Sun Aug 25- Whale Watching- Starship

Summer may be winding down, but the thrill of a CRESLI/Viking whale watch is certainly not! What a day
we had yesterday on the Viking Starship: it began with a small group of Tamanend’s bottlenose dolphins
swimming close to shore. We spent a bit of time with them ensuring everyone had a good look before
moving on and spotting a juvenile humpback whale in 65 feet of water approximately one mile from the
beach. We knew larger adults were still in the area so we headed offshore to find them and that we did!
It all began with a pectoral flipper-slapping adult in the mix of a dozen humpbacks, including at least one
calf. The calf, which we have seen on previous trips, exhibited a variety of surface-active behaviors,
including full and partial breaches, tail throws, inverted lob-tailing, pectoral flipper slapping, roll-overs,
and spyhopping – all in close proximity to the vessel as we sat safely out of gear. The playful calf would
also rise to the surface belly-up and slap its flippers backward akin to a human backstroke. All the while,
the adults, including the calf’s mom, swam, dove, and surfaced together in groups of two and three,
likely feeding at depth on the thick patches of prey detected in the region. Whales surrounded the
vessel affording everyone stellar views of the action. After an hour and a half of this immersion, we
began our transit home, but as with other trips this season, we were thwarted as the calf began a series
of breaches around the vessel and closely approached the bow of the ship (now out of gear) to
‘perform’ roll-overs and flipper slapping, as if to protest our departure. At last, the calf joined its mom
and it was clear for us to make our return, wrapping up another incredible day on the water.
Many of our passengers are returning customers and we know why! Come discover the magic for
yourself before the season ends in just three short weeks.

2-3 Tamanend’s bottlenose dolphins
12-14 humpback whales, including one juvenile (nearshore) and at least one calf
8-12 sooty shearwaters
30+ migrating tree swallows