RECENT SIGHTINGS "Breathtaking, awe-inspiring, magical..." these are the descriptions we hear as our guests depart the Whale Watcher. While every whale watch cruise is different, each experience is sure to be memorable. Below are our most recent whale sighting reports, outlining the sighting trends and migration patterns. 10/07/07 - 10/13/07 Sightings 10/7/07 – 10/13/07 Our 2007 season is very quickly nearing its end. With only one week remaining, there is still a little time left to join us on a whale watch adventure. This past week encountered cool weather, with some high winds and rough seas for a better part of the week. In fact, several trips were cancelled this past week due to weather. October weather can change very quickly. Regardless of the weather, whale watches continue to bring sightings of whales. Humpback, finback, and minke whales were seen during the past week as well as a variety of sea birds. Humpback whales once again dominated the sightings during the past week. Whales were seen traveling alone or in small groups of 2 to 3 animals. A majority of the whales appeared to be feeding sub-surface because we did not see any feeding behavior right at the surface. In addition to traveling, humpbacks were seen rolling, flipper slapping, and displaying beautiful, high tail shots as they dove. An exciting sighting this week was that of Apostrophe, who was seen flipper slapping for the better part of 20 minutes! She came up on one side, raised one flipper, and then very quickly rolled onto her back so she was completely upside-down! Our very lucky passengers had some beautiful looks at her large white flippers and her rorquals (throat grooves). Filament and her calf were seen tail breaching, tail slapping, chin breaching, and even displaying multiple full breaches! A pair of finback whales were sighted off the backside of Provincetown toward the end of the week. These very large whales were cruising along the beach, most likely feeding below the surface. Finback whales are the second largest animal to ever have lived on this planet, reaching lengths of 80 feet. It is always so impressive to see these massive animals up close. Minke whales were seen sporadically throughout the week. Most of these small baleen whales were seen quickly traveling, however, in the middle of the week some very lucky visitors were treated to a minke whale breaching! This particular minke whale was sighted just past Race Point, and was repeatedly seen jumping completely out of the water! Minke whales are usually a challenging whale to watch because of their small size and fast speed, so it is always a special treat to be able to see the entire length of the whale, as well as its beautiful coloring, clearly. Another special sighting this week was that of an ocean sunfish! These very large, very bizarre looking fish are sometimes found up at the surface “basking” in the sun. This particular sunfish was doing just that. Ocean sunfish can reach lengths of 15 feet and weigh over 2,000 pounds! They are quite a sight to see! A variety of birds were seen during the past week including greater shearwaters, manx shearwaters, immature northern gannets, common eiders, and a variety of gulls. 09/23/07 - 09/29/07 Sightings 9/23/07 – 9/29/07 It’s hard to believe, but we have already reached the end of September. Our 2007 whale watch season is winding down, but there are still a few weeks left. Although we have been enjoying a mild fall, we did have to cancel a few of our trips this past week due to windy weather and rough seas. Sightings this week included humpback and minke whales as well as Atlantic white sided dolphins. Humpback whales made up the majority of the whales that we saw during the past week. Whales were seen traveling alone or in small groups of 2-5 animals traveling together. Isthmus and her calf were seen logging (resting) at the beginning of the week, and then later in the week gave our passengers a wonderful close approach. Both whales swam right along the sides of our boat, allowing passengers to clearly see their tubercles (bumps on the head that contain hair follicles) and blowholes. At the end of the week, our visitors were treated to an amazing look at bubble feeding whales! Milkweed, Crown, Apex, and Whisk were all seen kick feeding, bubble feeding, dragging, tail breaching, and flipper slapping! What a sight! Humpbacks we were able to identify included Apex, Crown, Draco, Isthmus and calf, Milkweed, Nile and calf, Perseid and calf, Tear, Tectonic, and Whisk. Minke whales were spotted occasionally throughout the week, often in the vicinity of humpback whales. Minke whales are the smallest baleen whale we see in our area, and are probably the most challenging whale to watch. They are very fast moving whales, and tend not to spend a great deal of time up at the surface. Most of the minke whales we saw this past week were in passing, as we traveled to humpback whales. A small pod of Atlantic white sided dolphins provided a special treat during the middle of the week. On Thursday’s trip, 10 dolphins were spotted traveling around a group of humpback whales. This pod contained many juvenile dolphins 09/07/07 - 09/22/07 Sightings 9/7/07 – 9/22/07 The middle of September has brought absolutely beautiful weather to our little neck of the woods. Bright, sunny blue skies along with calm seas and great visibility have given us wonderful whale watch adventures. Humpback, finback, and minke whales were all sighted during the past two weeks as well as Atlantic white sided dolphins. Humpback whales have once again dominated our sightings. Whales have been seen traveling alone and traveling in small groups of 2- 5. As was the case during the past couple of weeks, these past two weeks also brought deep feeding whales as well as whales feeding right at the surface. Humpbacks were seen bubble feeding with nets and clouds, and were also seen gulping without the use of bubbles. Other behaviors we saw included tail breaching, flipper slapping, logging, rolling, and breaching. Our visitors were also treated to a number of beautiful tail shots as these whales went down for their dives. Humpbacks we were able to identify included Alpha, Apex, Apostrophe, Coral, Crown, Evolution, Isthmus and calf, Nile and calf, Parens, Pepper and calf, Reflection and calf, Roswell and calf, Rune and calf, Twister, Valley and calf, and Ventisca. Finback and minke whales were also quite numerous during the past two weeks. Both types of whales were seen charging around, most likely chasing little fish. Our passengers had some beautiful looks at these whales cruising right along the sides of our boat, including lunging finback whales, one of which flipped completely upside down! Visitors were able to see the white stripes that minke whales have on their flippers, as several of these small whales swam right by us. A special sighting was that of a breaching minke whale in the middle of Cape Cod Bay! The whale was approximately a mile behind us when we first saw it jump completely out of the water, and it continued to breach several more times as we continued traveling towards Stellwagen Bank. Although humpback whales are known for their aerial displays, occasionally the smaller minke whales breach as well, and it is certainly exciting to see! A small pod of Atlantic white sided dolphins provided passengers with a special treat towards the beginning of the first week. Approximately 15 dolphins, including several calves, were seen in the company of some humpback whales. Although Atlantic white sided dolphins are the most common dolphin that we see in our area, they spend most of their time off shore. Occasionally they come closer to shore, usually when they are chasing prey. It is always fun to see these fast moving dolphins right along side the boat! 08/24/07 - 09/06/07 Sightings 8/24/07 – 9/6/07 August has turned to September, and we have enjoyed spectacular whale watch adventures. Humpback, finback, minke whales were all sighted during the past two weeks in addition to Atlantic white sided dolphins, blue fin tuna, basking sharks, a variety of birds, and even an ocean sunfish! Humpback whales were sighted on every trip during the past two weeks. Although feeding behaviors were still sighted, the whales recently have been feeding deeper, and have not as often been feeding right at the surface. The past two weeks have been full of active whales, including spectacular breaches! Ventisca, Reflection and her calf, Isthmus and her calf, Pepper’s calf, and Perseid’s calf were all seen breaching throughout the two week period. Of those, Ventisca won the award for most acrobatic as she spent over 15 minutes breaching on one trip alone! There are a number of theories as to why whales breach (jump completely out of the water), including playfulness, communicating, stunning prey to help them feed, and a way to dislodge parasites, we might never know completely why they do that on any given day. Our visitors were also lucky enough to receive close approaches from Anchor’s calf, Pepper’s calf, and Pepper herself, who spy-hopped (stuck her head out of the water) twice right next to the boat! Other behaviors we saw included tail breaching, chin breaching, flipper slapping, lob-tailing (tail slapping), and logging (resting). Humpbacks we were able to identify included: Alpha, Anchor and calf, Anvil, Bat, Blanco, Calderas, Conflux, Crystal, Fern and calf, Giraffe, Isthmus and calf, Leukos, Milkweed, Nile and calf, Peninsula, Pepper and calf, Perseid and calf, Rapier, Ravine, Reflection and calf, Sloop, Springboard, Trident, Trident ’06 calf, and Ventisca. Finback whales were also numerous during the past two weeks. Like many of the humpback whales, the majority of the finbacks we saw were deep feeding. Most of these large whales were sighted traveling alone; however there were some pairs and trios seen as well. Several of the finback whales were lunge feeding right at the surface, rolling onto one side and exposing flippers and parts of their tails! One of the finbacks we saw is a whale named Braid. Braid got her name from propeller scars on her back that look like a “braid.” Minke whales were seen infrequently during the past two weeks. These small whales are the smallest baleen whale that we see in our area, and are often difficult to watch for long periods of time because of their quick movements. Minke whales are very streamlined animals, which makes them fast swimmers. When these small whales are sighted, they are most often seen charging around from one spot to the next and tend not to stay up at the surface for very long. Regardless, when a minke whale swims right along the side of the boat, it is very exciting to see one of these beautiful whales up close. Atlantic white sided dolphins were sighted twice during the last two weeks, both in small pods. One trip saw a pod of 30 dolphins, and the other saw a smaller pod of 15 dolphins. On both occasions the dolphins were seen quickly traveling along the sides of our boat, and several of them were jumping out of the water and riding the waves from the wake of our boat. It is always exciting to see these beautiful dolphins up close. Our passengers have enjoyed some bonus sightings during the past two weeks, including basking sharks, blue fin tuna, and even an ocean sunfish! Since all of these are fish and do not have to come up to the surface like whales do, it is always a special treat to see any one of these fish. Basking sharks are the second largest fish in the world, and can reach lengths of 40 feet! Much like baleen whales, basking sharks are filter feeders, eating a variety of plankton and jellyfish which sticks to their gill rakers (comb like devices between each gill slit). Blue fin tuna are a large apex (top) predator in our waters, eating a variety of small fish. They are extremely fast swimmers, and sometimes visitors are lucky enough to see them working a school of fish at the surface. In this case, the blue fin tuna we saw were chasing blue fish. Ocean sunfish (also called Mola mola –their scientific name) are probably one of the most bizarre fish one could ever see. They can be quite large: sometimes larger than 15ft. and can weigh over 2,000lbs.! These fish lack a true tail, and instead swim by using their dorsal (upper) and ventral (lower) fins to propel themselves through the water. They are round and disc-shaped, like a giant pancake! Ocean sunfish have a small mouth with fused teeth, and eat a variety of larger zooplankton including jellyfish. In addition to all of these swimming animals, we also saw a variety of pelagic birds during the past two weeks. Greater, sooty, and Audobon’s shearwaters were all sighted, as well as red-necked phalaropes and a variety of gulls. 