date

Thursday April 2nd 2009

boat & crew

Dom Perignon Bob Steinhoff, Ron Lucas, Nicole Reed, Andrew Stevenson, Camilla Stringer

time leave and return

9.15 – 4.00

place of departure/return

Somerset Bridge

wind knots and direction

Variable 5 knot, 5 – 10 knots from the SW

previous days knots and direction

tide-high and low

time

whales #

Activity

Place/

coordinates

Dept (feet)

Fluke photo # /

u-w video

10.06

1

blow

10.16

2

Surface, blow every 2 or 3 minutes.

150

Fluke ID - A.S.

10.21

3

blow surface, blow

10.24

3

blow surface, blow

10.27

3

blow surface, blow

N32 14 814 W6501 843

10.29

2

Looks like mother with yearling, lots of contact btwn them

100

10.31

2

Surface, blow

90

10.33

3

Pec-slapping, lying on surface with half fluke showing

10.36

3

Two are now Pec-slapping, trumpet.

A fishing boat passes – the whales move off slightly.

10.39

2

Surface, Pec-slapping, milling around just below surface

65

Fluke ID – A.S. with orca bite-marks

10.41

1

Another whale sighted in the distance near Chub Head

70

10.45

3

Chris Burville arrives

10.47

3

Surface, blow

Heading south, south west

11.06

3

Surface, blow

Andrew in water camera doesn't work 

11.20

2

Different whales seen 300 yds south of the animals we have been with.

11.39

1

Breaching far to the south

11.50

3

Surface, blow

240

12.07

1

Surface , faint singing heard

Hydrophone #19

12.17

2

Surface, blow.  Surface of the water looks like it is raining – could be krill, or upwelling.  Hundreds of tiny by-the-wind sailors (velella velella) are floating in a tight group.  Several mangled fish are also seen.

12.23

3

Surface, blow, milling

12.31

1

surface blow, coming closer.

Decide to go to Challenger

12.50

1

Blow, seen far ahead

12.57

1

Blow, seen far ahead

13.05

2

Surface with head coming out of water, blow, dive

13.06

2

Dive

N32 06 915 W65 02 593

13.10

Sounds like several whales singing

Hydrophone #19

13.11

2

Blow, surface

13.12

1

Another whales surfaces behind the boat

13.13

1

Dive showing fluke

2 fluke ID photos – A.S., C.S,

13.14

1

The whale behind us surfaces again.

13.23

1

blow

Heading to the crown

190

13.39

1

Blow – behind

13.42

1

Tail-lobbing

Just off crown

13.44

1

Blow far behind us

13.46

3

Blow

13.48

3

Blow

13.48

1

Another whale is sighted

13.49

2

Pec-slapping, tail-lobbing.  Two whales lie on their backs waving their pectoral fins in the air, half flukes showing.  Milling.  Lots of surface activity.

2

Two more whales approach from the right

14.07

6

The different groups have joined up.  Lots of surface activity.  One whale swims quickly in a circle, perhaps to cut another whale off– the footprint clearly visible for some time.

14.15

4

These animals remain together, the other two have separated a little way.  Still lots of surface activity.  Pec-slapping, milling. 

6

Still around the boat.  Blowing every 5 – 7 minutes. 

More fluke ID photos.  A.S.

15.35

Leave Challenger