Whale Sightings 08/30/23 to 09/05/23. Please find the Naturalist Notes for the week of 08/30/23 to 09/05/23 from the onboard team of naturalists for our New England Whale Watching tour in partnership with the New England Aquarium.
08-30-23
9h00 e 14h30 Avistamentos de baleias
Good evening all,
A small but mighty group of passengers joined us on our 9AM whale watch aboard the Sanctuary. Through the fog and the rain, we found ourselves on the southwest corner of Stellwagen bank with our first sighting of the day. A group of 5 humpback whales emerged from the fog including: Bounce and her 2023 calf, Nile, Chunk, and Woodwind. Bounce’s 2023 displayed a variety of exciting behaviors for us to watch such as tail breaching, tail lobbing, flipper slapping, and rolling! This large group then split up into Bounce and calf, Woodwind and Chunk, and Nile alone. A little in the distance, we noticed Nile breaching, so we cruised our way closer to that area in hopes to see more aerial activity by this whale. Lucky for us, Nile continuously breached– we counted at least 15 times– ranging from full body spinning breaches to chin breaches and just about everything else in between.
Our afternoon trip found us again on the southwest corner in just about the same area we had whale watching success in the morning. We were rather shocked when we relocated the group from our previous trip to find out a whale swap had occurred! We began with the same starting lineup as this morning (Bounce and calf, Nile, and Chunk) but then sighted Ember instead of Woodwind. This group was busy cooperatively bubble net feeding again and again and again! Luckily, there were many birds in the area that assisted in relocating the whales—every time bubbles started to form at the surface, the sea birds followed. The highlight of our trip was a surfacing right off the port side pulpit, where we got a super close look at the inside of these whales’ mouths as well as a face (and a mouth for some who were smiling wide with excitement) full of whale breath!
I would have to say this was one of the most exciting whale watch days for me all summer!
Os melhores peixes,
Meg and Jane
Observação de Baleias 10 da manhã
Boa tarde,
We were ready for some more thick fog with many points in the harbor difficult to lay eyes on from the boat, but were pleasantly surprised by increased visibility Stellwagen Bank. We had spotted two humpback whales when we caught sight of some splashing by Bounce and her calf. We watched as the calf breached over and over while mom slowly cruised along the drop-off of the southwest corner into deeper water. We also enjoyed some time with Nile, two other humpbacks, and a minke whale before cruising back to Boston.
Laura L. And Lily
12pm Avistamentos de observação de baleias
Boa tarde!
A small but excited group of passengers did not let the rain deter them as we loaded up the Aurora for the 12 pm whale watch. After morning fog, we were excited to see our visibility had markedly improved as we made our way to the southwest corner of Stellwagen Bank! Upon arriving, a small whale greeted us with a tail breach, but roughly a million birds ahead of us caught our eye instead. Nile, Chunk, and Bounce suddenly emerged, mouths wide open with mouthfuls of fish! Presuming that the tail breaching whale was Bounce’s calf, we continued to watch the adults feed, when suddenly the calf came zooming over, eager for a bubble net lesson. As we watched calf circle the outer edge of the net, it seemed to be mimicking the movements Bounce was making, a sure sign this calf is learning! After spotting a minke whale earlier, we were suddenly engulfed by said whale and four of its closest friends! They lunged up at the surface, and swam across our bow, allowing us multiple great looks at a typically elusive species! We watched the humpbacks blow a few more bubble clouds, before heading in under only partly cloudy skies, having spent another fantastic afternoon on Stellwagen Bank.
On our way back into Boston Harbor, I was on the lookout for a pair of ospreys that have been hanging around these last few days. Sure enough, they were both there, one of them soaring alongside us in what was surely to be considered an exceptional bonus look. They’ve had a busy spring and summer raising chicks, and it’s good to see them out and about!
Atrapalha!