08/10/07 - 08/23/07 Sightings 8/10/07 – 8/23/07 The middle of August brought us beautiful summer weather perfect for whale watching: blue, sunny skies and calm seas. We even experienced some drier weather, which provided amazing visibility. On some of our whale watch adventures we were able to see the skyline of Boston (the John Hancock and Prudential towers), which were over 30 miles away! Humpback, finback, and minke whales were all sighted during the past two weeks in addition to Atlantic white sided dolphins, blue fin tuna, seals, and a variety of birds. Humpback whales are often considered to be the favorite whale amongst whale watchers because of their active surface displays. Luckily for us, humpbacks have once again dominated our sightings and have done nothing short of impress our visitors. Many of the whales were feeding heavily using bubble nets and bubble clouds at the surface, while some were feeding deeper. Our visitors were treated to amazing looks at wide open mouths, including views of the baleen hanging down from the whales’ upper jaws. We saw many mother/calf pairs over the past two weeks, and many of the calves were very active. Tulip’s calf, Rune’s calf, and Anchor’s calf were all seen breaching and flipper slapping, while Roswell’s calf and Anchor’s calf treated our passengers to close approaches for over twenty minutes! Other behaviors that we saw included traveling, rolling, chin breaches, tail breaches, tail slaps (lob-tails), many full breaches, and even a spy hop! Humpbacks that we were able to identify included: Agassiz, Anchor and calf, Calderas, Cardhu, Colt, Columbia, Coral, Cygnus, Dome, Ebony and calf, Ember, Exclaim, Falcon, Filament and calf, Freckles and calf, Isthmus and calf, Leukos, Liner, Nile and calf, Pepper and calf, Putter, Rapier, Reflection and calf, Roswell and calf, Rune and calf, Salt, Seal, Sloop, Tear, Tulip and calf, Vertex, and Wizard. Finback whales are not only the largest whales we see in our area, but they are the second largest animals to ever have lived on this planet! They can reach lengths of 80 feet, and sometimes even longer! We saw a large number of finback whales in our area during the past two weeks, sometimes 10 or more were sighted on one trip. While most of these large whales were seen traveling alone, many were also sighted swimming in pairs and sometimes even trios. Like other baleen whales, finbacks are considered to be social but solitary. This means that they may form very loose associations with other individuals, but usually not for extended periods of time. Some of the finbacks that we saw over the past two weeks were traveling and searching, others were deep feeding, and others were feeding closer to the surface. It is always exciting to see these large whales charging, rolling, and lunging onto their prey (little bait fish). On several occasions the lunge feeding finbacks would expose a pectoral fin (flipper) and part of their tails. One whale was moving around so much that it flipped completely upside down while laying at the surface! Our lucky passengers could see that whale’s entire tail as well as its all white belly! Several of the finback whales that we saw these past two weeks exhibited propeller scars on their bodies (one is named Braid), and one whale was even missing most of its dorsal fin (named Hercula). Luckily for these whales however, their scars have healed and the whales seem to be living life normally. We see a number of whales over Stellwagen Bank that exhibit some type of scarring, whether it is from propellers, boat strikes, or entanglements in fishing gear. These scars provide an obvious reminder to us that these whales still face many threats and need our help to survive. Minke whales were seen on almost every trip during the past two weeks. As in weeks past, these small baleen whales were seen charging around quickly at the surface, most often in the vicinity of other whales. While some of these whales were seen moving quickly, or just in passing on the way to other whales, several of the minke whales we saw swam very close to the boat. Minke whales actually have very striking markings, most notably their white flipper bands which were clearly visible from those whales that swam along side our boat. Atlantic white sided dolphins were seen on four occasions during the past two weeks. Some of the groups we saw were small pods of 10-20 animals, while others consisted of 50 to 100 or more dolphins traveling together! The pods that we saw had all sizes of dolphins including mature males and females, immature dolphins, and even several calves! It is thought that Atlantic white sided dolphins give birth sometime between June and July after a gestation period of almost a year (11 months). Many of the dolphins we saw were feeding, sometimes in association with humpback and finback whales. Dolphins are known for their acrobatic displays, and our visitors were treated to lots of jumping. Atlantic white sided dolphins are one of the most beautiful of all the dolphins, and it is certainly a treat to see them up close. Added bonuses over the past two weeks were the sightings of blue fin tuna and seals. On one trip, 500-600 pound blue fin tuna were chasing a school of blue fish right at the surface. Blue fin tuna are a top predator in the Gulf of Maine, and can reach lengths of over 12 feet (weighing over 1,200 pounds)! They feed on small schooling fish like herring, mackerel, and alewives. These fish though large, are tremendously fast! Their bodies are built like torpedoes and they are extremely strong. It is a special thing to see these fish pushing bait towards the surface and trying to catch a meal. In addition to the tuna, we also saw both gray seals and harbor seals during the past two weeks. Unlike whales which spend all of their time in the water, seals are only in the water when they are feeding or moving from one spot to the next. Therefore, it is a nice surprise to see the seals pop their heads up to take a breath or just to look around. Finally, a large number of birds have been seen over Stellwagen Bank during the past two weeks including: wilson’s storm petrels, sooty shearwaters, greater shearwaters, manx shearwaters, audobon’s shearwaters, immature northern gannets, black-legged kittiwakes, laughing gulls, and even a pomarine jaeger. 08/03/07 - 08/09/07 Sightings 8/3/07 – 8/9/07 August is in full swing, and our whale watch adventures have brought outstanding sightings of whales! We did encounter some fog and slightly rough seas on a few trips during the past week, however, the majority of our trips brought beautiful summer weather and calm seas: perfect for whale watching! Humpback, finback, and minke whales were all sighted over the past week, in addition to Atlantic white sided dolphins. Humpback whales were seen in abundance throughout the past week. Many of our trips have showcased feeding whales, in what can only be described as feeding frenzies! Many times when there is a lot of food in an area (small schooling fish like sand lance), the whales will congregate in that one area, sometimes cooperatively feeding together. Bubble clouds, bubble nets, and kick feeding were all seen from our humpbacks this past week. Our visitors were able to get great looks inside many of the whales’ mouths as they surfaced facing the boat. We could clearly see the baleen hanging from the upper jaws of many of the whales, in addition to their palettes (the roof of the mouth). Like last week, we saw many cow/calf (mother/calf) pairs this week, and several of the calves were paying very close attention to their mothers as they fed. Some of the calves were even practicing blowing bubbles; pretty soon they will start eating fish on their own. One of the whales we saw feeding this past week (as well as in weeks past) was a large female named Salt. Salt was actually the first humpback whale ever to be named, in 1976! She is considered to be the Grand Dame of Stellwagen Bank since she has been seen every year except one since 1976. Though most humpbacks are identified and named based on the patterns on the underside of their tails (flukes), Salt was named for the white on her dorsal fin: it looked like someone had sprinkled salt onto her back. Salt is also a very productive whale; she had her 10th recorded calf last summer (named Soya). Other behaviors we saw this week included flipper slapping, tail breaching, chin breaching, a spy hop (when the whale sticks its head above water), and even several full breaches. Humpbacks we were able to identify included: Agassiz, Apostrophe, Bat, Cardhu, Coral, Cygnus, Dome, Entropy, Filament and calf, Fulcrum and calf, Giraffe, Iris, Isthmus and calf, Perseid and calf, Photon and calf, Ravine, Salt, Seal, Tulip and calf, and Walrus. Finback whales were sighted every day during the past week, sometimes a dozen or more of these large animals were seen on one trip! Finbacks can reach lengths in excess of 80 feet, and are the fastest of the baleen whales. We saw these large animals traveling alone or in small groups of 2 to 4 animals traveling together. Some of the whales were seen traveling and searching, while others were performing behaviors related to feeding. Finbacks were seen charging, swimming in zig-zags, and swimming in clockwise circles as they tried to corral their prey. Many of the finbacks we saw were even seen lunging right at the surface, often exposing half of their tails as they rolled onto their sides. A special sighting of finback whales this past week was a mother/calf pair. Finback whales are not as well studied as humpback whales, and currently there are no known breeding or calving grounds for this species. Although we do occasionally see mother/calf pairs of finback whales in our area, it is certainly a special thing for us to see. Minke whales were also seen frequently throughout the week. These are the smallest baleen whales that we see in our area, generally reaching lengths of up to 30 feet. Minke whales are very streamlined animals, and are very fast moving and are usually somewhat of a challenge to watch. Most of these small whales that we saw were just up for a couple of breaths before disappearing, but a few swam right along the sides of our boat, and one even swam right underneath our pulpit! As the whales swam close to our boat, our passengers could clearly see the white bands that they have on each of their pectoral fins (flippers). Atlantic white sided dolphins once again provided a special treat towards the beginning of the week. A large number of dolphins, 150-200, were sighted traveling in smaller groups that were spread out. Although dolphins usually travel in smaller groups (pods) of 10 to 30 animals, sometimes they form large groups called superpods, consisting of several hundred animals. This particular superpod of dolphins was seen traveling along the sides of our boat and jumping, giving our visitors spectacular looks at their beautiful markings. 