date

Sunday 5^th april 2009

boat & crew

Dom Perignon, Bob Steinhoff, Brian Steinhoff, Margaret, Andrew Stevenson, Kelly Winfield, Camilla Stringer

time leave and return

9.40

place of departure/return

Somerset Bridge

wind knots and direction

10 – 15 nw

previous days knots and direction

tide-high and low

low at 12.12

time

whales #

activity

place/

coordinates

dept (feet)

fluke photo # /

u-w video

10.36

1

blow

near horizon

10.42

1

breach

near Tsunami

10.46

1

breach

160

10.48

1 b

blow

160

11.03

1

blow, surface

11.04

1 a

blow

11.05

1 b

blow

11.07

blow, dive

11.12

1

blow

11.14

1

blow, surfaced twice

11.15

1 c

blow

11.24

1

blow x 2, we have at least 4 different whales around us.

1000

11.28

1 d

breach

near horizon

11.32

no singing

n32 11 180 w65 00 25

hydrophone #21

11.38

1

blow x 2

11.45

heading to Challenger

11.48

blow

12.03

1 e

blow

near horizon

12.04

1 e

blow

12.12

1

blow

approaching Challenger

425

12.13

1

blow

12.16

1

blow

12.17

1

breach – this is a different whale

on the edge

12.21

1

blow x 3

north side of Challenger

12.25

1 f

blow – further away

12.25

2 h

blows x 2

12.26

2

blow

12.27

1 f

blow

12.28

2 h

blow

12.32

1

blow

11.34

2

blow x 2, 250 yards & blow further away

11.35

2

blow x 2

heading for eastern edge

11.35

4

blow x 2

11.36

5

blow every minute

1

blow, approaching the group, there are too many in the group to count accurately

176

12.41

2

surface activity

half fluke photo

12.41

2

surfaced beside the boat

12.45

6+

surface and blows

12.50

6+

surface activity. head raised out of water.  aggregating?

13.08

<10

surface activity, barging, coming up to breath every couple of minutes

13.15

group

dive

fluke ID photos, CS, AS

13.15

1

blow – another whale approaches the group

13.22

group

the group keeps changing direction, bubble, blowing, barging

13.30

1

breach on horizon

13.31

1

breach, blow on horizon

13.36

tail-lob

13.39

breach, blow

nw corner

13.46

no singing

hydrophone

13.46

group

re- surface – they are staying down longer

13.51

2

blows sighted further away

13.51

group

diving

fluke ID photos, CS, AS

13.52

blow

13.59

1

breach x 6.  looks like a yearling.

13.59

group

surfaces behind us near a fishing boat.

14.03/4/5

1

blow – yearling.  continues to blow every 30 seconds

close to crown

14.10

1

blow

14.11

2

blow – could this be the group, blows every 30 seconds.

14.18

2

blow, whales blow simultaneously on different sides of the boat.

14.20

2

blow x 2

14.22

group

breach, blow x 6

centre of Challenger

14.23

group

surface action, swirling water

14.24

blow

14.28

group

surface action, blow, breach

crown

180

14.31

3

surface activity (2 females?)

170

14.41

clucking, posturing

15.00

1

breach x 2 – yearling?

15.05

3

diving

flukes ID photos CS

15.10

3

surface and circle the boat

15.20

2

surface near neil burnie’s boat bones

15.28

2

blow x 3

15.45

2

blow x 3, dive

15.50

leave the area – heading for Somerset Bridge.