The Whales Are Back!

Diving whales

Each year along the shores of Newfoundland and Labrador, humpback whale sightings are few and far Mallotus villosus) is a vital part of the food web here, and it's responsible for nourishing not just the whales but the area's substantial seabird population, whose breeding season is timed to coincide with the caplin's spawning time. When the caplin arrive in their billions, so do the whales, intent on taking on close to a third of their body weight during the summer feeding season. When they're feeding, they concentrate completely on the task at hand until their principal food source arrives: the caplin (or capelin,

Humpback tail

On a recent trip out of Bay Bulls with Captain Wayne's Marine Excursions we spotted whales in just a few kilometres away from the shore -- a group that were actively feeding. We headed a little closer and stopped for a look. The whales were headed our way, staying at the surface briefly then diving to feed at depth. Several would surface at once, then dive within a few seconds of one another. As a result, there were ample opportunities for great ID shots of the tails' distinctive undersides. (See One Fluke at a Time, a post about humpback identification.)

Caplin after spawning

We spent nearly two hours observing at a respectful distance, on a near-perfect July day. When they neared the surface, the whales' white pectoral fins showed up, appearing green through the sea water. Proprietor Wayne Maloney's uncanny whale sense came through as always, and we were treated to a truly unforgettable experience.Here are a handful of images from our visit. What a day on the water!

St. Anthony -- In the Footsteps of Grenfell

St. Anthony Sunrise

Travel down the Great Northern Peninsula (yes, north is "down" here) and you'll find yourself in St. Anthony, the outpost at the end of the road. To be truthful, the road has only been here for sixty years or so; like many small towns around the coast of Newfoundland, this port was once served only by water, as a stop on the coastal boats that plied the island's shores. This community of roughly 2500 people serves as a supply centre for the surrounding area, so there are grocery stores, hotels, restaurants and many other services, but it's St. Anthony's history that makes it remarkable.

Sun Porch, Grenfell House

In 1892, a young and determined doctor arrived here from England; this was then an English colony, and the Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen carried out visits to bring medical care to the people of northern Newfoundland and the Labrador coast, and Dr. Wilfred Grenfell was here to do what he could for his fellow man. He was ahead of his time in realizing that social conditions, nutrition and physical activity were all part of overall health, and he went on to form an organization to raise funds to provide health services in the region. His legacy lives on the present-day health care system serving St. Anthony and the remote coastal communities of Labrador. The International Grenfell Association's headquarters were in St. Anthony and it was here that Grenfell made his home. One of my own favourite aspects of his house is the warm and welcoming sun room that wraps around it.

The View from Tea House Hill

Today, the Grenfell Historic Properties provide an opportunity to learn about this remarkable man through the Grenfell Interpretation Centre, the restored house, and the Tea House Hill Trail which provides wonderful views of the surrounding area. From the Grenfell Dock, Northland Discovery Boat Tours provide whale-watching and iceberg-viewing opportunities with expert interpretation. This area boasts one of the longest iceberg seasons in Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as frequent sightings of humpback whales and dolphins and even occasional pods of killer whales!

Iceberg Near St. Anthony

St. Anthony's harbour is a busy one, with a fleet of fishing boats, processing plants, and a large wharf that accommodates vessels carrying freight. Several times a summer, small expedition cruise ships visit to take in the sights in the area.

Oh, Bonavista!

Newfoundland and Labrador seems to have more than its fair share of beautiful little towns and villages, but one of the most striking is Bonavista. Located at the tip of the Bonavista Peninsula, less than two hours north of the Trans Canada Highway at Clarenville, the town sprawls over 31 square km (12 sq. mi.), much of it mixed residential and commercial. Its busy harbour, protected by a breakwater, is used not only by local fishing boats but by pleasure craft as well -- it's well sheltered, making for some wonderfully scenic reflections. Located at the edge of the harbour is Ryan Premises National Historic Site , a group of restored fish processing and storage buildings that provide an excellent look at the history of the town and the fishery that drove its economy. 

A short distance away at the tip of the cape lies the historic Cape Bonavista Lighthouse with its distinctive red and white paint pattern. From the cliffs here, it's possible to see feeding whales in summer, or observe nesting puffins at close range.

