Tag: humpback whale

BEAUTIFUL FOOTAGE OF A NEWBORN BABY HUMPBACK

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

Born only twenty minutes prior, the newborn and Mom were captured by a drone operated by the University of Hawai’i’s researchers. It’s beautiful to see the baby Humpback begin to use its blowhole, and gliding alongside, and then riding atop, the mother’s back.

University of Hawaii

By Kelli Trifonovitch

January 31, 2019

The humpback whale calf is so new that its dorsal fin and tail flukes appear soft and flimsy, and its mother is still excreting blood, while sometimes supporting the calf on her back. The rare video minutes after birth was captured by the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Marine Mammal Research Program (MMRP) in January 2019.

MMRP Director Lars Bejder was using a drone to shoot video of other humpback whales off the coast of Maui (under a permit from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) when he got a call from one of the local tour operators. “They had just seen all this whitewater and commotion in the water and weren’t quite sure what it was and suddenly there was all this blood in the water, which made us go over there and that’s what we discovered—a newborn calf,” Bejder recalled.

It was the closest the marine mammal researcher had been to a live birth in 25 years.

“I think everybody can appreciate these kinds of footages, and it brings us closer to these animals and gives us a really majestic view of these creatures,” he said. “I think it’s pretty spectacular.”

The MMRP studies the effects of climate change, human activities and prey availability on whales and dolphins.


Humpback Whale breeding and feeding areas

POOR LITTLE BABY SEAL AT NILES BEACH

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

The little seal pup was seen today washed ashore at Niles Beach. He couldn’t have been more than three feet in length. From Maine to Massachusetts, more than six hundred dead or dying Gray and Harbor Seals have been reported this summer.

Two Humpback Whales washed ashore on Massachusetts beaches in a single day, one on Little Brewster Island in Boston Harbor and one on Revere Beach. The Revere Beach Humpback is the same whale that was spotted off Gloucester several weeks ago. Last week, two dead Minke Whales were found floating in the waters off Gloucester and Sea Bright, New Jersey. Another Minke Whale washed ashore in Rye, New Hampshire earlier this past week.

Seal Pup at Niles Beach

Read more about why the seals are dying here.

Two dead humpback whales wash up in Revere and near Boston Light

2016-2018 Humpback Whale Unusual Mortality Event along the Atlantic Coast

Massachusetts Whale Trail #whaletrailMA and more in Gloucester

Posted on by Catherine

The Massachusetts Whale Trail “is a special collection of museums and attractions, whale watching, and historic sites and tours with a connection to whales.” Capt Bill & Sons, 7 Seas Whale Watch, and Cape Ann Whale Watch are included.

WhaletrailMA

Naturally, Gloucester had created a version on the HarborWalk which you can find on line or on the trail at marker #36 right by Tonno Restaurant, Gloucester, MA.  Whale watching is beloved here in town. The Gloucester HarborWalk has whale watch information, points of interest and a tab to all the local whale watching  companies.”Most offer daily whale watching trips from April through October.”

SEVEN SEAS WHALE WATCH +1 (888) 283-1776
CAPE ANN WHALE WATCH +1 (800) 877-5110
CAPT BILL & SONS +1 (800) 339-4253
YANKEE FLEET +1 (978) 283-0313

When O’Maley 6th graders study Gloucester and visit the HarborWalk, the student thank you drawings featured whale tails and spouting whales. It’s common for local kids to be invited to birthday parties on whale watch trips.  Donna Ardizzoni photographed and wrote about her Right Whale sightings from shore spring 2018, and more whale sightings around town. Parsons Street wall Mural (by the Fish Net HarborWalk street mural) was painted by local kids under the direction of Cape Ann Art Haven and features a great whale.

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Ocean Alliance headquarters is located in Gloucester. Kim Smith posted the announcement for its most recent National Geographic special. 

Maritime Museum (opening May 26) and Cape Ann Museum are included on the new Whale Trail map. Cape Ann Museum collection includes Hartley’s study for Whales Jaw Dogtown

Hartley-WhalesJaw collection CAPE ANN MUSEUM Gloucester Mass

Stores along Main Street and throughout Gloucester’s neighborhoods have art and goods inspired by whales. Look for hand carved wood sculptures at Willow Rest. Savour Wine & Cheese, Gloucester, MA

 

 

 

HUMPBACK WHALE BREECHES AND SENDS FISHING BOAT FLYING

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

ABC Newsonline.

