The North Atlantic Humpback Whale Research Foundation
www.whalesbermuda.com
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
77-SPOUT (777-7688)
notes by Camilla Stringer
date
|
Monday 6th April 2009
|
boat & crew
|
Dom Perignon, Bob Steinhoff, Andrew Stevenson, Russell Whayman, Maria, Nicole Reed, Camilla Stringer
|
time leave and return
|
9.20
|
place of departure/return
|
Somerset Bridge
|
wind knots and direction
|
Slight variable, 10 -12 later, 18 – 20 building.
|
previous days knots and direction
|
|
tide-high and low
|
|
time
|
whales #
|
activity
|
place/
coordinates
|
dept (feet)
|
fluke photo # /
u-w video
|
10.26
|
1 a
|
surface, blow
|
|
|
|
10.33
|
1 a
|
surface, blow
|
|
|
|
10.41
|
1 a
|
surface, blow
|
Half a mile east of Sally Tuckers
|
60
|
|
10.45
|
1 a
|
surface, blow
|
|
|
|
10.50
|
1 a
|
surface, blow x 2
|
|
|
|
10.51
|
1 a
|
surface, blow
|
|
|
|
10.56
|
1 b
|
surface, blow
|
|
|
|
10.56
|
1 a
|
surface, blow, looks like a yearling
|
|
|
|
11.09
|
1 a, b
|
the two whales come together. one looks like a female and has a large semi circular bite out of her fluke. they swim together just under the surface blowing occasionally.
|
|
120
|
|
11.12
|
|
foam line
|
|
240
|
|
11.16
|
1 a, b
|
surface, blow x 2, travelling southeast
|
|
|
|
11.27
|
1 a, b
|
dive
|
|
|
|
11.28
|
2
|
surface behind the boat and dive showing flukes
|
N32 11 549 W64 57 303
|
|
|
11.30
|
|
|
Head towards Challenger
|
|
|
11.50
|
1
|
breach on horizon – the northern edge
|
Arrive on Challenger
|
|
|
11.52
|
?
|
blows x 6
|
|
|
|
11.55
|
1
|
surfaces beside the boat, travelling in the direction of Sally Tuckers.
|
|
|
|
11.55
|
?
|
several blows ahead – maybe two groups
|
|
|
|
11.57
|
2
|
blow – straight ahead in the distance seen every minutes or so.
|
|
|
|
12.01
|
1
|
breach on horizon
|
|
|
|
12.03
|
1
|
blow x 2
|
|
160
|
|
|
|
whales sighted in every direction. too many to record.
|
|
|
|
12.08
|
?
|
blow, no singing
|
N32 05 08 W65 03 15
|
|
Hydrophone #23
|
12.12
|
2
|
one swims right under the boat, the two meet up and dive together.
|
|
|
|
12.14
|
1
|
blow further away, every minute
|
|
|
|
12.16
|
3
|
trumpeting, they swim right under the boat – we watch the depth sounder. they surface just behind the boat. one has a chunk out of its dorsal – we saw it yesterday.
|
Crown of Challenger
|
140
|
|
12.45
|
4-5
|
surface activity all around the boat, contact between whales, s-curve, trumpeting, blowing bubbles, tail-lobbing
|
|
|
AS – video
NR – photos of tail-lobbing
CS – Fluke Ids
|
12.46
|
2
|
blowing together x 4
|
|
|
|
12.48
|
3
|
surface, blow
|
|
|
|
12.51
|
1
|
breach on horizon
|
|
|
|
12.52
|
2
|
blow x 5, dive
|
|
|
AS - Fluke IDs
|
12.55
|
2
|
blow, different whales, heading SW
|
|
|
|
12.58
|
2
|
surface, blow
|
|
|
|
12.59
|
3
|
surface, blow
|
|
|
AS – DSC237
|
13.06
|
2
|
blow x 2. other whales blowing in several different directions
|
|
|
|
13.11
|
?
|
whales surface on both sides of the boat
|
|
|
|
13.16
|
3
|
blows in three different directions
|
|
|
|
13.18
|
2
|
two whales together blow x 3, dive
|
|
|
|
13.24
|
1
|
dive, behind the boat
|
|
|
AS Fluke ID
|
13.33
|
1
|
blow
|
Approaching SE corner of Sally Tuckers
|
|
|
13.49
|
2-3
|
blow
|
Heading south
|
|
|
13.54
|
1
|
blow - way off to the west
|
|
|
|
13.57
|
2-3
|
blow x 3
|
|
|
|
13.58
|
2
|
another to starboard, blow x 4, staying on the surface.
|
|
|
|
14.03
|
1
|
blow
|
|
|
|
14.15
|
1
|
tail-lobbing
|
|
|
|
14.17
|
2
|
barging, head pushed over second whale. breach, lots of pec-slapping. the Burvilles arrive.
|
Centre of the crown
|
|
|
14.21
|
4
|
two, then three, then four whales. lots of surface activity. pec-slapping, tail lobbing. also breaching in the distance.
|
|
|
|
14.52
|
|
|
Heading back to BDA, 8 – 10 knots. 13 nm to Hogfish Tripod
|
|
|
14.58
|
1
|
blow x 2
|
|
|
|
14 59
|
1
|
blow, dive
|
|
|
|
|