artistry.  Bolide’s dark fluke was expertly catalogued by NEAQ intern Kady, and I was able to verify the calf’s fluke pattern despite drastic changes in its aesthetic qualities.  Since last documented, the trailing edge has two significant notches carved into both the left and right fluke.  The nature of the humpback fluke pattern is fascinating to study, especially when observing that of a growing juvenile!

Fluke of Bolide.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

Fluke of Bolide2015Calf.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

Peace and Love,

Rich

Good Afternoon Cetacean Sighters,

Today aboard the steel whale carriage Asteria we joined Captain Joe in our cetacean campaign along Midbank.  After several moments of searching waters scarce of blows, we found BHC vessel Sanctuary and relieved them of their whales.  We noted an association of two logging whales varying greatly in scale, and I was pleased for my first sighting of Firefly to be of her as an active mother!  Her significantly smaller calf remained within one body length, occasionally descending just under her ventral flank to possibly partake in rich whale milk!  For Firefly’s identification we were indebted to visiting naturalist Judy, a cetologist of Bermuda who recognized Firefly by memory alone!

Firefly, recognizable along the Atlantic for white pigments on her right fluke.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

The first few moments of this sighting were subdued in nature, but the calf awakened and surprised us with a full breach!  Several bouts of kick feeding ensued, only to conclude on another impressive breach while Firefly remained silent for several subsurface minutes.  It was a solemn affair to leave these wild whales for the familiarity of land, but the exhilarating trip was further bittersweet as this was my last trip with Ann, our NEAQ intern.  She will be returning inland to continue her studies in Pennsylvania, which feels unimaginably far from the sea!

Firefly2015Calf on first breach.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

Calf plowing through the sea with mother in back.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

Firefly2015Calf on second breach.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

Calf initiating some kick feeding while head crashes on the surface.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

Naturalist and intern team!  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

It was a fine day to share these sightings with scientific minds, and surely a great introduction to Firefly’s boisterous 2015 Calf!

Peace and Love,

Rich

Good Afternoon Stellwagen Family,

Today aboard the 11am whale watch expedition we joined with Captain Deb to relocate humpback whales after yesterday’s tempest.  Riders of the Asteria were happily captivated by an association of whales consisting of Nile, Tongs, and Timberline as they logged casually on the Northwest Corner.  We took note of gleaming metal held fast to Tongs’ left flank, a satellite tag planted by the Center for Coastal Studies!  Our NEAQ intern, Cassie, deftly identified this ornamented whale by the trailing edge of the fluke alone!  After several moments with these lethargic leviathans we made for an adventure south to find more mountainous mammals.

Tongs tagged by Center for Coastal Studies.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

During our trek down south we were elated to spot three blue sharks visible just below the surface!  I was enthused to see these apex predators swimming peacefully along Midbank, as they are truly essential in keeping prey populations healthy by predating on creatures inhibited by age or illness.  We soon found ourselves in the presence of the humpback whale Reflection, who revealed to us another satellite tag during lively displays of kickfeeding and surface-lunging!

Reflection filtering following a surface lunge.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

Reflection's tag seen on left.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

Today’s adventure brought us to two different species of apex predators, and we ourselves will continue the hunt for captivating marine encounters!

Peace and Love,

Rich

Good Afternoon Pelagic Perusers,

Today aboard the Cetacea we made way for the Southwest Corner on the day’s first exhibition to investigate wild cetaceans.  We trudged diligently over mountainous swells, making opportune timing as Captain Bill read the seas like a book.  The southern feeding grounds provided an amphitheater for Nile, our lone encounter who authored an encyclopedia of humpback whale behavior within one single sighting.

Nile's characteristic fluke pattern.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

Vertical descent.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist 

This monolith of mysticete might surfaced amongst green clouds of bubbles between two-minute feeding dives, bringing the ocean’s surface from a heave to a rolling boil.  Amongst the aquatic uproar sat a northern gannet with the characteristic plumage of the transition into adulthood.  This seafarer departed to escape the wrath of the titan, carrying with it seaweed possibly stirred up from Nile’s foraging tactics on the ocean floor.  We were distracted by another unassociated humpback whale in the vicinity, but after an unsuccessful glance we were beckoned back to Nile who was valiantly kick feeding.