The rest of the Bonavista Peninsula is as welcoming and as scenic as the town itself -- places like Trinity, Port Rexton, Amherst Cove, Spillar's Cove, Keels, Red Cliff and Plate Cove are waiting to be explored!

One Fluke at a Time

When whale researchers take photos of humpback whale flukes, right whale callosity patterns or fin whale chevrons, they're not doing it just to have a beautiful image to hang on the wall.  They're looking for specific patterns that identify individual whales, in order to expand the knowledge base for these species. Humpback fluke patterns are unique to the individual whale, and are often compared to fingerprints since they remain the same throughout the whale's adult life, apart from the addition of new scars from barnacles, orca attacks or other such incidents.  Right whale callosities are the rough patches that appear on the right whale's face in the same areas where humans have facial hair: eyebrows, mustache, etc., and they, too, remain relatively stable, aiding in identification. The variations in the chevrons on fin whales' right sides are also usable for identification although that's a daunting task.

Identification by humpback fluke patterns, though, is the area that's seen the greatest concentration. Fluke patterns like the one above range from almost completely black through patchy variations to almost completely white; curiously, scars on white flukes appear black, while scars on black flukes appear white. These stark, graphic patterns can be compared to make positive ID of an individual whale regardless of its location. There are a number of organizations that pursue this identification work, and each of them is fortunate to count on dedicated and selfless volunteers whose passionate commitment to the whales drives them onward. A great example of such dedication is Gale McCullough of Maine (aka Flukematcher), a tireless advocate for the environment and marine mammals, who operates fluke-matching sites on Flickr and Facebook for comparing the images submitted by researchers, volunteers, whale enthusiasts and tourists up and down the east coast of North America. By scanning through hundreds of images by hand, Gale and other experts match flukes to find links between Newfoundland, the Gulf of Maine, Cape Cod, Bermuda, and the Dominican Republic as well as other locales.

Don't get me wrong, Gale's not the only such cataloguer who's working long hours to advance our knowledge, she's simply a dedicated and passionate person who devotes much time and energy to this very worthwhile study. She's a remarkable woman whose work contributes greatly to increasing what we know about humpback whales and their feeding, breeding and migration patterns, and she deserves our thanks. Happy birthday, Gale.

Experiencing the Moment

 For a long time, travel was a popular pastime for those who wanted to see the different, the unusual or the exotic; today, for more and more travellers, it's more about experiencing than just seeing.  Many of us now want to engage all five senses; we don't want the same food, climate or activities we'd find at home, we want something new and different and whenever possible, unique to the place we're visiting. We also like the idea that our travels are benefiting local people in their communities, and that we're meeting and interacting with local residents beyond the rudimentary exchanges found in restaurant or hotel service. 

We're the experiential travellers, and we're the face of travel in the future.  Gone are the "Grand Tour" days when tourists sat removed from their surroundings and simply observed. Today's travellers roll up their sleeves and get involved, both physically and intellectually, with what's around them. It's a new and truly engaged way to travel, and it's had a huge and positive impact on people in the areas we travel to. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this shift is that it's making the whole process more interesting -- and memorable -- for the people in those destination areas, too. 

Local experts are now engaging with travellers in a way they weren't able to before: there's more time to get to know visitors, and shared experiences can form the basis of genuine interest and friendship. I'm not talking about visitors and local operators singing an endless chorus of "Kumbaya", but there's far more opportunity for them to interact in such a way that encourages long-term contact if it's what both parties want, especially with the ease of communication through email, social networking and Skype.

Travellers today experience the wonders of their destination: the smell of sun-drenched fir trees along a woodland trail; the crisp, cool touch of the breeze blowing past an iceberg; the taste of fresh bread straight from a brick oven, the sound of a foghorn across the water, or the electrifying experience of looking a humpback whale in the eye.

The Summer of the Whales

It's been an extremely busy summer, and one filled with remarkable experiences. For tour boat operators and land-based whale watchers alike in eastern Newfoundland, it's been the Summer of the Whales -- a summer of flipper-waving, spyhopping, tail-lobbing, barrel-rolling, breaching excitement. In a word, wow!