07/27/07 - 08/02/07 Sightings 7/27/07 – 8/2/07 July has come to an end, and August is already here! Whale watching has been tremendous over the past week, and there is still plenty of time left in the season! Although we encountered some foggy trips in the middle of the week, most of the weather has been beautifully sunny and warm. In fact, being on the water has provided some relief from the heat and humidity on land. Humpback, finback, and minke whales were all sighted during the past week as well as Atlantic white sided dolphins and a gray seal. Humpback whales continue to impress our visitors with their active surface displays, which were certainly abundant during the past week. Feeding frenzies were sighted almost every day, with humpbacks kick feeding, lunging, and bubble feeding (nets and clouds). Sometimes bubble nets were cooperative, meaning two or more whales surfaced in the same bubble net. Our humpbacks travel to the warm waters of the Caribbean in the winter months for breeding and calving, and while they are there, they aren’t eating anything at all. Therefore, these whales are looking to eat as much as they can throughout the summer and early fall before they head south. In fact, these whales ideally like to eat somewhere between 2,000 and 3,000 pounds of fish every single day! The whales we saw during the past week were certainly taking advantage of the large presence of sand lance. On many trips, our passengers could see (and hear) the little fish swimming right at the surface. Spectacular views of open mouths, including baleen, were frequently sighted as the whales surfaced with mouthfuls of fish and seawater. Many whales were then seen dragging, pushing the water back out of their mouths and keeping the little fish trapped inside. We saw several mother/calf pairs this past week, and some of the calves appeared to be practicing different feeding techniques. Although the calves are still nursing, they will start to actually feed on fish pretty soon. Right now they are still observing their mothers and practicing things like blowing bubbles to prepare for when they start to eat fish. Other behaviors we saw this past week included tail breaching, chin breaching, flipper slapping, logging (resting), tail slapping (lob-tailing), and many full breaches. Humpbacks that we were able to identify included: Barb, Colt, Coral, Dome, Ebony and calf, Echo, Ember, Entropy, Exclaim, Giraffe, Iris, Pepper and calf, Perseid and calf, Reaper and calf, Roswell and calf, Salt, Sickle and calf, and Walrus. Finback whales were sighted every day over the past week. These very large whales were seen traveling and feeding. While feeding, finbacks were seen swimming in zig-zags, circles, and even multiple lunges right at the surface! It is always exciting to see these enormous animals charge through an area while chasing small fish. It is even more exciting to see them lunge onto their side as they take in a large mouthful! Minke whales were sighted almost every day during the past week. These small whales are very sleek and streamlined, and are therefore very fast moving. Minke whales are known as the “little piked whale” because they usually surface chin first. Since the spouts usually get lost in the water behind them, these whales are often heard surfacing before they are seen. Most of the minke whales we saw this week were surfacing quickly and charging in and around other feeding whales. Atlantic white sided dolphins provided a special treat for those passengers aboard Monday morning’s trip. This was a fairly small pod that we saw, consisting of 15-20 dolphins, including a couple of small calves! Our visitors were lucky enough to see these fast-moving dolphins swimming around our boat. Some of them were also seen jumping! Although our area is part of the range for this species, they usually spend most of their time offshore, often coming closer to shore chasing food. We are lucky enough to see them occasionally throughout the season. Another bonus this past week was a gray seal that stuck its head above the water for several minutes on Tuesday afternoon. Gray seals are common to our area, especially on the south side of the Cape around Chatham and Monomoy Island. They are often called “horseheads” because of their large, broad snouts. Seals do not spend all of their time in the water like whales do; they are usually in the water when they are finding food or traveling from one area to the next. Occasionally when a seal is foraging it will pop its head up momentarily to take a breath or maybe just to briefly rest. Regardless, it is always a treat to see a seal while out at sea. 07/20/07 - 07/26/07 Sightings 7/20/07 – 7/26/07 What an unbelievable week of whale watching! Each time we go out, we are truly amazed at seeing these spectacular animals up close. Humpback, finback, and minke whales were all sighted during the past week. In addition to all of the whale activity, we also saw Atlantic white sided dolphins and an abundance of birds. Humpback whales continue to be sighted in abundance. A majority of the behavior we saw this past week involved feeding. Kick feeding and bubble feeding (nets and clouds) were seen very frequently. In fact, many of the trips witnessed “feeding frenzies” of humpback whales, where many whales (sometimes 15 or more) would group up and feed in the same area. Sometimes the bait was so thick on the surface; we could clearly see the little sand lance swimming right at the surface along the sides of our boat. On several occasions as the whales were coming up through their bubbles with open mouths, we could see the little fish trying to jump or swim out of the way of the whales! Sometimes cooperative bubble nets were seen (2 or more whales surface in the same bubble net). Our visitors have had some remarkable looks at wide open mouths, with the whales’ baleen often visible hanging from their upper jaws. Other behaviors we saw during the past week include dragging, flipper slapping, chin breaching, tail breaching, and multiple full breaches! Individuals that we were able to identify included: Anchor and calf, Barb, Candelabra and calf, Dome, Echo, Exclamation, Fulcrum and calf, Isthmus and calf, Nile and calf, Peninsula, Pepper and calf, Rapier, Rapier ’06 calf, Reflection and calf, Roswell and calf, Salt, Trident, and Wizard. Finback whales were sighted almost every day over the past week. Morning trips on Tuesday and Wednesday brought the largest number of finback sightings, especially Tuesday when we saw at least a dozen of these large animals within a short distance of each other. Some of these whales were seen traveling, but the majority were seen feeding. Some finbacks were deep diving, some were swimming in zig-zags, and some were swimming in clockwise circles; all ways to chase and corral the little fish that they eat. On many trips, some of the finbacks were seen lunge feeding right at the surface! There are few things more impressive than an incredibly large animal quickly charging into a school of fish and then rolling onto its side as it opens its giant mouth (usually exposing a flipper and half of its tail). We had some very close looks at a number of finback whales as well. Finbacks are the only whales to have asymmetrical coloration: the right half of their face is white while the left side is dark gray. Scientists believe the whales use this to help them feed: exposing the right (white) side to the fish they want to corral, and then face the fish with their left (gray) side while they open their mouths, so that the fish can’t really see that darker side of the whale coming towards them. This allows the whale to “sneak up” on the fish it wants to eat. Minke whales were also sighted on most trips during the past week, although many times the whale only surfaced for a couple of quick breaths before diving deeper. These small baleen whales tend not to spend as much time up at the surface as the larger whales we see in our area (especially humpbacks), but they do surface here and there, and are sometimes seen charging into areas with other feeding whales. A special treat this week was the sighting of Atlantic white sided dolphins on Tuesday afternoon’s trip. This particular pod had at least 25-30 dolphins, and was seen swimming along the side of our boat, and even feeding amongst a group of humpback whales! Some of the dolphins were even jumping into the air! Our lucky visitors had some amazing looks at these very beautiful dolphins. In addition to all of the whales, we have seen a number of birds. On days when the whales were heavily feeding, the birds were usually right there in on the action and picking off any little scraps of fish that the whales might have left behind. Greater and sooty shearwaters were seen in abundance as well as wilson’s storm petrels. Black legged kittiwakes, laughing gulls, herring gulls, black-backed gulls, common terns, and immature gannets were also repeatedly seen. There were even sightings this week of a parasitic jaeger and a south polar skua! 07/13/07 - 07/19/07 Sightings 7/13/07 – 7/19/07 The middle of July has been outstanding for whale watching! Humpback, finback, and minke whales were all sighted as well as Atlantic white sided dolphins. Most of our trips last week had beautiful weather with sunny blue skies; however, Thursday’s trips experienced heavy fog. Although it is more of a challenge to find whales in the fog, we were able to find them by moving slowly and then stopping to listen for exhalations. Humpback whales have certainly been dominating our sightings lately. Sometimes 40 or more whales have been sighted on a single trip! Such a large number of whales in an area usually means one thing: lots of food! Feeding frenzies of humpbacks were seen on multiple trips, with several feeding styles being used by the whales. Kick feeding, bubble feeding (nets and clouds), and lunge feeding were all observed. Sometimes a whale would even chin breach before blowing a bubble net, very exciting! A majority of these happily feeding whales came up with their mouths wide open, allowing us to see their baleen (what they use to feed with instead of teeth), and sometimes even their palate (roof of the mouth). Our visitors had some incredible looks at these large animals as they fed all around the boat. Another behavior we saw repeatedly this past week was flipper slapping, which is when the whale raises one (or both) flipper(s) out of the water and slaps it on the surface. Most often the whale rolls onto one side and slaps one flipper (and will usually switch sides), but sometimes the whale will lie upside down, stick both flippers in the air and slap them both at the same time. Humpback whales have the longest flippers of any whale. They can reach 15 feet long in adult whales, which can be a third of the length of their body! There are several potential reasons that whales flipper slap. It could be a way to knock parasites (barnacles, etc.) off of their flippers; a way to communicate with other whales; to stun prey before feeding; to cool themselves off (whales don’t sweat), or maybe just because! We saw both calves and adults flipper slapping this week, particularly an adult male named Colt, who flipper slapped along side our boat for over 15 minutes! Other behaviors we observed included: traveling, rolling, tail breaching, chin breaching, lob-tailing (tail slapping), a spy hop, and many full breaches! Humpbacks that we identified over the past week include: Anchor and calf, Colt, Coral, Cygnus, Dome, Echo, Exclaim, Fern and calf, Freckles and calf, Fulcrum and calf, Giraffe, Roswell and calf, Salt, Scratch and calf, Trident, and Tulip and calf. Finback whales and minke whales were seen less frequently during the past week, though they still remain in the area. Many of these whales were seen charging into areas with feeding humpbacks, most likely feeding as well, though below the surface. Sometimes finbacks were swimming in clockwise circles trying to corral prey, and other times they were swimming in pairs. A small pod of Atlantic white sided dolphins was spotted at the beginning of the week, providing a special treat for our visitors. These beautiful dolphins were seen swimming right alongside our boat, often jumping as they swam. It is always very exciting to see these fast-moving dolphins up close. 