Three day Canyons Whale and Bird Trip Report

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Center for Oceanic Research and Education 3-Day Canyons Whale and Bird Expedition Trip Report:

CORE would  like to extend our sincere thanks and admiration to the whole team of birders on Brian Patteson’s team. It was a pleasure to work with such professionals on this three day excursion!

This trip started the night of July 13th at 10pm. After travelling all night long, by daybreak the next day, we were heading Southeast over Georges Bank and finally off the Continental Shelf. The second day, July 14th was spent looking through Georges and our first two Canyons (Lydonia and Gilbert). The night of the 15th we tied off to a deep water lobster buoy (in about 1000 feet of water!) at the Western edge of Gilbert Canyon. The second day, the 15th of July, we searched through Gilbert Canyon, and proceeded west into the canyons that followed including Oceanographer's, Welker's and finally Hydrographer's. We slowly worked north during the night of the 15th, to spend our remaining day in the waters east and southeast of Cape Cod (roughly the western portion of the Great South Channel) where we had heard that many humpback whales had been feeding. We were sucessful in so many ways, it's hard to imagine we saw all of the following whale, bird and marine animal species. Truly a special time...

Whales and Dolphins included: (species in bold are particularly special!)

3 Sperm whales

2 Beaked whales (a Mesoplodon species)

4-5 Northern Right Whales

31-32 Humpback whales

18 Fin whales

5-6 Minke whales

28-35 Pilot whales

4-5 unknown baleen whales

200-260 Bottlenose dolphins

540-680 Risso's dolphins

61-70 Atlantic white-sided dolphins

13-15 Common dolphins

Birds included: (species in bold are particularly special!)

16 Cory's shearwaters

4050+ Greater shearwaters

770+ Sooty shearwaters

7 Manx shearwaters

9000+ Wilson's storm-petrels

130+ Leach's storm-petrels

1 White-faced storm-petrel

1 Bridled Tern

2 Arctic Terns

1 Parasitic Jaeger

1 South Polar Skua

1 Red-billed tropicbird

10-11 Northern Gannets

Other Marine Animals sighted:

22-23 Basking sharks

15 Ocean Sunfish

6 Blue sharks

1 Leatherback Turtle

2 Portuguese Man o' War

Many Tuna (yellowfin)

Many Flying Fish!

 

 Two day Great South Channel Trip Report

 All I can say is WOW! Wasn't that just spectacular? I'm still reeling from all the whales and the incredible behaviors we saw!

This trip took us to an area just east of Cape Cod - approximately northeast and southeast of Chatham, MA. The morning of the 18th, we started a few miles south of the BC buoy (shipping lane buoy), somewhere around 12 miles south of our final target area, and sighted a few juvenile humpback whales in the area. Heading north, we were on the lookout for the Bluefin Tuna fleet - which almost always follows the humpback whales since the tuna eat the same fish (sand eels) as the humpbacks. Just a few miles off Chatham, we sure found the tuna fleet and a whole lot of whales! On that first day alone we estimated somewhere around 100-110 humpback whales. The next day, we estimated 71-74 humpbacks in the area! Unbelieveable to see so many whales in such a compact area - all feeding - mouths wide open. And, when they weren't feeding, they were breaching!. Some of the most incredible, intense behaviors I've ever seen. Other animals sighted on the trip included 17 fin whales, 29 minke whales, 2 pilot whales and basking sharks!

*Humpback whales identified included: Dome, Fulcrum, Reflection, Staff, Putter, Tear, Anchor, Crown, Rune, Shards, Spike, Giraffe, Mars, Warrior, Colt, Nimbus, Rapier, Scratch, Abrasion, Pogo, Mirror, Sundog, Division, Apostrophe, Gondolier, Rocker, Coral, Mirror, Spider, Ase, Firefly, Seal, Mauro, Echo, Cygnus, Fracture, Barb, Leukos & calf, Midnight & calf, Reaper & calf, Compass & calf, Chimney & calf, Dyad & calf, Pepper & calf, Tornado & calf and Phantom & calf! Yikes, that's alot of whales! *Many thanks to Allison Glass from Whale Center of New England and Katherine Gilmour from the New England Aquarium for their help with several identifications throughout this trip.

Bird totals (courtesy of Mike Gooley and Robert Kelley) included 16 bird species: 2000+ Greater Shearwaters, 300+ Sooty Shearwaters, 3 Manx Shearwaters, 1500+ Wilson's storm-petrels, 3 Northern Gannets, 950+ Herring Gulls, 125+ Greater Black-backed gulls, 160 Laughing gulls, 2000+ Common Terns, 2 Parasitic Jaegers, 3 Pomerine Jaegers, 1 Black Tern, 10 Red Phalaropes, 1 Common Loon, 1 Red-throated Loon and 2 unidentified swallows!

We hope you will help us rally for the trips to go next year - we had to cancel our last trip in September due to lack of interest. Only 6 people signed up - such a sin considering the amazing trip we just had. Please tell your friends about the extended trips we do - help us to keep our research going in these important offshore areas!