Wind on the Water

Another week has passed and my adventures have continued to amaze me day by day. Some days the whales are far off in the distant ocean and we must travel miles out to find them. Other times they are waiting right outside the harbour for us.

I have seen them breach besides the boat and spy hop all around to check us out. Sometimes they merely travel by, but they often come close enough to the boat to give those who come to see them a good look. One thing about the Cape Breton is that the water here is clear enough to see many things beneath the waves. This includes the whales. Seeing the whales under water has been one of the most spectacular parts of my summer thus far. Often the pilot whales flip upside down as they swim under us, showing their light anchor patch.

We had a curious minke whale swimming close enough to the boat the other day, that we could see the white on it's pectoral flippers and the outline of the cetacean as it came up to breath. I got some photos, but since those are on the lab camera, I will have to show them to you at the end of the summer. On the topic of minkes, I was lucky enough to see one breach about ten times in a row the other day! This is phenomenal for a species that rarely is seen partaking in a behaviour made famous by the humpbacks. 

Perhaps the cutest thing out on the water are the newborn pilot whales! Complete with a floppy dorsal fin, fetal folding along their sides, and a sugar-lips smile, these awkward babies make you smile as they leap up for air. Every day we seem to see more. 

The sunsets here definitely rival most others I’ve seen, as the sky seems to always wear shades of pink, purple, and orange come nightfall. 

I have to run off to work now. Since I’m not done with the week’s adventures, I will write more soon J

Fair Winds