07/06/07 - 07/12/07 Sightings 7/6/07 – 7/12/07 What a wonderful time to come whale watching! We have been enjoying beautiful summer weather, and an abundance of whales! Humpback, finback, and minke whales were all sighted this week, as well as Atlantic white sided dolphins. Humpback whales were seen on every trip during the past week. On many occasions the whales were seen heavily feeding. Bubble clouds (a single burst of bubbles) and bubble nets (spirals of bubbles) were both seen at the surface, and our passengers were able to witness these animals coming up through their bubbles with wide open mouths. Some of the whales were dragging after they fed, which is when the whale holds its chin and head above the water as it swims forward. When whales are seen dragging, their mouths are partially open, allowing the water that’s inside to be forced out. Kick feeding was also seen on multiple trips during the past week. In addition to all of the feeding, our visitors have enjoyed close approaches by a number of whales, particularly Roswell’s calf. Her calf seemed to be very curious in our boat because it swam right next to us for at least 15 minutes! Sometimes the calf would roll onto its side, and even swim upside down right next to us. The calf was also seen waving its tail from side to side at the surface. We certainly got some amazing looks at this little whale! Other behaviors that we observed during the past week included flipper slapping, tail breaching, chin breaches, tail slapping, and several full breaches. Humpbacks that we were able to identify included: Nile and calf, Roswell and calf, Reflection and calf, Anchor and calf, Sloop, Circus, Coral, Bandit, Salt, Trident, Wizard, and Barb. Finback whales were sighted on several trips throughout the week. Finbacks are the second largest animal in the world, second only to the blue whale. Finbacks are the largest whales that we see in our area, reaching 80 feet long (blue whales can reach 100 ft.). Some of the whales were seen traveling and searching for food, some were deep feeding, and some were seen quickly charging into areas of bait. Several of the finbacks were seen lunge feeding right at the surface! It is certainly impressive to see these enormous animals lunge quickly into an area with bait, open their giant mouths, and roll onto their sides. When they feed like this they often expose a flipper (pectoral fin) and half of their tail. It’s also easier to see just how large they are when one can see the animal’s entire length at the surface. Minke whales were also sighted on several days during the past week. The majority of these small baleen whales were sighted quickly surfacing in an area, usually in the vicinity of other whales. Several minkes surfaced very close to the boat, allowing our passengers to clearly see their white flipper bands and blowholes. A very special treat for our visitors towards the beginning of the week was when a minke whale was seen breaching! A behavior that is far more commonly seen from humpback whales, breaching is also occasionally seen from minke whales. This particular minke breached at least eight times, many times fairly close to the boat. What a spectacular surprise! Another wonderful surprise in the middle of the week was the sighting of Atlantic white sided dolphins. These dolphins are common in our area; however, they usually spend most of their time offshore, usually coming closer when they are following food. That seemed to be the case with this pod of approximately 30 dolphins, as they were seen swimming and feeding amongst feeding humpback whales. As the dolphins swam along side our boat, passengers could see their beautiful markings and even their blowholes as they surfaced. 06/29/07 - 07/05/07 July has arrived with amazing success! Whales continue to be active and have been seen on every trip. Our sightings this week include humpbacks, finbacks and minkes. Humpback whales have once again dominated our sightings. These mid-sized baleen whales have been seen deep feeding, sometimes in small groups of two to four whales. We have had several mother/calf pairs give fabulous close approaches. Nile and Pepper have both been spotted with their calfÅfs. On some trips, passengers have even seen the calves nursing! When whales nurse they are often seen switching sides as they swim under their mothers and then surface. The mother squirts the milk into the calfÅfs mouth while the calf is below her. Other behaviors we have seen this week include, flipper slapping, tail breaching, and tail slapping. A whale named Circus was particularly playful on Thursday mornings trip. The humpbacks we were able to identify this week include Nile and her calf, Pepper and her calf, Circus, Coral, Colt and Bandit. Finback and minke whales were sighted infrequently during the week, but they still remain in the area. Most of the sightings of these whales have been in the vicinity of humpback whales. 06/14/07 - 06/30/07 One of the most exciting things about Whale Watching is that from one day to the next, we never know what we may see. The last two weeks of June have brought beautiful warm weather, calm seas, and lots of whales! Humpback, Finback, and Minke whales were all sighted as well as a basking shark. Humpback whales were sighted everyday and have been putting on quite a show. Feeding frenzies were seen on many occasions,with a large amount of sand lance present in the area. Some days the bait was so thick at the surface, our passengers could see all the little fish swimming and trying to jump out of the way of the whales mouth. On those days the whales didn' t even need to blow bubbles to corral the fish, they just lunged through them with wide open mouthes! On other days bubble feeding (clouds and nets) and kick feeding were also sighted. In addition to feeding humpbacks have also been seen flipper snapping, tail breaching. tail slapping , traveling, chin breaching, rolling and even several full breaches! Many mother and calf pairs have been seen. Several of which have given our visitors some amazing close approaches. Humpbacks we were able to identify included : Nile and calf, Pepper and calf, Terrace, Giraffe, Circus and calf, Reaper and calf and Trident. Finback and Minke whales were sighted less frequently during the last two weeks, although they still remain in the area. We have had some close looks at Minke whales as they swim along side our boat.Our passengers could very easily see their white flipper bands. Most of the finbacks saw were traveling, however, some of these whales were lunge feeding in areas with lots of bait. It is always impressive to see very large animals swim quickly and lunge right at the surface. A special treat was the sighting of a basking shark. This particular shark was roughly 25 ft. long (They can reach up to 40 ft.) and was seen feeding just below the surface. Basking sharks trap their prey ( plankton ) on their gill rakers, much like a baleen whale filters its food from the water. Basking sharks are fish and don' to need to come up to the surface, so it is always a nice surprise when we see them. 06/08/07 - 06/14/07 We have enjoyed a truly wonderful week of whale watching! The weather has primarily been sunny and warm with calm seas, though we did experience a bit of a swell towards the end of the week. Whales were sighted every day, including humpbacks, finbacks, and minkes. We even saw a pair of basking sharks! Humpback whales, once again, stole the show this week. A large number of humpbacks have been seen in the area, sometimes 30 whales or more! While some of the whales we saw were slowly traveling, the majority of them were very active, especially actively feeding. There has been a large abundance of sand lance over Stellwagen Bank, and passengers could actually see large balls of bait swimming right at the surface. On many occasions, we could see waves of sand lance moving quickly, with one or more humpbacks lunging right up through the little fish with their mouths wide open. Our visitors had some amazing looks at these whales as they were lunge feeding all around. The whales’ baleen was often visible inside their mouths as well. In addition to lunge feeding, kick feeding and bubble feeding were also seen. Several mother and calf pairs were seen this past week, including Pepper and her calf. While Pepper was busy feeding, her calf was rolling around at the surface, exposing its long white flippers. Other behaviors we saw included flipper slapping, chin breaching, several full breaches, and even a spyhop (where the whale sticks its head above water)! Humpbacks that we were able to identify included Pepper and calf, Coral, and Ventisca. Finback whales were also seen on numerous occasions over the past week. These large animals are the fastest of the baleen whales, and are nicknamed “greyhounds of the sea.” They can reach speeds up to 25 knots (almost 30 miles per hour!) in short bursts. Though very large, their bodies are very sleek and streamlined. Many of the finbacks we saw this past week were displaying some of that speed as they traveled and charged into areas to feed. Minke whales were seen on several trips. A few of these small baleen whales swam close enough to the boat for passengers to clearly see their white flipper bands. As in weeks past, many of the minke whales that we saw were swimming in areas nearby other, larger whales. A special treat this week were a pair of basking sharks that were swimming at the surface! Basking sharks are the second largest fish (and shark) in the world, and can reach lengths of 40 feet! These sharks feed on plankton using gill-rakers, a comb-like device, to trap their prey. Often when we see these large sharks from the boat, they are swimming slowly with their mouths open, feeding. Our passengers were able to get good looks at this pair, swimming one in front of the other. Birds were quite numerous this week, and many were seen actively feeding near feeding humpback whales. Wilson’s storm petrels, greater shearwaters, sooty shearwaters, immature gannets, northern fulmars, and even a black legged kittiwake were all sighted. 05/30/07 - 06/07/07 The past nine days have brought continued success on our whale watch trips. Although we have endured some rain and fog, we have been fortunate to have enjoyed beautiful weather and calm seas on most days. Humpback, finback, and minke whales have all been sighted recently. Humpback whales dominated our sightings during the past week and a half. Although some of the whales were sighted traveling alone, most of the whales we saw were in small groups of two to four. With a large abundance of sand lance (a small schooling fish, and the favorite food of our whales) present on the southern edge of Stellwagen Bank, the majority of the whales we saw have been heavily feeding. Whales have been kick feeding (slapping their tails on the surface to stun prey), bubble feeding (blowing bubbles around a school of fish), and even lunge feeding (lunging quickly into a school of fish with their mouth wide open). Some of the bubble nets have been cooperative, which means that more than one whale surfaced in the middle of the same bubble ring. Passengers have had some incredible views of these large animals surfacing with large pouches of food, on many occasions the whales’ mouths were wide open, exposing their baleen! In addition to feeding, numerous, beautiful tail shots have been displayed as the whales dove below the surface. Other behaviors observed from this past week’s humpbacks included flipper waving and slapping, tail breaches (when the whale quickly thrusts its tail out of the water), chin breaches, and even several full breaches! It is always impressive (and special) to see these large animals completely leave the water for a few seconds. Humpbacks that we were able to identify include Nile and calf, Trident, Seal, Patchwork, and Circus. Finback whales, the largest whales we see in our area, were sighted on several trips during the last week and a half. All of the whales were traveling alone, though nearby other whales, usually humpbacks. Some of the whales were seen swimming in a clockwise circular pattern, most likely trying to corral their prey. Finbacks feed on the same small, schooling fish that the humpbacks are eating, primarily sand lance. A few of the finback whales we sighted were lunge feeding at the surface. Minke whales, the smallest baleen whales we see, were also sighted on several trips. A majority of these whales were seen quickly swimming in the areas of other larger whales, particularly humpbacks. The minkes were also probably feeding; however, it is usually less obvious when these whales are eating because they tend to spend less time at the surface. In addition to all the whales we have been seeing, these past few trips have brought sightings of pelagic birds. Most of these birds spend their entire lives out at sea, except when breeding. We were able to see a number of immature northern gannets, sooty shearwaters, greater shearwaters, wilson’s storm petrels, and a northern fulmar. We also regularly saw herring, laughing, and black back gulls. 