Dear <<First Name>>,
In this issue:
Welcome to the Conscious Breath Adventures Cruise Report for Feb. 6-13, 2010
Each week, Conscious Breath Adventures will be sending out a weekly cruise report highlighting some of the peak events of the past week, and offering insights into what a week among the humpback whales of the Silver Bank is like. We will offer photos and stories, and if we are fortunate, as we were this week, we may be able to offer recordings of humpback whale song as well. The weekly cruise reports will allow readers to follow the course of the 2010 season as it progresses. Enjoy!
Sunday February 7
We arrived on the Silver Bank this morning to find literally dozens of humpback whales in the area. Before we even went out on our first whale cruise of the season, guests had seen breaches, pectoral fin slapping, and lobtailing. During the afternoon we had the chance to see some humpback whales at close range. Here on of the guests gets a clear look at the reason why they are called humpbacks.
Monday February 8
One of the highlights of today was a chance to ride with a “rowdy group.” A group of rowdies are three or more male whales competing for the attention of a receptive female. They can get very physical as they charge around the Silver Bank. This particular group was a female and five male whales engaged in an an extended competition.
But the really exciting event of then day occurred this afternoon, when we were able to swim with and record a singing humpback whale! The song of the humpback whale is one of the most powerful and sophisticated animal songs on the planet. The sound is so powerful that it will literally shake you to your bones. If you would like to hear the song of a humpback whale, you can listen to it on SoundCloud or on the Conscious Breath Adventures Facebook page.
Tuesday February 9
Today we had an especially good encounter with a mother and her calf. We were with them for almost two hours in all. In this photo the curious mother turns to have a closer look at one of our guests. As is so happens, we were to see this same pair on two other days, and would spend a total of nearly six hours in their company this week.
Wednesday February 10
This is our mother/calf pair again. We were able to swim with them repeatedly, with the mother logging peacefully on the surface while the young female stayed nearby. We were also able to observe the baby nursing, which is a rare treat! Humpback whale calves drink 50 gallons of their mother’s thick milk every day.
Thursday February 11
Today we were treated to an excellent breaching display. This happy whale breached five times at close range, giving us all a terrific show. Humpback whales can accelerate from a standstill to full breach in three strokes of their fluke. At over 35 tons, it takes a lot of power to fly this high!
Correction:
In the February edition of Whale eMail the photo of Capt. Jeff Pantukhoff with the disentangled trap-line was not properly credited to the contributing photographer. The photo is © Jodi Frediani, 2009. We apologize for the omission and thank Jodi for her contribution.
All images © 2010 Capt. Gene Flipse, Conscious Breath Adventures
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