Whale Watching with Cape Ann Whale Watch

It has been a while! WhaleFest 2015 was over 3 months ago! Doesn't time fly!

For our little Morgan time has been flying the company of whales, those working to protect them and those who are loving watching them (in a responsible way of course!). Morgan was now back out in the USA with WCA Partner Patti Sullivan and Paul DiGangi, and as we moved into Spring and then Summer, what better to do then get out on a whale watch! (To be honest regardless of the season or weather, for Morgan the best thing to do is always be out on the open ocean with her family!).

So Morgan, Patti and Paul headed out with Cape Ann Whale Watch off Gloucester, Massachusetts in search of whales. 

Morgan and Paul with the wonderful crew and some huge baleen!

Onboard the Hurricane II Morgan met loads of excited passengers, and Cynde Bierman McInnis who not only runs the comprehensive educational programme that is integrated into all Cape Ann Whale Watch trips but also is the Chair of the Responsible Whale Watching Working Group of the WCA and is taking the lead on the new joint educational initiative called the Net Effect Campaign. Through this WCAs responsible whale watching partners aim to talk to passengers about the issues of bycatch and ghost gear which continues to trap, injure and kill all kinds of marine wildlife including whales and dolphins once it is lost or discarded. 

Morgan, Paul and the fab Cynde

It was quite a trip and a brilliant day, with kids and adults alike getting fantastic encounters with majestic humpback whales, the full educational experience of whale watching with Cape Ann Whale Watch as well as learning the story of one young Orca kept away from her family and her rightful place in the beautiful open ocean.

One of many encounters that day with a humpback whale!

Enjoying time with Leandra, Layla and Andrew 

Read more about the Responsible Whale Watching Working Groups's Net Effect education initiative at the WCA website.

Dolphin Watching in Portugal

What does someone who surveys marine mammals do on their day off? Go whale watching of course! It is more than a job or a hobby or an interest. Whale and dolphin watching gets into your blood, it is your passion. For our little Morgan spending time at sea on the water, watching her cousins swimming wild and free is the best feeling in the world. So when Andre Cid decided to do some dolphin watching around the Algarve in Portugal between work for WCA partner AIMM, it was only natural that he took Morgan with him.

Out on that wonderful blue ocean

First off they headed out from Alfubeira where AIMM has its research centre, on a small Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) in search of dolphins. Zooming over the azure blue sea Morgan and Andre scanned the waters for those signs that dolphins are around. A splash, a dark fin or back…. This time it was not meant to be. No dolphins or whales. But that is the way it is with wild whales and dolphins. That’s the point. They are wild. That is not to say there is nothing else to see. Just being out on the Ocean is bliss to Morgan, and this time the trip took them to see some of the spectacular geology of the region. Gently floating on the water, the RIB took them into one amazing cave so large it is aptly called Cathedral! 

Just a few short weeks later and Morgan and Andre Cid were back out on the water. This time with WCA partner Cape Cruiser, based in Sagres. Once again they headed out across the blue waters in search of whales and dolphins. This time their luck was in! Pods of common and then bottlenose dolphins skimmed through the waves nearby. A group of small harbour porpoise, one of the smaller species of cetacean, rolled at the surface, their breath coming in short puffs. Then there was a minke whale, bigger than dolphins but actually one of the smallest baleen whales. Finally when things felt like they could not get any better…. Orca! A small group, eight or nine and for these waters a rare sight! In five years of working at sea in this region, this is only Andre Cid’s third sighting of Orca! What a rare and special treat!

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year from Follow Free Morgan!

Iceland - Land of Ice and Fire... and Whales!

Venturing north from the Bay of Biscay our little Morgan heads to the land of ice and fire, and the waters of whales, Iceland. With WCA partner Suzanne Rogers our little Morgan set about exploring this island in the north of the Atlantic. Her tour included a visit to the Blue Lagoon, hot springs and geysirs whose spouts of water remind Morgan of those giant Blue Whales in the Azores. 

An Icelandic geysir

A few overnight stops in wild, rugged, beautiful, mountainous places Morgan and her friends arrive in Husavik, the whale watching capital of Iceland. With many whale watching companies operating here, Morgan was careful to chose a responsible, ethical company and went with North Sailing. There are no laws regulating whale watching here, and guidelines are voluntary. In an increasingly competitive industry not all whale watching companies operate responsibly with some actively chasing whales and getting too close. Sadly our little Morgan even saw some of this behaviour while out on her trip, while her boat kept a distance another boat raced in too close. Still Morgan, onboard a Schooner, was keen to get out there and try to see some whales responsibly. The signs were good, the crew had heard reports the those mighty Blue Whales were in the area and heading out to that bay Morgan and her friends were not disappointed with a group of five or six whales letting them hang out with them! With a lingering trace of snow and ice on mountains behind it was a magic moment for Morgan to meet these giants again. Heading back to shore and they saw a Minke Whale fully breach five times!

Iceland's magical scenery

Subsequent trips out from Husavik encountered more Minke Whales, a Humpback Whale and even many Harbour Porpoise – usually so difficult to see because they are small, fast and don’t show much of their body above water but the sea conditions allowed great viewing of these the smallest species of cetacean (whales, dolphins and porpoises) in the North Atlantic.