Northern Gannet with transitional plumage.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

We were aghast to see no sign of Nile splashing on the surface as noted a moment before.  Off our portside we noted a familiar black and white pattern rising slowly from the sea, and out emerged the towering tailstock of Nile!  This black stalk stood erect and motionless, a stoic sentry that pivoted to survey of the blue landscape.

Nile slowly rose from the ocean, fluke-first!  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

Nile displaying her dexterity.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

Continuation of kick-feeding.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

This calm, seemingly calculated maneuver concluded the second act of this pelagic performance.  For the remainder of the trip we were granted kickfeeding amongst further aquatic storms of green.

This morning was rich in memories that will remain concrete in our minds, and we can only help to further our wealth in whale encounters!

Peace and Love,

Rich & Connie

Good Day Cetacean Station,

On our 9am voyage aboard the Cetacea we surveyed for cetacean activity on the Southwest Corner with our comrade, Captain Jim.  We were quick to observe a cacophony of humpback whales who were encompassed by no less than four boats, so we opted for a journey east for depths absent of human activity.  After a lengthy search across calm seas we were accompanied by fellow whale watching vessel Dolphin VII, and before long each boat found its own whale to observe!  Just 7 miles north of Provincetown we caught sight of a humpback fluke pattern that remains unidentified by myself and Mira.  This mysticete embarked on a dive exceeding 6 minutes, and after an extensive search of the eastern front we headed for whale activity we had earlier bypassed. 

Unknown humpback whale found on Southeast Stellwagen.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

We promptly sighted four different associations of humpback whales, and all aboard the Cetacea happily witnessed an approaching quartet consisting of Bayou, Perseid, Cajun, and Cajun’s 2015 calf!  These rorquals were fluking whilst traveling randomly, and at one point a lone common dolphin was cruising right in front of Bayou’s rostrum!

Bayou's fluke.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

Cajun's fluke.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

3 of 4 whales in association. Bayou (front), Cajun (back left), Cajun 2015 Calf (right). Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist 

Bayou diving beyond the starboard pulpit.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

We took note of an associated duo at our stern, and one of these mammals bore the characteristic fluke of Sprinkler!  After several moments with these beloved beasts we headed back for Boston, leaving the whales amongst a turbulent tempest of whale watching boats and recreational vessels.

Today marks my final voyage with NEAQ intern Mira; it is truly a privilege to be in the company of such energetic young scientists who strive for the conservation of our marine environments!

Peace and Love,

Rich

Happy Afternoon Planktonic Picaroons,

Today aboard the Aurora we joined Mira and Captain Tom for some splendid sightings of our mysticete neighbors.  For our noontime expedition we were mystified by the association of A-Plus and Sprinkler; these two vivacious creatures demonstrated diverse theatrical behaviors that make the humpback whale such an endeared species.  A-Plus was creating enormous bubble clouds that were immediately followed by tail-slapping, dragging, and powerful surface-lunges.  

Our first association of Sprinkler and A-Plus.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

A-Plus dragging while Sprinkler jaw-claps in background.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

Sprinkler followed within one body length, rolling over to expose ventral features rarely seen up-close while contorting its uniquely patterned fluke for our viewing pleasure!

Sprinkler floated on back, pulling up tailstock in reverse- a most unusual fashion.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

This exciting briny ballet attracted the attention of two neighboring associations, making for a group of six cetaceans!  Captain Tom was wise to put our vessel out of gear as the whales were unpredictable in their submarine antics, erupting in white foam before our bow several times over.

The bow became a meet-and-greet.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

Amongst this myriad of mysticetes we identified Pele, Perseid, and Twine as they tossed their tails and flukes in close proximity to their terrestrial observers!

Close encounter with a wild animal.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

Look dear, a whale.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

In the midst of the Atlantic action we observed whales breaching and flipper slapping just one mile away, providing Plymouth whale watch the Tales of the Sea with equally majestic behavior.

Breaching in the distance by an unknown whale.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

Sprinkler and A-Plus (foreground).  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

A-Plus diving.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

Twine diving.  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

Mira our NEAQ intern (right) with me (left).  Rich Dolan, BHC naturalist

There were many veteran whale watchers onboard today that can testify to the magnitude of today’s voyage, and it brings me great joy to return again tomorrow!

Peace and Love,

Rich