05/14/07 - 05/29/07 The 2007 whale watching season has started with tremendous success! Although some of our early trips were cancelled due to wind and rain, we have enjoyed some truly fantastic weather for whale watching: bright blue, clear skies, calm seas, and great visibility. Most of our trips during the past two weeks have taken us to the southern edge of Stellwagen Bank, where we have encountered humpback, finback, and minke whales in addition to Atlantic white sided dolphins. Our 2007 season opened with crowd pleasing humpback whales, sometimes in very large numbers. On many trips we saw at least 20 animals, and even up to 50 whales on one trip! Humpback whales are mid-sized baleen whales, reaching lengths of 50 feet. They are often considered to be the favorite among whale watchers because they are known for a variety of behaviors. The humpbacks we saw were seen feeding heavily on every trip so far. These whales eat a variety of small schooling fish, though sand lance (sometimes called sand eels) are their favorite. On one trip passengers could actually see a very large school of sand lance swimming up at the surface. Some of the humpbacks were seen kick feeding(slapping their tails on the surface to stun fish), while others were seen bubble feeding (blowing rings of bubbles around fish to keep them trapped in one place). Flipper slapping, tail breaching, chin breaching, logging(sleeping), and even several full breaches were also observed during the past two weeks. Several mother and calf pairs were sighted, including Rapier who was still traveling with her 2006 calf. Usually humpbacks stay with their calves for up to 12 months, and separate sometime during their migration from the Caribbean towards their feeding grounds. Humpbacks we were able to identify included Coral, Rapier, and Rapier’s 2006 calf (not yet named). Finback whales were seen periodically over the last two weeks, usually in the vicinity of feeding humpbacks. Finback whales are the largest whales that we see in our area, reaching lengths of 80 feet. Not only are they the second largest baleen whale, they are the second largest animal to ever have lived on this planet! A majority of the individuals we saw were traveling, and probably feeding deep. A few of the whales, however, were seen lunge feeding right at the surface. When finback whales lunge feed, they swim very quickly into a school of fish with their mouths open, often rolling onto their side. It is certainly an impressive sight to watch these large animals in action. One of the finback whales that we saw is a whale we know as Tracks. This whale has propeller scars on its side that resemble railroad tracks. Unfortunately, many of the finback whales that we know in this area are recognized for scars along their bodies. Minke whales were seen infrequently during the last two weeks. Minke whales are the smallest baleen whales we see in our area, reaching lengths of 30 feet. These small whales are very streamlined, like the Finbacks, and therefore travel very quickly. Sometimes their speed makes them difficult to watch. The minke whales we saw were sighted alone, but traveling near other, larger, whales. A special treat for passengers was the sighting of Atlantic white sided dolphins. We came across a small pod, approximately 10 dolphins, just before leaving Cape Cod Bay. These are the most common type of dolphin we see in our area, however, they tend to spend most of their time further away from shore. The group we saw was slowly traveling as we approached, and we could see their dorsal fins breaking the surface of the water. They swam right along side our boat for several minutes. Our visitors were able to get great views of these beautiful animals as they lept from the water. 10/15/06 - 10/28/06 Sightings 9/15/06 – 9/28/06 Our season is winding down, with only a week to go! September has given us beautiful weather, which has made for very enjoyable whale watch adventures. Sightings of whales have continued on a daily basis. Humpbacks, finbacks, minkes, atlantic white sided dolphins, and even a basking shark were all sighted during the past two weeks. Humpback whales have once again dominated our sightings lately. These mid sized baleen whales were seen displaying a variety of behaviors, which is what these whales are probably best known for. Feeding, logging, rolling, traveling, deep diving, flipper slapping, chin breaching, tail slapping, and even several full breaches were all sighted during the past two weeks. Whales were seen traveling alone or in small groups of two to four whales. Once again, several mother/calf pairs were sighted. Individual humpbacks that we were able to identify included: Apostrophe and calf, Cardhu and calf, Columbia and calf, Colt, Coral, Glo, and Tulip. Finback whales were a frequent sight over the past two weeks. The majority of these very large baleen whales were traveling alone, however there were some whales seen swimming in pairs. Most of the finbacks were exhibiting traveling and searching behaviors, and many were performing deep dives. However, several of these large whales were seen lunge feeding in close proximity to our boat. Our passengers were treated to some beautiful looks at these whales as they surfaced with large mouthfuls of food. Minke whales were still sighted, but not as often as in past weeks. Minke whales tend not to spend very much time at the surface, and the whales that we saw during the past two weeks were certainly living up to their reputation. We saw these small whales briefly as they surfaced once or twice before they disappeared to deeper water. A large pod of atlantic white sided dolphins provided a special treat for many passengers towards the beginning of last week. There were at least 100 dolphins traveling together, including many juveniles. Typically these dolphins are seen in smaller pods, usually around 20 animals or so, however, sometimes they do form these larger pods called superpods. Our lucky visitors got some amazing looks as these beautiful dolphins were seen playfully jumping from the waves. Some of our visitors were able to see a basking shark very close up. The shark was approximately 20 feet long (which is about half the length that they can reach), and was seen swimming right at the surface with its mouth open. When a basking shark is seen like this, it generally means that it is feeding. Basking sharks are filter feeders, trapping the plankton they are eating on comb-like structures called gill rakers. Our lucky passengers were treated to fantastic looks at this shark! 09/01/06 - 09/14/06 Sightings 9/1/06 ñ 9/14/06 September has arrived! Although some of our trips were cancelled due to weather, when we were able to go out we enjoyed beautiful weather and seas that were so calm they resembled glass. There is still a large presence of whales in our area including humpbacks, finbacks, and minkes. Basking sharks were also sighted during the past two weeks. Humpback whales have been seen feeding heavily, both at the surface using bubbles, and diving a little deeper. Many whales were seen surfacing with large pouches of food. Our humpback whales will remain in this area until the end of October, when they will begin their migration south toward the Caribbean. While the whales are down south for the winter months they wonít eat anything at all, so the whales have been happily feasting here while food is still abundant. On several trips over the past two weeks passengers could see the abundance of sand lance (little schooling fish that is one of their favorite foods) right at the surface. There were so many fish that it looked, and sounded, like rain drops hitting the surface of the water. On one particular trip, our visitors were able to see humpbacks lunging horizontally at the surface as they fed, something which is usually seen with finback whales. Passengers were able to clearly see the whalesí baleen as they swam on their sides with their mouths open. Several mother/calf pairs have been frequently sighted in the area. What a special treat for those visitors that were able to watch the calves trying to feed! In addition to feeding, other behaviors we sighted included logging, rolling, flipper slapping, tail slapping, and tail lobbing. Humpbacks that we were able to identify were Apex and calf, Columbia and calf, Coral, Istar, and Tulip. Finback whales were sighted frequently over the past two weeks, and like the humpbacks, were heavily feeding. These large baleen whales were sighted traveling alone or in small groups of two to three animals. Finbacks were exhibiting lunge feeding and deep feeding, where the whales would surface with expansive pouches of food. Whales were also seen swimming in zig-zags and large clockwise circles, as they tried to corral their prey. Our passengers were able to view the whalesí beautiful coloration as they swam right along side our boat. Minke whales were a very common sight, with 25 of these small whales being sighted on one trip! Many of these fast moving whales were seen charging around in areas where other, larger, feeding whales were present. Minke whales are called the ìlittle piked whalesî because they often surface chin first, so their spout gets lost in the water behind them. Our visitors were able to get some great looks at these little whales. In addition to many whales being in the area, several basking sharks were sighted as well. Basking sharks are the worldís second largest fish, reaching lengths of 40 feet. Most of the basking sharks sighted over the past two weeks were feeding. Unlike most sharks, these animals eat plankton. When they feed, they swim slowly with their mouths open, allowing the plankton to stick to their gill rakers (a comb like device in between their gill slits). What an amazing sight! 08/25/06 - 08/31/06 8/25/06 ñ 8/31/06 August has come to an end with continued success on our whale watch adventures. We have enjoyed beautiful weather, calm seas, and an abundance of whales. Humpback, finback, and minke whales were all sighted this past week, as well as Atlantic white sided dolphins. Humpback whales were quite numerous over the past week, having been sighted on every trip. A majority of the behavior we saw involved feeding. Bubble feeding, kick feeding, and deep feeding were all sighted this past week. Bubble feeding included both bubble clouds and bubble nets. Passengers were treated to beautiful looks at the whalesí large open mouths, often showing their baleen. Other behaviors sighted over the past week included traveling, logging, rolling, chin breaches, flipper slapping, lob-tailing, tail slapping, a spy hop, and several full breaches. On one particular trip, Nile was seen displaying a variety of behaviors including multiple breaches, sometimes very close to the boat. When one sees a whale completely leave the water, it certainly leaves a sense of awe. Individuals we identified included Trident and calf, Columbia and calf, Salt and calf (Soya), Colt, Coral, Dome, Nile, and Reflection. Finback whales, the largest baleen whales in our area, were not sighted very often over the past week. The animals that we did see were traveling and searching for food. Our passengers were able to see the beautiful coloration that these whales have as they swam along side our boat. Minke whales continue to be sighted, especially in areas where other whales are present. Over the past week, the majority of minke whales were seen traveling near Humpback whales. These small baleen whales are known for their eradic, elusive behaviors, and the minke whales this week were demonstrating those behaviors well. A special treat this week was the sighting of a large pod of atlantic white sided dolphins. The pod consisted of 40 to 50 dolphins of all sizes, including several calves. The dolphins were traveling slowly in the area, probably feeding as well. Our lucky visitors were treated to wonderful close approaches by these dolphins as they swam along side our boat. In addition, several of the animals were seen riding in our wake and jumping into the air. What a fabulous ending to a whale 08/18/06 - 08/24/06 Sightings 8/18/06 ñ 8/24/06 We have enjoyed a truly wonderful week! Beautiful summer weather and calm seas have made for very enjoyable rides across Cape Cod Bay to Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, where whales continued to be seen in large numbers. Over the past week humpback, finback, and minke whales were all sighted as well as a variety of birds. Humpback whales this past week have again delighted passengers with their intriguing behaviors. Feeding remains a common sight, with whales bubble feeding, kick feeding, and deep feeding. Some of the bubble nets have been quite large, with multiple whales cooperatively feeding. We saw anywhere from two to eight whales sometimes sharing one bubble net! Our visitors have enjoyed beautiful looks at their baleen and large pouches of food as the whales surfaced with open mouths. A number of whales were also seen flipper slapping. Itís amazing to see (and hear) these large flippers smack the waterís surface. We had one extremely close approach from a whale on Thursdayís trip where the whale was checking out our boat for over half an hour! We turned off our engines as the whale swam around and under the boat and even spy-hopped a couple times. Those incredibly lucky passengers were able to get a true sense of how large these whales actually are! Unfortunately, we donít know who the whale was because we never saw the underside of its tail. Other behaviors sighted over the past week included logging, rolling, tail slapping, lob-tailing, and even several full breaches! Whales that we were able to identify included: Baja and calf, Midnight and calf, Trident and calf, Rapier and calf, Tornado and calf, Alphorn, Bandit, Colt, Coral, Freckles, Isthmus, Nile, Owl, and Walrus. Finback whales were sighted almost every day over the past week. While some whales were swimming in groups of two to three, the majority of the whales were traveling alone. Lunge feeding was seen several times, sometimes very close to the boat. Many of the whales were seen swimming in zig-zags and circular patterns, probably trying to chase and corral their prey. Our passengers were treated to fabulous looks at their asymmetrical coloration. Finback whales are the only whales to have asymmetrical coloration. The right side of their face is white while the left side is dark gray like the rest of their body. Scientists believe the whales use this to help corral their prey by swimming around the fish in a circle, scaring the fish into staying tightly together. Minke whales have been a very common sight, having been sighted on almost every trip this past week. Although known for being very elusive, some of these small baleen whales were sighted surfacing very close to the boat. Our visitors were able to view their white flipper bands as they surfaced and swam along the side of our boat. In addition to whales, a large number of birds have been sighted as well. Greater, sooty, manx, and coryís shearwaters have all been seen as well as wilsonís storm petrels, parasitic jaegers, common terns, and a variety of gulls. 