Ashlyn and Charismatic Colin
09-01-23
12pm Avistamentos de observação de baleias
Olá a todos,
Today aboard the Aurora, the 12pm whale watch made its way with a hardy group of passengers in the wind and waves to the southwest corner of Stellwagen Bank. Large waves did not dampen our spirits as we eventually spotted several blows when we arrived in the area. We started on a trio of whales, two of which were Conflux and Nile! The trio popped up not far from our boat, and they gave us a beautiful close approach! We were able to get some looks at another trio, one of which I was able to identify as 3.14 who gave us a beautiful fluking dive! The stars of the show were a group of four humpbacks, three of which I was able to identify: A-Plus, A-Plus 23 Calf, and Milkweed. This group swam right up to our boat! Milkweed gave this beautiful high fluking dive right off our bow! After some more close approaches, we eventually had to head back to Boston. It ended up being a fun day out on Stellwagen!
Até à próxima vez,
Colin and Sydney
09-02-23
Observação de Baleias 10 da manhã
Olá a todos,
Today aboard the Asteria, the 10am whale watch battled the wind and the waves as we made our way out towards Stellwagen Bank. We started on a massive ocean sunfish who was swimming slowly at the surface. This massive fish swam right next to the boat! After some glorious looks at this lovely animal, we made our way over to a few different groups of humpback whales. We started on a larger group that consisted of Bounce, Bounce 23 Calf, 3.14, Spell, and Nile. These groups eventually split off but we were able to get some awesome looks at them! We finished on a group that consisted of A-Plus, A-Plus 23 Calf, Milkweed, GOM-2232, and one other I am still working to ID. The group stole the show by diving right next to the boat! While this group was down, we got some excellent looks at a minke whale who popped up right off our bow! After some final looks at our larger group, we began heading back to Boston. As we were slowly picking up speed, a curious common tern flew over the boat allowing us to get some incredible looks at this beautiful bird! The tern eventually went on its way and sped up towards Boston. It was a really awesome day out on Stellwagen Bank!
Até à próxima vez,
Colin, Meg, and Jane
11h00 Observação de Baleias
Baleia da Boa Noite Entusiasta!
Today we headed out in the direction of the Southwest corner of Stellwagen Bank under clear blue skies and a brisk breeze for the 11am whale watch. The seas were a little rocky as we made our way across the waves, but our brave group of passengers were soon rewarded with some visible blows in the distance.
We briefly stopped by a pair of whales who were taking long dives below the surface before arriving amidst a melee of at least 10 individuals! These humpbacks were very active at the surface and even included 2 calves, one of whom became airborne in spectacular fashion! This whale baby revealed themselves to be A-Plus’s 2023 calf, with Bounce’s 2023 calf trailing close behind. The adult whales included: Infinity, A-Plus, Bounce, Nile, Tinder, 3.14, GOM-2232, and Spell! These whales joined and split into various configurations, taking short dives in a random pattern implying some subsurface feeding activity, while the calves entertained one another (and us!) within the group.
A-Plus’s calf continued to launch their body out of the water to all of our delight! Bounce’s calf joined in the fun by rolling over and slapping their flippers on the surface before rejoining their mother in the larger group. Eventually the group began to disperse, and we were offered some final looks before the whales dipped below the surface out of view.
We were reluctant to leave (myself in particular as this trip marked my last narration for the 2023 season!), but grateful for the incredible behaviors we were able to witness from these spectacular cetaceans!
Until next season!
Periscope down,
Linnea
14:30h Observações de Baleias
Hi!
The Asteria made its way out to Stellwagen Bank itching to find some marine life offshore. When we arrived at the southwest corner of the bank, a big splash in the distance caught our eye. The culprit of the splashing turned out to be a humpback whale, Infinity, who was continuously breaching!! We estimate this whale breached over 30 times. Beyond the spectacular aerial display, Infinity also engaged in exciting behaviors such as flipper slapping, tail lobbing, and—a crowd favorite—pooping! We spent much of our time watching this wiggly whale, however, we also saw blows of 4 other humpback whales in the area. Some extra lucky passengers also caught a glimpse at a humpback whale calf who breached a few times as well. A truly breathtaking day on the bank!
