Fri July 4 – Whale Watching

Happy Independence Day! For our fourth trip on the Fourth (say that five times fast!), we set sail under
sunny skies and excellent sea conditions. Our first cetacean encounter occurred quickly with a small pod
of Tamanend’s bottlenose dolphins as we steamed passed the lighthouse. We spent some time
observing this group of approximately a dozen dolphins before continuing in search of other species. We
headed towards an area where humpback whales were seen a day prior, not far from where also
observed a fin whale on previous trips. Despite near unlimited visibility and calm seas, no baleen whales
were found. Instead, we enjoyed nice views of Cory’s and great shearwaters along with sporadic
sightings of Wilson’s storm petrels. We also stopped a few times to pick-up multiple batches of mylar
balloons which otherwise kill marine life (especially sea turtles) when ingested. About six miles off
Napeague, we encountered another pod of Tamanend’s bottlenose dolphins. This aggregation was
larger than the first with multiple small pods and one large pod of 40-60 individuals surrounding the
vessel affording everyone outstanding views. Some of the dolphins were tail-slapping, a form of non-
vocal communication which could also serve as a hunting mechanism to stun prey. With little bait
detected, however, these displays were most likely interactive. We stayed in neutral as the dolphins
surrounded the vessel, when suddenly a group of at least 12-16 simultaneously surged to the surface to
the delight of those of us onboard. Other synchronized leaps followed before we continued north and
east towards Montauk. Another small group of Tamanend’s was observed on our return. What a great
way to celebrate the Fourth of July!

120-140 Tamanend’s bottlenose dolphins
30-40 Cory’s shearwaters
6-8 great shearwaters
10-12 Wilson’s storm petrels