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

Summer by the Sea

It has been just over a week since my last posting and time continues to fly by. I have spent the last seven days on the wonderful isle of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

The first highlight of the week was not whales, but an entirely different creature of the sea. We were miles off the coast, looking for whales, when we stumbled upon a bait ball. What happened next felt like a scene out of a BBC documentary. Within an instant there were several hundred-pound blue fin tuna leaping out of the water after their quarry. These overfished giants moved with speed and grace that seemed far too great for a fish of such size. Not only was the school made up of several dozen blue fins, but they also stayed in the area for almost five minutes before moving along in a southerly direction. For a fish that can disappear in a blink of an eye, these tuna definitely graced the morning with a once in a lifetime appearance.

            The whales themselves were a bit slow in coming. We managed to find them every day, but sometimes there would be only a few individuals found during the entire eight hours we were out looking for them.

            Several days ago we happened upon our first minke whale of the season. These guys are often nicknamed “stinky minkes” because they can pop up once and then disappear for twenty minutes, never to been seen again. This one stayed by the boat, following us for several miles before we had to leave to get back to the harbor. Since I took photos on the big camera (named “Leroy”), I’ll have to grab them to put up later! Yet still the pilot whales were still scarce.

            However, yesterday was different. We left the harbor to find many pods of pilot whales swimming around Pleasant Bay. After a day of whales, we were treated to a social gathering of many groups during the late afternoon. There were spy hops, breaches, and an array of other playful behaviors. The whales were also very vocal during the whole encounter.

            We went home that evening to find that we could watch the whales from our front porch! They stayed in the bay in front of us until after the sun set.

            I find myself wanting to say that each new day is the best on yet. However, there always seem to be new adventures to be had and more phenomenal memories to be made. Today this continued as we went on a zodiac ride after our work was done on the larger boat. In the perfect light of the late afternoon sun we saw many groups of travelling and feeding pilot whales, as well as many of the epic sweeping cliffs that this side of Cape Breton has to offer.

            These are a few of my highlights from this week! I will try to post again soon with some more pictures from this adventure.

Fair Winds

From West to East

I've done it! After the better portion of the day spent travelling, I have finally arrived in the city of Halifax to begin the next chapter of my life. The trip from Vancouver to Calgary was rather uneventful and short. Since the day was clear, I was able to marvel at the beauty of the Rocky Mountains from many thousands of feet above them.

With only a few minutes to catch my connecting flight, I ran to the gate, boarded the plane, and found my seat. As the jet took off, I was able to see the flat farmland of Alberta stretching for miles to the east. The cloudless skies continued into Saskatchewan, but by the time we passed over Manitoba, I was catching only brief glimpses of Lake Winnipeg through the thickening clouds. That was all I saw until we landed in Halifax (where the cloud cover was so low that we couldn't see anything until we were almost on the ground). It was also raining... I have to say that this made me feel as though I wouldn't have such a hard time getting used to the climate here :)

I have yet to explore the city and visit the university, but for now I am settling in and adjusting to the four hour time difference. It is now time to get some rest and I will write more soon!

Fair Winds!

The road goes ever on and on...

       Despite the best of intentions to continue writing, I have not used this blog in a long time. Hopefully I can begin again, as I enter an new and exciting chapter of life... grad school! Finishing my undergraduate degree this coming spring, I have acquired a part time job of searching for programs and potential supervisors for next year. It has been a gruelling process and the cause of many sleepless nights. I know that it will somehow all workout. Until then I hope and pray that I am making the right choices.

      I suppose my new years resolution will be to keep everyone updated on this process and my adventures throughout grad school (whether hat be sailing the seas in search of whales, climbing remote islands to count seabird colonies, or sitting in front of a computer analyzing data). But for now, I must get back to schoolwork!

       Fair Winds