Os melhores peixes,
Meg, Colin, and Jane
15:30h Observações de Baleias
Boa noite,
Aboard the Aurora, the 3:30pm trip braved the building seas and gusty wind to find whales. As we neared the southern end of Stellwagen Bank, we found ourselves in the vicinity of about a dozen blows spread throughout the area! Our first stop was with two humpback whales that were traveling just below the surface. These were identified as Nile and 3.14. The pair gave us fantastic looks as they cruised alongside our boat. After Nile and 3.14 went down on dives, we slowly slipped over to some other blows in the distance. These belonged to a group of five adults: Chunk, A-Plus, Milkweed, GOM-2232, and Tinder. These whales were going down on frequent dives and surface with their chins upwards (sometimes even slapping their chins against these surface as they came up) which indicated they were likely feeding below the surface. While the adults were busy feeding, A-Plus’ 2023 calf kept us quite entertained. The calf was breaching, tail breaching, flipper slapping, rolling, head breaching, lobtailing, and spyhopping at the surface nearly the entire time we were there! Between bouts of surface activity, the calf would go down on dives and surface just a few minutes later alongside its mother and the other hungry adults. Halfway through our encounter with these five whales, Chunk broke off from the group and was quickly replaced by Spell. We spent our last moments watching the group of four feed, the calf breach, and Chunk swimming around before making our way back to Boston.
Foi um dia fantástico sobre a água!
Eman and Linnea
09-03-23
Observação de Baleias 10 da manhã
Boa noite!
Under the sunny holiday weekend skies, we boarded the Asteria and made way for the southwest corner of Stellwagen Bank. Our first sighting was a quick glimpse at a mola mola, spotted by some eagle eyed passengers! Soon enough, we were engulfed by humpback whales, first spending time with Chunk, Mend, and Venom! It’s been a minute since I’ve seen Venom, and my last sighting of her was after she picked up some monofilament and (understandably) grumpily swam away, so it was welcoming to see her gear free and feeding! They blew a bubble cloud and dove in sync- the first of several treats today! Our next sighting was of A-Plus 23 calf, who lolled about at the surface sans mom. The curious calf swam around the boat, before rejoining A-Plus, who was traveling with Tinder! Once A-plus joined her calf at the surface, they began a bout of nursing, and swam right across our bow while doing so, which allowed us an incredibly unique and close up look at an otherwise elusive behavior! Another curious calf joined the fray, Bounce’s 2023 calf was seen traveling with two other whales- neither of them being mom Bounce! We did notice Bounce with another group of humpbacks, including Nile, but before we could identify the third whale, the young calf erupted into a breach! This caused Bounce to make her way over to her little one, but the calf continued the full spinning breaches, added some lob tails, and even rolled over and flipper slapped! While we can only guess what caused this whale to become surface active, my current theory is that it heard our captain say it was time for us to go, and the calf was not about to let that happen! It was a truly spectacular end to the trip, and we headed into Boston.
I’d be remised if I did not mention the bird activity both offshore and, in the harbor, again! We spotted at least one gannet offshore (a sign fall is coming!) Additionally, this afternoon, we watched five different ospreys circle the water near central wharf, even catching a few dives! So, whether you’re on land or a sea, keep those eyes peeled!
Atrapalha!
Ashlyn and Laura Lilly
11h00 Observação de Baleias
Good evening
The 11am whale watch headed out on the Aurora towards the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. With glassy seas, we were pleased to spot the blows of at least 11 humpback whales! In scattered associations we spotted the groups of: Chunk, Mend, and Venom; A-Plus, A-Plus 2023 Calf, and GOM-2232; and Bounce, Bounce 2023 Calf, 3.14, and Nile! Although we have seen these whales throughout the summer, we haven’t seen this particular configuration of groups yet – a great example of how temporal associations can be! In the midst of all the whales, we found some evidence of feeding – with lots of seabirds in the area and even some bubble clouds. We got to see a huge lunge from Chunk, with her pleats expanded and covered in barnacles! After spending some time in whale soup, we headed back to Boston!