August 7, 2017

Six men are lucky to be alive after a whale threw their boat metres into the air in the Whitsundays (Australia).

WARNING: This story contains graphic images that may disturb some readers.

The group was returning from a reef fishing trip on Saturday afternoon, when the large humpback breached underneath the 8.5-metre aluminium vessel, near Gloucester Island.

The impact of the collision with the whale and the water was so great that those on board were violently thrown around the boat, with two men knocked unconscious.

READ FULL STORY HERE

Skippers need to keep a lookout, authorities say

The Whitsundays is considered a whale nursery, with the species choosing the warm waters off the Queensland coast to birth their calves.

A spokesperson for the Department of Environment and Heritage (EHP) said about 30,000 humpback whales were migrating along the Queensland coast this year.

“Humpbacks have made a remarkable comeback since the 1960s when hunting stopped,” the spokesperson said.

“EHP and the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service would remind boaties to be very cautious during the humpback migration — humpbacks are on the move day and night on their migration.”

The spokesperson said adult humpbacks could weigh up to 45 tonnes.

“These huge, unpredictable mammals may surface, slap their tails or leap out of the water unexpectedly around vessels.

“Skippers need to keep a lookout at all times — even if skippers avoid cutting across the path of a whale or going within the approach limits, humpbacks may approach or nudge boats.

“If a skipper becomes concerned about the safety of their vessel and passengers due to a whale’s behaviour, he/she should stop, slow down and/or steer away from the whale immediately.”

CHECK OUT KATHLEEN ERICKSON’S WONDERFUL HUMPBACK WHALE SIGHTING

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns


Kathleen writes, ” We came across a pod of Humpbacks bubble feeding just off the outer shore of Cape Cod, south of P-town.  Incredible!  Here are a few shots.” 

SEVEN SEAS REPORTS ANOTHER SPECTACULAR WHALE WATCH!

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

7 Seas Whale Watch Privateer IV Captain Paul Frontierro predicts a fantastic season for whale watching and so far his predictions are accurate!
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13130900_1328477360502555_883307742188511081_oMay 1, 2016

It was another incredible weekend of whale watching on Stellwagen Bank. On both Saturday and Sunday we saw dozens of Humpback Whales (and 1 Finback Whale on Saturday) on the northern of the Bank.

Feeding was no doubt the main theme of both trips, as we had near constant surface feeding from just about every whale we saw.

On Sunday afternoon in particular, the feeding was right at the surface and we spent a good amount of time with an amazing group of 6 Humpback Whales who were blowing enormous rings of bubbles at there surface and then rising up through bubble with mouths wide open.

Here are just a few of the many, many photos that we took this weekend. Some of the photos were taken by our good friend and wildlife photographer Oktay Kaya. Thank you as always for sharing your images, Oktay!

SEE MANY MORE PHOTOS AND TRIP INFO HERE ON THE 7 SEAS WHALE WATCH FACEBOOK PAGE

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13131242_1328477233835901_5863065903086751922_o13112961_1328477533835871_785655082991632621_oFlock of Bonaparte’s Gulls wheeling in unison around the feeding whales

Name that Humpback

Posted on by paultmorrison

We crossed whale watch off our “list of things that must be done even if we live here” this summer. I’m going through my photos and auto-awesome has strung some together and I post it in my Apple Sheeple forum and ten mintues later Phos has straightened out the horizon. Thanks Phos.

Looking at the animation I can see the white on the flukes of the tail that are the best way to identify humpbacks. People who study the humpbacks know them all by name and have seen the same ones over decades. I wrote the names down of the seven that we saw but lost my notes. But if you go to Coastal Studies page and under the photos click “download the latest version here” you will get a 72 page document with photos of a lot of whale tales.

whaletaleid
Seven Seas Whale Watch this summer. Seven Humpbacks all identified by the whale dude on board. This humpback has just cleared her pipes and is now sounding. She’ll be gone for 5 to 7 minutes as she cruises about in 130 foot deep water looking for stuff to eat, or hobnobbing with her friends Hippocampus and North Star.

Can you figure out the name of this whale? If you work with these whales you are saying, “of course that’s Suzie Cream Cheese”. But I made up that name.

They are ordered from very white to very black. It seems easy but I couldn’t do it. My daughter figured it out in five minutes. Can you? First three who name it correctly get a Pirate Rubber Duck autographed by RD herself. Clicking on the photo enlarges the animation. If it isn’t animated get a real computer or phone, Macintosh or iPhone 🙂