On today’s 1:30 whale watch aboard the Cetacea, we headed to the NW corner of Stellwagen where our 10am trip had been. The seas were a bit choppy and windy, but our captain Bill was able to spot some blows that turned out to be Nile and her 2014 calf!

Nile's blow holes

At first Nile was not fluking, but I easily recognized her by her sharp hooked dorsal (see photo) that we know so well from last season. Nile’s calf was bobbing quite a bit from alternating sides of its mom, indicating that it was nursing.

Nile's distinctive dorsal fin

After a bit of random travel and a few flukes from mom, we got some nice looks alongside the boat of the pair (see photos).

Nile and calf

Nile’s calf seems to be growing quite nicely! To wrap up the trip Captain Bill squeezed in a few extra minutes at the end, which paid off as we were surprised by a big splash that we believe was from the calf!

— Laura