Kate, Eman, Christina
14:30h Observações de Baleias
Boa noite,
The Asteria cruised out to Stellwagen Bank over near glassy seas and enjoyed a wonderful afternoon with several humpbacks. We spotted a few whales ahead of the vessel but were quickly distracted by two breaching whales who were noticeably different in size. Instead of chasing after active whales (something we witnessed by the many, many recreational boats on our morning trip), we continued to A-Plus, her calf, and a third adult who began flipper slapping shortly after we arrived, allowing passengers to witness the gratifying experience of being rewarded for their patience. We have a few guesses as to who this second adult was- likely Tinder- but the trio dipped beneath the surface and became quite stealthy after they quieted down.
We then directed our attention to the pair who had been intermittently flipper slapping as we watched from a distance. As we approached, a rental recreational boat zoomed right over to their heads and the whales immediately stopped the flipper slapping and dove. They surfaced about 100 yards away before making a turn back to the direction they had come from. The pair, Eruption and Milkweed, did in fact show a great difference in size, and Ashlyn and I wondered aloud if Eruption might have a little one with her next year!
Laura L. e Ashlyn
15:30h Observações de Baleias
Boa noite,
On the Aurora, the 3:30pm whale watch headed out to the southern portion of Stellwagen Bank. We were greeted by the blows of multiple whales in the vicinity. Our first encounter was with Milkweed and Eruption. We spent several minutes with these whales before continuing on. As we started headed toward another whale in the distance, a small fin sticking out of the water caught our attention! It ended up being a massive blue shark! The shark swam around us before slowly dipping down below the surface. We spent the remainder of our time with Spell, who was traveling around the area quickly, and a group of three that included Chunk, Mend, and Venom.
It was a fantastic day on the Bank!
Eman, Kate, and Christina
09-04-23
10h e 14h30 Observação de Baleias
Boa noite,
Aboard the Asteria, the 10am whale watch headed out on rolling seas to find whales. Our search was met by a pair of humpback whales identified as Bounce and her 2023 calf. The two whales were moving quite slowly through the area, and it appeared that they were sleeping! We watched them as they napped, appreciating the incredible difference in size between mom and baby. After a few minutes, the pair dove. Within minutes, the calf erupted from the water in a massive breach right in front of the bow! Before we could even react, Bounce followed suit and breached right next to where the calf landed only a moment prior. After this incredible display, the two whales continued moving around the area and taking short dives. After some more time with the two, we continued on to other blows of humpback whales in the distance. These belonged to A-Plus and her 2023 calf, GOM-2232, and one other whale. We watched the three adults dive and surface in what appeared to be subsurface feeding while the calf was busy napping the afternoon away. We also caught a quick glimpse of a blue shark that was at the surface before it dipped down below. It was a fantastic time to be on the water!
On the 2:30pm trip, the Asteria returned to the southern portion of Stellwagen Bank. We were greeted by the blows of half a dozen whales spread throughout the area, but we spent our entire trip with a pair of humpback whales identified as A-Plus and her 2023 calf. For a short while, they two whales were diving and traveling through the area. We got some wonderful looks of them as they went down on fluking dives off our bow! After a bit, the pair came up to the surface and promptly went to sleep. Logging is one of my favorite behaviors to see with these whales because they are up at the surface nearly the entire time. These two whales were no exception! With such calm water, we could see these whales as they slowly bobbed up and down in the water as they slept. Time evaded us quickly as we captivated by the whales, and before we knew it, we were headed back to Boston!
