A Whale of a Summer

Owl and calf, August 2017

It’s hard to believe it’s August already… where has the summer gone?

We’ve had some great whale sightings this season, starting out with a rare influx of sei whales and then moving to our more traditional mix of fin, humpback, and minke whales, with an occasional pod of Atlantic white-sided dolphins or harbor porpoise.  We had some really great minke whale sightings in July, with a few sightings of curious minke whales (see image below)!

We saw many basking sharks early in the season, but these sightings have been replaced by ocean sunfish (Mola mola). One was even seen breaching (leaping out of the water) last week!

Adopt-a-Whale Sightings

Many of our adoptable whales have been seen so far!  We’ve enjoyed many sightings of Owl and her 2017 calf. Just last week, we saw them and the calf was still staying close to its mother’s side.  Owl was even blowing some bubble clouds underwater (evidence of deep feeding).  We’ve also seen Pinball and Hornbill off and on throughout the summer, and Satula has made some appearances, too!

For adoptable fin whales, Dingle has been seen off and on, but we’re still waiting for news of Comet, Ladder and Fjord.

Scar the minke has been seen lately, feeding among some of the fishing areas.

When does the season end?

We’ve had a great season so far, and it’s not over yet!  Whale watches continue through at least mid-October. We’re entering my favorite season of whale watching – in late summer and fall, you never know what’s going to happen out there!

Join us for a whale watch!  Contact the companies directly for schedules and reservations:

Minke whale, July 2017