08/11/06 - 08/17/06 This past week has again brought amazing success on our whale watch adventures, and there is still plenty of time left this season. Humpback, finback, and minke whales were all sighted as well as Atlantic white sided dolphins. Humpbacks have been putting on quite a show as they continue to feed heavily over Stellwagen Bank. During this past week it was common to see groups of between two and eight whales traveling and feeding together. Cooperative feeding with bubble nets has been very abundant, with some fabulous looks at these whales surfacing with wide open mouths. Passengers have been able to clearly see the whalesí baleen hanging in their mouths. In some cases, our visitors have also been able to see the little sand lance that the whales are feeding on trying to swim away from the whalesí mouths! Kick feeding was also frequently seen over the past week by several whales. Tornado has a very unique feeding style. Sometimes she will come up and slap her chin on the surface, thrust her flippers forward, and then kick the surface with her tail before blowing bubbles. What a sight! While she was feeding, her calf was nearby rolling and flipper slapping. In addition to feeding, other behaviors we have seen this week include logging, dragging, tail slapping, tail breaching, flipper slapping, spy hopping, and even several full breaches. Individuals we identified over the past week include, but are not limited to; Nile, Tornado and calf, Salt and calf (Soya), Lace and calf, Dome, Freckles, Anchor, Stub, Cardhu and calf, Bandit, Colt, and Coral. Finback whales were not quite as numerous over the past week, but were still sighted frequently. These large whales were also seen feeding in areas nearby other feeding whales. Many of the whales were seen charging into areas at fast speeds, as well as swimming in circular patterns and zig-zags, trying to corral their prey. Minke whales were sighted almost every day this past week, usually in the vicinity of the other, larger, feeding whales. Some of these whales swam right along side our boat, allowing our visitors to catch a glimpse at their white flipper bands as they swam by. Atlantic white sided dolphins were sighted twice over the past week, giving some of our lucky visitors a very special treat. On both occasions the dolphins were sighted in very large numbers, more than 100! The dolphins were spread out over a short distance, and could be seen traveling near other whales in the area. On one day, the dolphins were mostly seen traveling, and the other day they were seen feeding with some slow traveling. Dolphins of all sizes were seen on both trips, including several mothers with calves. The dolphins could be seen jumping and riding the wake of our boat as we left the area. What a fantastic sight! 07/28/06 - 08/10/06 Sightings 7/28/06 – 8/10/06 July has turned to August, and we have continued to enjoy truly spectacular whale watch adventures. In addition to beautiful summer weather, a large number of whales remain over Stellwagen Bank. On many trips we have sighted 35 whales or more! Humpback, finback, and minke whales were all seen over the past two weeks as well as Atlantic white sided dolphins and birds galore. Humpbacks were seen on every trip over the past two weeks, often in very large numbers; sometimes 25 whales or more! These whales have continued to delight our passengers with fantastic looks at a wide variety of behaviors. Feeding was a daily occurrence, with both kick feeding and bubble feeding sighted. A majority of the whales that were using bubbles to feed were blowing bubble nets. This is where the whale will get below a school of fish and exhale as it swims around the fish in a clockwise circle. All of the bubbles form a curtain that surrounds the fish, keeping them tightly together. The whale is then able to lunge vertically through the “net” with its mouth open, taking in all of the little fish in one gulp. On many occasions, whales were cooperatively feeding, with two to seven whales surfacing within one bubble net! Our visitors have had some truly amazing looks at whales coming up with wide open mouths, exposing their baleen. Individuals that we were able to identify included: Nile, Fulcrum, Salt and calf (Soys), Cardhu and calf, Baja and calf, Coral, Colt, Wizard, Freckles, Tulip, Rune, Bandit, Echo, and Dome. Finback whales, the world’s second largest animal, have also been sighted frequently over the past two weeks. Some of these whales were traveling alone while others were sighted in pairs or groups of three. In many cases, the finbacks were lunge feeding right at the surface, sometimes exposing flippers and tails as they rolled onto their sides. Some very lucky passengers were able to see a pair of whales lunge right near the front of our boat! Other finbacks were seen swimming in a circular pattern, probably trying to corral their prey. On some occasions, these large whales were seen charging into areas where other whales (humpbacks and minkes) were feeding. Our visitors were then able to catch a glimpse at their very impressive speed. Their sleek and streamlined bodies allow them to swim fast, sometimes 25 knots in short bursts! “Greyhound of the sea” is certainly an appropriate nickname! Minke whales were also sighted every day over the past two weeks. Although these small whales are known for being difficult to watch, some of the whales were seen surfacing very close to our boat. Passengers could track these whales’ movements by watching their white flipper bands below the surface. On two of our trips, we were lucky enough to get a special treat of Atlantic white sided dolphins! One of the pods contained 60 dolphins or more, while the other was slightly smaller with 30-40 animals. Each pod consisted of dolphins of all sizes, including several mother/calf pairs! Atlantic white sided dolphins are generally 7-9 feet long, with males slightly larger than females. They are the most common type of dolphin that we see in our area, however, they spend most of their time further offshore. It is always exciting to see them up close swimming along side the boat and jumping in our wake. While the whales have been happily feeding, the birds are following suit. A large number of greater shearwaters were seen in addition to sooty shearwaters, manx shearwaters, cory’s shearwaters, parasitic jaegers, wilson’s storm petrels, common terns, herring gulls, laughing gulls, and black back gulls. 07/21/06 - 07/27/06 Sightings 7/21/06 – 7/27/06 It continues to be a fabulous time to come whale watching… and there are still a few months to go! We have again been treated to daily sightings of whales, including Humpbacks, Finbacks, and Minkes, as well as birds galore. We were also fortunate enough to have surprise sightings of blue fin tuna. Humpbacks have remained very active at the surface, treating passengers with amazing looks at a variety of behaviors. Bubble feeding and kick feeding were seen on almost every trip, with many whales coming up with wide open mouths. Our visitors were able to get some incredible looks at these whales’ baleen hanging from their upper jaws. Dragging was also seen frequently over the past week. Dragging is a behavior humpbacks do after coming up with a mouthful of fish and seawater. The whales will swim slowly with their heads above the surface and their mouths partially open, allowing the water to drain out and keep the little fish trapped inside. Bandit was again sighted slashing several times this week. In addition to feeding, humpbacks were seen flipper slapping, tail breaching, chin breaching, and even several full breaches! When whales breach, especially adults, it truly leaves passengers with a sense of power and awe. Humpbacks that we were able to identify this past week included: Tornado and calf, Colt, Coral, Cardhu and calf, Bandit, Salt and calf (Soya), Baja and calf, and Fulcrum. Finback whales have also been taking advantage of an abundance of food. Finback whales are the second largest animal to ever have lived on this planet. It is always very impressive to see these very large whales up close. While the majority of the whales we saw this past week were traveling alone, we did find some groups, ranging from 2-4 whales traveling together. Finbacks were seen traveling, searching for food, and lunge feeding at the surface. Some very lucky passengers were even able to see a fin whale fluke up! Even though finbacks are very large whales, they are very sleek and streamlined animals, which means that when they dive they usually only need a strong arch of their back to get all the leverage they need for a dive. Seeing a finback fluke up is not a common occurrence at all. Minke whales were sighted every day over the past week. Most of these “little piked whales” were seen charging around other, larger whales that were feeding. Minke whales get that nickname because they usually come up chin first. As a result, one very rarely sees a blow from these whales because the spout gets lost in the water behind the whale as it surfaces. A very special treat this week were two sightings of blue fin tuna. Blue fin tuna are one of the largest fish, and top predator, that reside over Stellwagen Bank. Often when they are seen from the boat, they are forcing up smaller fish (their prey) in large schools. Tuna are incredibly fast swimmers, and passengers see a lot of disturbance and white water as their fins break the surface. When whales are heavily feeding, it is very common to see feeding frenzies from birds as well. Greater, Sooty, and Manx shearwaters have all been sighted as well as immature northern gannets, herring gulls, black back gulls, laughing gulls, common terns, and wilson’s storm petrels. In some cases, the birds (usually gulls) would land on a whale’s head after it surfaced with a mouthful of food! 07/14/06 - 07/20/06 Sightings 7/14/06 – 7/20/06 Our amazing success continues! The middle of July has brought a large number of whales to our area, and our whale watches have been truly spectacular! In fact, we have seen whales on every trip so far. This past week has brought sightings of Humpback, Finback, and Minke whales, tons of birds, and even a basking shark. Humpback whales are often considered to be the favorite whale amongst whale watchers because they are often very active at the surface, displaying a variety of exciting behaviors. The humpbacks we have seen over the past week have done nothing short of impress our visitors. On many trips this past week our passengers have been able to witness feeding frenzies with a large number of whales present; sometimes twenty or more whales! Bubble feeding, kick feeding, and even some slashing were sighted. Slashing is very much the reverse of a “kick,” where the whale slaps its tail upwards towards the surface at a very fast speed. Other behaviors that we saw over the past week included chin breaching, tail breaching, lob-tailing, flipper slapping, and many full breaches. Many of the breaches were from adult whales that repeatedly