It looked like an afternoon of rainy whale watching, but Captain Billy and the passengers and crew on the Cetacea were treated to weather conditions that took quite the turn- in a good way! The rain cleared, fog thinned slightly, and we were able to spot one of two fin whales reported by the Asteria.
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| 16BP16 surfaces |
We first slowed the boat to investigate a fin that broke the surface of the water. We discovered it was a minke whale, but soon found a fin whale that we suspected to be nearby. After realizing this whale was in the area, it snuck up on us with the next sighting just yards away from the starboard stern! We could clearly see the glowing green caused by the white color of the lower jaw under the screen of plankton in the water. Captain Billy watched where this whale as well as the two minkes we spotted swam, and noticed a circular pattern in one small area. Maybe chasing a large school of fish?
The afternoon brought us right back to the same whales- and we had great looks again. This time the whales moved a bit more erratically, and traveled for longer distances between dives than during our earlier time with them. One sighting of 16BP16’s left side revealed an interesting scar on its flank (see photo). The other naturalists and I hypothesized about what could have possibly caused it, but have yet to determine the origin.
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| Sunset over Boston Light |
Our ride home brought us dramatic views of the sunset against the lingering storm clouds- what a beautiful evening!
— Laura Lilly
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