The whales have been cavorting around the Avalon Peninsula and in Bonavista and Trinity Bays,

and each week's adventures around those areas with Wildland Tours have been enriched by memorable encounters with humpbacks. It seems as though every trip with Sea of Whales Adventures, O'Brien's Boat Tours, or Captain Wayne's Marine Excursions has produced a bumper crop of sightings and photo opportunities, and the sightings just keep on coming. The weather has been outstanding, too, with brilliant sunshine, warm temperatures and

evenings filled with golden light -- all the better to record the interaction with the whales. It's early August now, and although the seabird population is beginning to diminish as the birds leave for another season, the whale encounters show no signs of slowing down. I know for certain that it's a great year to be a whale watcher in eastern Newfoundland, and judging by all the cetacean activity going on along our shores, I think it must be a great year to be a whale!

For the Love of Whales

Wayne Maloney of Bay Bulls, NL is an admitted whale-aholic -- at least that's how he puts it. He's addicted to the big cetaceans that make their way to the shores of Newfoundland and Labrador every summer to feed. Wayne's been operating the boats that go out whale watching from Bay Bulls for close to thirty years. He's the son of boatbuilder Gene Maloney, so when he found himself in a position to start a whale watching

business of his own, the question of where he'd get a suitable boat wasn't difficult: he'd build it. And build it he did -- from the keel up, and from a design that incorporated a "wish list" that was many years in the making. Countless hours were spent poring over plans to get the lines just right, and the details of the deck layout complete. Theatre seating would allow for excellent forward-facing viewing, and the aft cockpit would mean uninterrupted sightlines for those on board. The shot above shows this beautiful boat, christened

Blackfish 1, in progress. He'd be the first to tell you he didn't do it all himself; he's quick to give credit to the good friends who lent a hand, a strong back, or a heaping helping of moral support. Their assistance just helped to spur on the inevitable, though, since this is a man who was born to the water and who has what seems to be uncanny whale sense. He's studied humpbacks and their habits for years, and it's paid off in a knowledge of whale psychology that's remarkable to see in action. It's all based on a deep-seated respect for the whales, and for observing their interaction without intrusion. In addition to the humpbacks that arrive in the area in midsummer, there are minkes, fin whales, dolphins, occasional visiting pods of orcas on the hunt, countless seabirds to be seen on the islands of the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve and miles of spectacular coastal scenery. Wayne and Blackfish 1 are now in business as Captain Wayne's Marine Excursions, and can be found on the Northside Road in Bay Bulls, NL.

The Whales of Summer

Imagine being in the place where the world's largest gathering of humpback whales takes place every summer. The waters off Newfoundland and Labrador are rich in phytoplankton, providing nutrients for zooplankton and in turn huge numbers of caplin, a small member of the smelt family. It's the presence of these caplin that brings the whales from their winter breeding ground off the Dominican Republic to this prime summer feeding ground. The humpback's scientific name, Megaptera novaeangliae, translates to "big-winged New Englander" --

a reference to the massive pectoral flippers that are roughly one-third as long as the whale's body. These fins or flippers are used for steering rather than propulsion; in the North Atlantic both the underside and upper surface of the pectoral flippers are white, making them easy to spot through the water. Humpbacks are baleen whales, filtering their food from the water with massive parallel baleen plates that hang suspended from the palate; the inner surface of this baleen shreds into coarse bristles that make the filter more efficient. The whale takes in a mouthful of water and food

such as caplin, then expels the water through these baleen plates leaving only the food behind. This food must be small, since the whale's throat opening is smaller in diameter than a grapefruit. Humpbacks and other baleen whales have a very informal social structure, unlike many toothed whales like orcas and dolphins; they often travel in company with other whales, but not in highly organized pods or family groups. In areas with high concentrations of food, though, they can often be observed feeding cooperatively, working together to herd the schools of caplin into tighter groups

before lunging up through them with mouths agape to feast at this mobile buffet. Organized whale-watching tours by boat can be found in many parts of Newfoundland and Labrador, but excellent land-based whale watching is possible from spots like Signal Hill in St. John's, the cliffs at Cape St. Mary's, Cape Pine, or Twillingate, the beach at St. Vincent's on St. Mary's Bay, and viewing areas like Fishing Point in St. Anthony, to name just a few. The best time for whale watching in Newfoundland and Labrador stretches from late June until early August, although it's possible to see whales from spring through fall. Individual whales can be identified by the markings on the underside of their tails; more about this identification process can be found at Atlantic Whales.