For our little Morgan seeing Minke Whales brings mixed feelings as they are still hunted in Iceland. Indeed in Reykjavik (Iceland’s capital city) the whaling ships share a harbour with the whale watching boats and just a few days previously a German tourist had made international news by chaining himself to a whaling ship in protest against Iceland’s whaling activity. It is difficult not to be concerned that the whales Morgan and her friends saw might not survive the whaling season and to wonder whether getting used to whale watching boats puts them in more danger from the whaling ships. Overall it is considered best to support the whale watching industry to prove that whales are worth more alive than dead. Astoundingly it is the tourists that are driving the demand for whale meat – most of the whale meat consumed in Iceland is by tourists, sometimes the very same people who go whale watching! A campaign by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) called Meet Us Don’t Eat Us aims to raise awareness about the issues regarding eating whales and also to encourage tourists to support whale friendly restaurants. The campaign is very visible not just in Reykjavik but also in Husavik.

Once in Reykjavik our little Morgan couldn’t resist the chance to go whale watching again, and heading out with Elding – a tour company with a firm focus on education and concern for the animals. They also have a whale centre ingeniously created in a converted ship through which tourists must pass to reach the whale watching vessel. It contains cetacean skeletons and information about the animals and their plight. On the trip Morgan once again saw Minke Whales and enjoyed the very informative commentary, which also highlighted environmental issues and the health of the oceans as well as that of individual animals.

Elding's Science Officers

For Morgan one of the best parts of whale watching (apart from seeing whales!) is the other passengers – exchanging tales of previous whale watching trips with fellow whale enthusiasts and being there when some people see a whale in the wild for the very first time. On one trip our little Morgan met the Wildlife Society of Manchester University, a truly passionate group of students and alumni – with such future cetacean advocates the future certainly looks bright.

After ten days amazing days it was time for our little Morgan to plan her next adventure but a little part of her is still happily gazing out to sea looking for whales off the beautiful coast of Iceland.

Photo Gallery by QuickGallery.com

Ocean Giants in the Azores

The Azores, a group of nine volcanic islands in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by deep water and smack bang in the pathway of migration routes of some of the largest creatures on our planet. The people of the Azores have a strong affinity with the sea, and whales in particular, having hunted particularly sperm whales right up until the early 1980s. But this was not mass scale, explosive harpoon hunting, this was a few men, in small boats, using oar and sail to chase these leviathans and hand-thrown harpoons to capture them. Since then boats have gone out in search of whales, not to capture them but to watch them, and the Azores is now known as one of the best places on Earth to watch whales and dolphins.

A mighty fin whale surfaces near our little Morgan. Image: Joao Quaresma

Over 24 species have been recorded, with many being resident year round including dolphins like common and bottlenose dolphins, but even groups of young and female sperm whales. Between April and June however sees the seasonal migration through these waters of true ocean giants, humpback, fin, sei and the mighty blue whale. Each of which has suffered dramatic declines due to whaling.

Reports from whale watch operators in the Azores, including many partners of the WCA, is that this is year is one of the most abundant in terms of baleen whales (whales like blue, sei, fin and humpback that have no teeth but bristly plates called baleen that hang from the top jaw and filter food from the water). Out little Morgan was keen to find out more and see these incredible animals up close and personal.

So joining Helen Bailey, Ruth and Mike Jones our little Morgan set out on an adventure with Amanda Stafford’s Whale and Dolphin Connection, and went whale watching from the island of Pico with Espaco Talassa, one of the original whale watching companies that not only takes passengers out to see these creatures but collects data on sightings and individuals through photo identification techniques.

Morgan, Helen and Rachel

Amanda, Rachel and our little Morgan

Zooming across the ocean on fast RIB against a background of splendid mountains, day after day Morgan’s group came across whale after whale and dolphin after dolphin. The water swirled a greenish blue colour, thick with microscopic plants called phytoplankton and feeding on these are tiny animals called zooplankton. Together these form the basis of the entire ocean food chain, feeding fish, squids, dolphins and whales.

Everyday there were blue whales, surfacing with powerful blows, lifting their giant tail flukes high into the air. There were mixed groups of fin and blue whales, and dolphins surfing the waves the whales created. Curious fin whales hanging around the boat, meandering around it and gliding under and alongside, so close that Morgan and everyone got caught by their smelly, wet breath. Then there were whales that powered through the water, almost clearing the surface, doing a kind of mini-breach and surfing over the top of each other. Next there were humpback whales, hanging out with sperm whales and their calves, hanging out with fin whales, curiously approaching the slowly moving boat, diving underneath boat and waves, lifting their flukes with a curtain of water dripping along the trailing edge. Amongst all this giant whale action there were dolphins, from common to bottlenose, striped to Risso’s.

A true ocean giant - the blue whale

What an incredible experience for our little Morgan and everyone onboard, watching and learning about these incredible animals, up close and personal, and importantly in the wild.   

Thanks to Whale and Dolphin Connection for taking little Morgan on a fantastic adventure in the Azores.