After some time spent in Lubec after our first Roseway Basin voyage, the team prepared to depart for another two week trip offshore. On September 7, we pushed off the dock on Campobello Island and headed across the Bay of Fundy towards Yarmouth, N.S. During this transit we saw (but were unable to photograph) one right whale; we were disappointed but not surprised that we didn't see more, as the Nereid team had seen only a handful of whales during their last couple of surveys.


Nearing sunset, our observers spotted several playful humpback whales, and since we hadn't seen much action all day we steered the Shelagh towards them. We all had a blast photographing and watching them as they flipper slapped, lobtailed and interacted with each other. With flukes under the rising moon and sinking sun, it was a picturesque way to end our survey for the day.


We continued transiting towards Yarmouth- this destination was an important one because an AIS specialist lived there and our boat's AIS wasn't working properly. We tied up at the Yarmouth dock around 3:30 AM on Monday.


Once our AIS had been tinkered with and operating correctly, it was the weather that kept us ashore. We made the most of our time by doing boat chores and exploring downtown Yarmouth, which many of us were visiting for the first time.


We had high hopes as we left the Yarmouth dock on Wednesday morning, as the forecast was calling for light winds in the afternoon. As it often goes though, the light winds were not very light and we had a rough time at sea with very few sightings. Large swells continued the next day and made our time on Roseway Basin uncomfortable- the motion in the ocean was not favorable to our stomachs! With increasing high winds in the forecast, we found ourselves back in port late on Thursday night- this time at Cape Sable Island. Our local friend Wanda took us grocery shopping and introduced us to Dan's Ice Cream Shoppe in Barrington Passage (their ice cream is fantastic and officially "Right Whale Researcher Approved!"). In return, we attempted to take Wanda out to look for whales close to shore on Saturday, but the seas were not favorable and we didn't stay out very long.


At 4 AM on Monday, we departed Cape Sable and began surveying Roseway Basin when the sun rose. Along the way, we retrieved the two hydrophone buoys that we had deployed on our first Roseway expedition. The acoustic tracks that were recorded will be analyzed for whale vocalizations, so we're all curious to learn how many right whale calls were heard!


Our first and only right whale on Roseway Basin was seen the following day. He was visible from a couple miles away because he was repeatedly breaching. The team was thrilled to have a right whale sighting, but we all laughed as soon as he fluked- we had a sighting of "Sawtooth" (Catalog #3714), named for his memorable sawtooth fluke edge. Sawtooth had already been seen a few times by the teams in the Bay of Fundy, so while we weren't documenting a new whale for the season, it was great to document the movement between the two habitats!


Because there was a right whale in the area, we decided to do a plankton tow to see if there were any copepods in the water- copepods make up the majority of the right whale's diet. Spooning our sample into the storage container, it looked like there were some copepods, but the experts at Dalhousie University will inspect the sample thoroughly to determine what exactly was in the water column.


Leaving Roseway Basin and transiting across the Bay of Fundy, we would come across another right whale. Sadly, this right whale would turn out to be severely entangled in fishing line. As of yet, Catalog #3279 has not been seen again. You can read about this encounter here. While it was a depressing way to end our voyage, all in all we had a successful trip- we collected a plankton sample, retrieved both hydrophones, and surveyed the most ground we could with the weather we were given.

-Marianna

It's been a bumpy transition from winter, but solid signs of spring are finally here: geese have been spotted flying northward, crocuses are popping out of the ground, and right whales are feeding in Cape Cod Bay!

Skim feeding in Cape Cod Bay! Photo: Amy Knowlton

The Bay has recently been hosting our beloved creatures as it does every spring, and it will continue to do so for several more weeks as the feeding season moves into full swing. Right whales feasting on abundant concentrations of tiny copepods can be seen skimming the surface as they filter their prey from the water.

How do they achieve this? Baleen! These long plates of keratin hang down from the roof of the mouth. While the outside of the baleen looks smooth and orderly, the inside looks more like matted hair—a net that traps those copepods so they can get gobbled up.

A view into the mouth—see the tongue? Notice how the inside of the baleen plates look a bit roughed up? This tangle of fringed baleen creates a net to trap food. Photo: Amy Knowlton

Just like an iceburg, there's so much more below the surface! Photo: Amy Knowlton

Many lucky people will get to see these whales in action—while watching from the shore! To help protect these endangered whales, laws exist to make it illegal to approach a right whale within 500 yards, so watching from the shoreline is the best way for humans to observe these hungry whales. Please remember that if you, your family or friends are on a boat in Cape Cod Bay this spring, watch out for whales and slow down!! These creatures can be difficult to see and don't move very fast. Collisions with vessels cause severe injuries to whales, but can also damage boats and harm people on board.

Watching from a distance can make you miss some details though, so I thought some up-close and personal footage of skim feeding right whales would be appropriate. Knowledge of what you're witnessing makes this an even more amazing phenomenon, don't you agree?!


— Marianna

Want to learn more about these amazing, critically-endangered animals?

• Here are some right whale visitors to Cape Cod Bay from 2011.
• See what a recent survey season was like on the Bay of Fundy.
• Learn about some of the threats right whales face in the wild ocean.
• Meet some of the newest members of this small, special population.
• Here's an important success story about right whale protection regarding ship speed limits.
• These kids made a video about right whales and even supported this important research with a hefty donation!

If you're interested in supporting this important research, consider sponsoring a right whale! Meet the whales and find out how your donation can help right whale research.

North Atlantic right whales are endangered. To protect this species, IT IS ILLEGAL for vessels/humans to approach a North Atlantic right whale within 500 yards while in U.S. waters. If you see a right whale, please report it to NOAA at 978-585-8473. Injured, dead or entangled right whales should be immediately reported to NOAA at 1-866-755-NOAA (6622), or please call the USCG on VHF channel 16.