July 3 – Whale Watching

With temperatures on land reaching the mid to upper 90s, a trip on the water amidst cool breezes and
beautiful seas would have been enough. Then came the dolphins; three small groups of Tamanend’s
bottlenose numbering approximately 40-60 individuals before we even passed the lighthouse. Then, on
our way to the feeding grounds, we encountered scores of short-beaked common dolphins moving
towards and around our vessel to the sheer delight of all onboard. But that was just the appetizer. Blows
were spotted in the distance and we investigated. Those blows belonged to an unbelievable number of
endangered finback whales; at least 8 confirmed at one time with more likely beneath the surface.
Seeing a fin whale is a treat on any day, but seeing this many as they fed on the abundant bait (visible as
dark shoals near the surface of the water) was extraordinary. Then, more blows farther away led us to at
least 9-12 additional finback whales. Phenomenal! Dozens and dozens of sooty, Cory’s, and great
shearwaters along with Wilson’s storm petrels flew nearby and rested on the water. Then, a minke
whale appeared and stayed next to vessel, affording rare and incredible views of an otherwise elusive
species. But then, dark figures broke the surface of the water ahead of us, belonging to ten (possibly
more) humpback whales bubble cloud- and open mouth- feeding, likely on sand eels. Fin whales,
common dolphins, and minke continued to make appearances around the vessel as the sounds of blows
and sights of four different cetacean species filled our hearts and senses. Our season is just beginning
and we are off to a hot start! We sail every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday; grab your friends
and book a trip with us today.

40-60 Tamanend’s bottlenose dolphins
280-340 short-beaked common dolphins
18-22 finback whales
9-12 humpback whales
1-3 minke whales (likely the same one though)
40-60 Wilson’s storm petrels*
50-70 sooty shearwaters*
60-80 great shearwaters*
12-24 Cory’s shearwaters*
*bird count estimates are conservative and based on those identified at time of encounter; there were
many more in the area