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2009 whale sightings reports:

May 9, 2009

April 25-26,2009

April 18, 2009

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2008 WHALE SIGHTINGS REPORTS: View photographs and view sightings reports from the memorable 2008 whale watching season

2009 PELAGIC BIRD REPORTS : A new section of this site reserved just for ocean birds and birders

APRIL 18, 2009

A diving Humpback Whale ("Cajun") on Stellwagen Bank last Saturday

April 18^th was our much anticipated first whale watch of the season.  Fishing boats had been reporting large numbers of whales in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary region for weeks and so we were eager to get out there ourselves and see what we could find.  We were NOT disappointed!  We ended up seeing a total of 19 HUMPBACK WHALES (plus various other interesting whales, birds, and a seal)… all in nearly the exact area of Stellwagen Bank that the whales spent much of last summer!  Could we be lucky enough to have the same great sightings as last year AGAIN?!  It’s still too early to say, of course, but to see so many whale was encouraging for sure!

 "Rune"... a familiar friend is back this year already            Atlantic White-sided Dolphins are a spring treat (less common in summer)

Not only were there a lot of whales, but many of them were the larger, adult whales that are usually found on Stellwagen Bank when conditions are right for feeding.  Over the years we have noticed that in those years (or at those times) when food (meaning small schooling fish for the whales to eat) is scarce the whales found in the area tender to be younger, smaller, juvenile animals in the 2-5 year range.  When there is a lot of bait fish (as there is now) we tend to see older whales gather in large numbers. 

                                    "Echo"                                                                                                  "Tornado"

Many of the HUMPBACK WHALES we saw today were amongst the most well known and largest in our population.  For example we were able to identify: Pepper, Echo, Tornado, Dusky, Dome, Rune, Midnight, Firefly, Cajun (of Cajun and calf fame of last year!), Pogo, Signature, Spirit, and Chaise.  All of you experienced whale watchers no doubt recognize many of those whales.  These are mostly female whales and nearly all of them have had calves in the past few years.  None of them are with calves this year, but remember these whales have just returned from their breeding grounds in the Caribbean.  Thus there is a very good chance that many of these whales are pregnant and have returned to Stellwagen Bank early to begin feeding.  Let’s hope we get to watch them all this year and then see them return in 2010 with new calves!!!

                 "Pepper" - possibly one of the oldest whales in our population            

As good as the whales were today our whale watch was made even better by sightings of “other wildlife.”  The first neat sighting was before we even left the dock when a male Common Eider swam right by the boat in beautiful light.  This handsome bird is freshly-molted and looking sharp for the spring breeding season.  You can even see subtle hints of green on the back of the bird’s head.

While out watching the whales we were visited by a curious young Harbor Seal that our friend Oktay Kaya got a super photograph of (below.)

We also were treated to seeing over 100 adult Northern Gannets.  These birds are winter residents in the Stellwagen Bank area and most will depart soon for the steep, rocky cliffs of Newfoundland where they breed.  Only a handful of Juvinile Gannets, which are mottled brown and white, will stay through the summer.  Seeing so many of these striking adult birds is a spring-whale watcher's bonus!  Iceland Gulls (pictured on right) are an uncommon winter resident in our area. We were very lucky to get such a good look at this young (first-winter) bird!

One last sighting for the day: a SWAMP SPARROW!  Yes, we occasionally see sparrows on the ocean!  why?  Read about why these little land birds are found out to sea by clicking here.

Swamp sparrow on Stellwagen Bank

It was a wonderful first trip.  The next whale watch is on Saturday April 25^th.  Another sightings update and lot’s more photographs then. 

Best,

     Jay

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All photos on this page were taken aboard the 7 Seas Whale Watch boat "Privateer IV" on April 18, 2009

Some of the BEST photographs on this site were taken aboard our whale watching trips by our good friend Oktay Kaya.  To see more of Oktay's beautiful whale photographs and other wildlife pictures he has taken please visit his site at http://www.whalesandwhales.com

WHALE SIGHTINGS REPORTS:

  2008

BIRD SIGHTINGS REPORTS:

2009

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