breached, sometimes ten times or more! Our visitors were able to see just how powerful the whales can be with one swift flick of their tail. A wonderful sight this week was that of a very large female whale named Salt, who was seen on several trips. Salt is probably the most famous whale in our area. She has been sighted every year except one since 1976! This year she is traveling with her tenth recorded calf, named Soya. Other whales that we have identified this week include, but are not limited to, Bandit, Fulcrum, Colt, Cardhu and calf, Whisk and calf, Trident and calf, Nile, Barb, and Coral. Although finback whales remain in our area, they were not sighted as frequently over the past week. These very large baleen whales were seen traveling alone or in pairs. Some of the whales were traveling quickly, giving passengers a glimpse at their incredible speed. Finback whales are nicknamed “greyhound of the sea” for this reason. Most of the whales were feeding, either deep feeding (below the surface) or lunge feeding (right at the surface). Minke whales were again sighted on most of the trips this week, usually in the vicinity of other, larger whales. Most of these small baleen whales were sighted at the surface for several breaths before diving again. This kind of behavior is typical for minke whales because they are very fast moving animals. Some of the minkes came close enough to the boat for passengers to see the white bands on their flippers. The sighting of a basking shark provided a special treat this week. Basking sharks are the second largest fish in the ocean; only the whale shark is larger. This animal was seen feeding just below the surface, with its mouth wide open. Basking sharks feed very similar to baleen whales because they are filter feeders. Our visitors were able to see its very large triangular dorsal fin, its gill slits, and the mottling of color on its body. What a nice surprise! 07/07/06 - 07/13/06 Sightings 7/7/06 – 7/13/06 What a wonderful time to come whale watching! We have continued to have tremendous success on our whale watch adventures. In addition to an abundance of whales we have enjoyed beautiful weather and calm seas. Sightings this past week included Humpback, Finback, and Minke whales. Humpback whales remain in large numbers over Stellwagen Bank and continue to be very active. Whales have been traveling alone or in small groups of two to five animals. A majority of the behavior displayed by these whales involved feeding. Bubble feeding was sighted every day over the past week. Bubble feeding involves the whale swimming around a school of fish as it is exhaling (creating bubbles), which scares the small fish into forming a tight school. This allows the whale to consume more fish in one mouthful. This week, bubble feeding was done by whales individually or in small groups of whales cooperatively feeding, where several whales would surface within one bubble net. Kick feeding was also observed on several trips. Our passengers have been treated to some spectacular looks at these feeding whales! We have seen some fabulous looks at tubercles (the “bumps” on the top of their head, which are actually hair follicles), expanded rorquals (large pouches of food), and even some glimpses at baleen hanging inside their mouths! Other behaviors sighted over the past week included logging, rolling, tail breaching, chin breaching, a few full breaches, and frequent flipper slapping. In fact, one individual was slapping both of her flippers so much that it looked like she was doing the back stroke! Unfortunately, we could not identify this whale because she didn’t really show us her tail. Individuals that we did identify this week were Sockeye, Freckles, Bandit, Tornado and calf, and Tulip. The majority of finback whales that were sighted over the past week were also feeding. While some of these larger whales were feeding below the surface, many were lunge feeding right at the surface. On one particular trip, three finback whales were sighted lunge feeding in a ring around some of the feeding humpback whales. What an exciting thing to watch! These lunge feeding finbacks created large disturbances at the surface, usually followed by the whales rolling onto one side exposing flippers, rorquals (the pleats on their bellies), and even some tails. Most of the finbacks this week were traveling alone, however some were seen traveling together in small groups of up to four whales. Minke whales were also sighted on several trips this past week. On many occasions these small whales would surface in the vicinity of the other larger whales as they fed. Minke whales are the smallest baleen whale that we see in our area, reaching lengths of 30 feet. Unlike the larger whales that we see here, minke whales tend to always feed below the surface. 06/30/06 - 07/06/06 Sightings 6/30/06 – 7/6/06 July has started with amazing success! We have been enjoying warm weather, calm seas, and an abundance of whales! Humpback, finback, and minke whales have all been sighted over the past week. A large number of humpback whales remains on the southern portion of Stellwagen Bank. Stellwagen Bank is the summer feeding ground for our humpbacks (and other whales), and food has certainly been plentiful. Much of the whales’ behavior this week involved feeding. Passengers have been treated to bubble feeding and kick feeding, and even one whale that used a chin breach much like other whales would “kick” their tails. All of these behaviors are done to stun the fish so that they remain in a tight school, which makes it easier for the whales to eat them all in one mouthful. Our visitors have also been treated to the whales logging, flipper slapping, several tail breaches, tail slaps, a spy hop, and a couple of full breaches from Coral. On many occasions we have had close approaches from the whales, particularly from Colt, who is known for coming right next to boats. Individuals we have identified over the past week include Cardhu and calf, Colt, Coral, Cygnus, Tornado and calf, and Sockeye. Finback whales continue to be sighted regularly, and have also been taking full advantage of the abundance of food that has been around. These very large baleen whales were sighted traveling alone or in small groups of two to three whales. Some of the whales displayed slightly erratic behavior, probably because they were searching for and chasing prey around. On one particular trip our passengers were treated to some spectacular views at two finbacks repeatedly lunge feeding. When finbacks lunge feed at the surface, they swim very quickly to chase the little fish and then open their large mouths, often rolling onto one side. What an amazing sight! The small minke whales were sighted on several trips this past week, many of which were just sighted briefly at the surface. Unlike the larger whales in the area, minke whales tend not to spend as much time up at the surface. These fast little whales often appear for one or two quick breaths before they disappear again. Birds were again numerous over the past week, and include greater, sooty, and manx shearwaters; wilson’s storm petrels, immature northern gannets, terns, and a variety of gulls 06/23/06 - 06/29/06 Sightings 6/23/06 – 6/29/06 The last week of June has brought good weather, calm seas, and lots of whales. We have continued to have tremendous sightings, as a large number of whales have remained in the area. Humpback, Finback, and Minke whales were all sighted this week. Humpback whales were again sighted every day over the past week. Known for their active surface behavior, these mid sized baleen whales are often a favorite amongst whale watchers. The whales we have seen over the past week have certainly been living up to their reputation. Many of the individuals we saw were the same as last week including Trident and her calf, Nile, Pepper, and Tongs. On several occasions the adults were seen feeding: both bubble feeding and kick feeding. Some were also lunging at the surface, coming up with their mouths wide open, allowing passengers to clearly see their baleen hanging from their upper jaws. Our visitors have also been treated to flipper slapping, logging, rolling, and even a full breach! A large number of finback whales remain in our area as well. Like the humpbacks, many of the finbacks were seen feeding. Whales were seen swimming in circles and zig-zags, especially in areas where the bait was abundant. Passengers could clearly see sand lance (sand eels) swimming up at the surface. We have had some close approaches by several finbacks, giving our visitors some fantastic views of the whales’ beautiful coloring. Minke whales were sighted more frequently this week. All of the whales were seen traveling alone. Many of these individuals were surfacing quickly, some close enough to the boat for passengers to see their white flipper bands. One individual surfaced so close to our boat that visitors could see the whale lifting its head as it surfaced to breathe. These visitors could see why minke whales are nicknamed “little piked whale”; because they most often surface chin first. Some lucky passengers were able to see a small harbor seal that popped up and circled around our boat for a few minutes. While harbor seals are very common in our waters, we very rarely see them while on the boat so far from land. In addition to very active whales, we have also seen very active birds. A large number of greater and sooty shearwaters were observed this week, especially in areas near where whales were feeding. We have also seen wilson’s storm petrels, immature northern gannets, laughing gulls, herring gulls, black back gulls, and common terns. 06/16/06 - 06/22/05 Sightings 6/16/06 – 6/22/06 One of the most exciting things about whale watching is the fact that we never know ahead of time what we might see. We are given an amazing opportunity to view these incredible animals in their natural environment. Whale sightings have continued to be spectacular over the past week, including Humpbacks, Finbacks, and Minkes. Humpback whales were sighted every day over the past week, and passengers were treated to a mother/calf pair that we hadn’t seen on previous trips. The mother is Trident. The pair has frequently been traveling with Tongs, another female humpback whale. Trident and her calf were seen logging, traveling, and feeding. Some of our visitors were able to see the calf nursing. It was switching sides as it surfaced at quick intervals. Throughout the week the calf was also spotted rolling and venturing close to our boat to check it out. Other humpbacks this week were traveling, logging, and bubble feeding. Individuals identified included Trident and calf, Tongs, Nile, and Pepper. Finback whales were also sighted every day this past week, on some days in large numbers. On several trips we sighted at least 6 of these large endangered whales. Although several of these whales were traveling alone, many were sighted traveling in small groups of 2-4. A majority of the finbacks this week were seen feeding. Some individuals were swimming in circles, while others swam in zig-zags chasing fish. Many of our guests were able to see three of these amazing animals lunging in unison at the surface. What a tremendous sight! Some very lucky passengers were treated to a mother/calf pair traveling near several other whales. The calf gave our boat several close approaches, giving our visitors some amazing looks. Unlike humpback whales, there are no known breeding/calving grounds for finback whales, so seeing a calf in our area is definitely a very special treat! Another very exciting sighting this week was that of Loon, a favorite finback in this area. This whale was hit by a boat last season, so she is showing a new propeller scar on her back. We are very happy that she has healed and has been sighted this year. Minke whales were not sighted as frequently this past week, however they do still remain in our area. The small whales that were seen were traveling alone, sometimes surfacing close to our boat. Passengers could clearly see the white bands on their pectoral fins (flippers) as they swam by. 06/09/06 - 06/15/06 Sightings 6/9/06 – 6/15/06 The sun has returned over the past week, and we have had some spectacular whale watches! Daily sightings included Humpbacks, Finbacks, Minkes, and lots of birds. Humpbacks have continued to be seen in abundance. Some of the whales were seen traveling alone, while others were traveling in pairs, including several mother/calf pairs. With a lot of bait around, feeding has been a frequent sight. Some whales, like Rapier, have been using bubble nets, while others have been seen kick feeding. Passengers have also been treated to the whales rolling, flipper slapping, tail breaching, and even a spyhop from Rapier’s calf. Our visitors have had some amazing looks at these mid-sized baleen whales. In addition to Rapier and her calf, we have also identified Apostrophe and calf, and Nile. Finback whales were very abundant over the past week. These very large baleen whales were also taking full advantage of the large amount of food present. Passengers could clearly see schools of sand lance (also called sand eels) at the surface. The bait was so thick that it looked, and sounded, like rain drops on the surface as the little fish moved around. Some of the most exciting behavior sighted were those finbacks that were repeatedly lunge feeding; circling and charging quickly through the schools of fish and rolling onto one side as they closed their giant mouths. Passengers were able to see the whales’ flukes and pectoral fins as they rolled. We could even see the baleen in the whales’ mouths as they closed down on all the little fish. While most whales in the area were swimming alone, we did come across a group of four whales traveling together. Visitors were able to see why these whales are nicknamed “greyhounds of the sea” as these whales were showing off their speed. Minke whales were also sighted frequently, usually in the vicinity of other whales. Most of the minkes were surfacing quickly, giving passengers quick glimpses before they dove. Along with the presence of bait comes increased bird activity. This past week we have seen herring, black-back, and laughing gulls, greater and sooty shearwaters, immature northern gannets, and wilson’s storm petrels. 