Até à próxima vez,
Eman and Christina
11am Whale Watch Sightings
Olá a todos,
Today aboard the Aurora, the 11am whale watch made its way out towards the southern portion of Stellwagen Bank in search of whales and other marine life. We started our trip on some cool looks at an ocean sunfish! Once the sunfish dove, we continued our journey. We noticed a few blows in the distance so we decided to go check them out. We started on one humpback we identified as Spell. Spell was blowing bubble clouds and popped up right next to the boat! While Spell was on a dive, we noticed a fin not far from us. After getting some looks this turned out to be a short fin mako shark! This shark swam right next to the boat! Eventually the shark dove into the abyss, and we began getting more looks at Spell. After a beautiful fluking dive from Spell, we continued along to get a brief look at another humpback I am still waiting to identify. We then ventured along to get some great looks at A-Plus and GOM-2232! After a beautiful fluking dive from the group, we had to head back to Boston. It was an awesome day out on Stellwagen Bank!
Até à próxima vez,
Colin e Ashlyn
15:30h Observações de Baleias
Boa noite!
We loaded up the Aurora for the 3:30pm whale watch seeking some relief from the holiday heat and headed to the southern end of Stellwagen Bank. We first spotted a pod of Atlantic White Sided Dolphins, sprinting through the area but gliding gracefully around the boat before heading north. We then stumbled upon a humpback whale and a minke whale, both of whom surfaced briefly and seemingly disappeared. Noticing two blows ahead, we traveled over, and came across two humpback whales, A-Plus and her 2023 calf. What happened for the next thirty minutes was astounding and a first for me- the pair remained right at the surface for the rest of our trip, allowing us some incredible looks at the pair! Even when A-Plus would dip slightly below the surface, she never disappeared completely; we could always see her pectoral flippers, indicating her position between us and her calf.
Flukes all the way up!
Astounding Ashlyn and Celestial Colin
09-05-23
Observação de Baleias 10 da manhã
Boa tarde,
On our morning trip aboard the Asteria, we headed to the SW corner of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. We first found Spell, who was doing repetitive bubble clouds and zig-zagging back and forth searching for her next bout of food. We observed her healing propeller scar wound on her fluke reminding us to see a spout, watch out! Www.seeaspout.org. We also spotted a shark briefly, most likely a blue shark, as well as great shearwaters and herring gulls.
We then made our way over to a trio of humpbacks, Sprinkles and Bounce and calf. Bounce and calf were working together to bubble net feed, while Bounce’s calf was milling at the surface. At one point the calf surfaced “backwards”, coming up tailstock first and then backing its head out of the water – what a curious little calf! Later on, Bristle quickly showed up and tried to join with Bounce and Sprinkles, but Sprinkles was clearly not having it and trumpeted and lunged towards Bristle, as if to back off. Perhaps Sprinkles could also be starting to show hormonal behavior as a potential escort (fall has begun) – but we can only speculate! Bristle is also a female, but in the spring and fall we occasionally see hormonal behavior from all sexes! We also spotted Chunk, who joined up with Bristle after all the raucous.
Saúde,
Laura & Christina
12pm Avistamentos de observação de baleias
Boa tarde,
The Aurora cruised out to Stellwagen Bank and found numerous whales milling about the area. Bounce and her calf were joined by Sprinkles, with the calf surfacing mere inches off the side of the boat at one point, allowing for an unforgettable up close experience for some passengers! We also spotted Chunk with another whale, although these two were keeping a much lower profile and seemed to be on their own path, not necessarily feeding but also not traveling. We enjoyed some time with A-Plus’ calf as it bobbed around before seemingly being called back to mom’s side and we found that they were joined by Spell as the whales surfaced from underneath the boat. It was nice seeing Spell’s propeller cuts seeming to be healing up. Our attention was soon diverted to Bristle as she breached nearby and we were able to sneak a few close looks in addition to her tall flipper. By this point, Sprinkles was on his own and swam over to her, but within the next surfacing did a bit of a head raise and the two split again. Relationships are hard! We ended with a few last looks at the numerous whales around us and enjoyed the ride back to Boston.
Laura L. e Kate
Boston Whale Watching: Naturalist Notes – 08/30/23 to 09/05/23