06/03/06 - 06/08/06 Sightings 6/3/06 – 6/8/06 Although many of our trips this past week were cancelled because of rain, we were able to go out on Monday and Tuesday with sunny skies. On both days we ended up traveling to Peaked Hill Bars, a shallow area off the backside of Provincetown. We had sightings of Humpbacks, Finbacks, Minkes, and even a Basking shark! Humpbacks were numerous on both days, and continue to impress our visitors with a wide variety of behaviors. Some whales have been traveling in small groups of two to three animals, while other whales have been sighted alone. A majority of the humpbacks were seen feeding: some with bubble clouds, others by “kicking” their tails. Passengers have also been treated to tail slapping, logging, rolling, and flipper slapping. We even got a spyhop from Rapier’s calf while Rapier was kick feeding close by. In addition to Rapier and her calf, we also identified Reaper, who was sighted both days. We have seen an increased number of Finback whales this week, with the majority of them being sighted in close proximity to other whales. Many of the finbacks were also seen searching for food and feeding. Several of the whales were using circular patterns while others were swimming in zig-zags. One of the finback whales we saw this week is named Braid. She is named for scars on the left side of her body that resembles a pair of braids. These scars are the result of a ship strike many years ago, that luckily Braid has survived. Minke whales were quite numerous both days, particularly on Tuesday when we sighted 15 of them! These fast little whales were seen searching and feeding amongst the larger whales. Most of them were diving for only a few minutes before surfacing again. A couple of the whales popped up close to the boat, giving passengers a good look at their white flipper bands. A nice surprise on Monday’s trip was the sighting of a basking shark! Basking sharks are the world’s second largest fish, and can reach lengths of 40 feet! These sharks feed on plankton, and use a series of gill rakers (a comb-like device) to filter their food from the sea water. The individual we saw was swimming with its mouth wide open – an obvious sign of feeding. 05/26/06 - 06/02/06 Sightings 5/26/06 – 6/2/06 What a fabulous start to the season! Whale watch adventures started at the end of May with tremendous success. Whales have been sighted every day, and include Humpbacks, Minkes, and Finbacks. The 2006 season opened with crowd pleasing Humpbacks. Humpbacks are mid-sized baleen whales, and are a favorite amongst whale watchers. Known for displaying a variety of behaviors, the humpbacks we’ve seen so far have certainly been living up to their reputation. Some of the whales have been traveling in small groups, while others were sighted alone. Many of the whales have been seen feeding; some with bubble clouds, others were kick feeding (where the whale slaps its tail on the surface to try and stun prey), while others were feeding below the surface. Passengers have also been treated to flipper slapping, tail lobbing, logging (sleeping), tail breaching, and even some full breaches! Individuals we have identified to date include Rapier and calf, Cardhu and calf, Glo, and Seal. Minke whales have been seen in abundance over the past week, usually nearby the feeding humpbacks. Minke whales are the smallest baleen whales in our area, reaching 30 feet long. While some of these small whales were seen in the distance, visitors were able to get some good looks at several whales that surfaced close to the boat. Most of their behavior has included searching for food and feeding. Towards the end of the week we started to see Finback whales. Finbacks are the second largest animal ever to have lived on this planet, and can reach lengths of 80 feet! These very large, sleek whales have also been seen searching and feeding in the same area as other whales. 08/22/05 - 09/22/05 September has brought beautiful weather in addition to continued sightings of Humpbacks, Finbacks, Minkes, Pilot whales and Atlantic White Sided dolphins. Humpbacks remain consistently sighted in our area. These whales have been commonly found travelling alone or small groups of two to three individuals. These mid-sized baleen whales have been exhibiting a variety of behaviors including deep feeding, logging, flipper slapping, tail breaching, chin breaching and full breaches! One close approach had the individual rolling right next to the boat so passengers could see the whale's eye. Some of the Humpbacks identified have included Tulip and her calf, Colt, Nile, Barb, Cygnus and Glo. Finbacks, the largest baleen whales in our area, have also been frequently sighted. Like the Humpbacks, animals were travelling alone or in small groups of two to three individuals. Most of the Finbacks were usually seen swimming in clockwise circles trying to corral their prey. Some of the whales were viewed lunging and rolling. Often as they lunge they slice through the water showing guests how they received their nickname "greyhound of the sea". Minke whales, the smallest baleen whales in our area, were swimming among the larger whales. In areas where the whales were seen feeding, the Minke whales were charging; moving very quicky and changing directions often. Passengers also got some good looks of their white flipper bands when they were swimming close to the boat. A small pod of Pilot whales were seen at the beginning of the month. These whales are usually found further offshore but, are known to move closer inshore during the Fall as they chase food. Although their favorite food is squid, Pilot whales eat a variety of small fish. In addition to their thick dorsal fins, Pilot whales are easily recognizable because of their very bulbous head, called a melon. The most exciting treat over the last sighting period was the arrival of a super pod of Atlantic White Sided dolphins. This super pod contained at least 250 individuals of all sizes, including calves. These dolphins are occassionally seen close to shore in pods of 20-30 individuals. Super pod defines when they get together in large groups numbering in the hundreds. 08/06/05 - 08/25/05 The past couple of weeks continue to bring consistent sightings of Humpbacks, Finbacks, Minkes and Atlantic White Sided Dolphins. However, the majority of sightings over the past couple of weeks have clearly revolved around the Humpback. These mid-sized baleen whales have been putting on quite a show. Passengers have been treated to spy hopping, flipper slapping, tail breaching and a couple of full breaches. Most of the Humpbacks have been sighted in various feeding patterns, particularly bubble nets. One of the whales has a unique feeding behavior. It does a chin breach before quickly diving and surfacing in the middle of a bubble net. Passengers have had some spectacular looks at the baleen hanging inside the mouth, the large pouch holding all of the water & fish and all of the tubercles both on top of the head and beneath the chin. During one recent adventure, visitors could actually see a huge bait ball of sand lance at the surface right near some of the feeding whales. Whales have been seen travelling and feeding in small groups of two to four individuals, while others have been spotted travelling alone. Some of the individuals identified include Coral, Barb, Wizard, Colt and Cygnus. Finbacks were also seen in abundance over the past few weeks. The majority of these whales were also seen feeding. Some of the whales were going down for deep dives and feeding below surface, while others were seen lunging and rolling at the surface. On many occasions the whales were seen swimming in a circular pattern. This is a common occurrence with Finbacks because they are the only whales to have asymmetrical coloration. The right side of their face is white and the left side is dark gray. Scientists believe that the whales try to coral their prey by exposing the white side to the fish, which scares the fish into forming a tight ball that the whale can then lunge on. In many instances over the past few weeks the Finbacks were seen travelling together in small groups of two to three individuals. Some very lucky passengers were able to see a mother and calf. The Finbacks are not quite as well studied as the Humpbacks and scientists are unsure where the calving grounds for the Finbacks are. A mother/calf Finback is definately a special treat. Minke whales were not spending as much time at the surface as in past sightings. Some of these small baleen whales, known for their very quick and sporadic movements, gave us some brief looks while other animals got close enough for passengers to see their white flipper bands. One trip did provide passengers with the rare sighting of a Minke whale breaching. It is very rare to see these whales jump completely out of the water however, this individual repeatedly breached at least 15-20 times! The rorquals and entire belly of the whale were clearly visible, as well as its pectoral fins and face. Seeing a whale out of the water certainly gives one a much better sense of the size of these amazing animals. Atlantic White Sided Dolphins have been sighted in small pods ranging from 20-25 up to large pods of 50-60. There were some calves seen travelling close the their mothers amongst the groups. Dolphins are true to form entertaining passengers with their fun loving behavior... breaching, riding the waves and playing with one another to the delight of all spectators. The small pod of Dolphins were sighted nearby a group of feeding Humpbacks. The Dolphins were swimming very close to the whales at the surface and towards the bubble nets that were forming when the Humpbacks were below surface. To see these Dolphins in the company of their larger baleen counterparts again allows visitors the opportunity to see the difference in size among these marine mammals. 07/29/05 - 08/05/05 It continues to be a great season for whale watching...and there still a few months to go! Although there continues to be Finback and Minke sightings, the last week has been dominated by Humpbacks. Humpbacks have been delighting those passengers that wait to experience the much publicized antics of these playful animals. The past week has been filled with breaching, close approaches, tail slapping and open mouth feeding! In addition to many other unidentified animals, Tulip with her calf, Nile and Coral still remain within the area offering visitors great looks. One sighting offered all four animals together with lots of amazing tail shots and open mouth feeding. During one trip the animals were so close to the boat that passengers could see the barnacles on the Humpbacks face while Coral displayed some great tail slapping and breaching. Another si