There are five predominant species of cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) known to be present in the Bay of Fundy. These are the harbour porpoise, the north Atlantic right whale, the minke whale, the fin whale and the humpback whale.
Throughout the summer of 2009 here at Whale Camp, the campers were treated to amazing encounters with all 5 species, from both the Days Catch and the Elsie Menota whale watching trips, and also from the land.
It was a fantastic opportunity for all the campers to learn so much about the diversity in the Bay and to experience these amazing creatures up close. From learning about these animals in the classroom to seeing them and putting into practise their newly aquired knowledge and skills in identification, 2009 was a very promising year for whale education! The campers also learned all about the great tides of the Bay of Fundy and how influential these are in predicting where the whales will be at particular times of the day and being able to explain why the whales are where they are when we see them.
MINKE WHALESThroughout the summer of 2009 here at Whale Camp, the campers were treated to amazing encounters with all 5 species, from both the Days Catch and the Elsie Menota whale watching trips, and also from the land.
It was a fantastic opportunity for all the campers to learn so much about the diversity in the Bay and to experience these amazing creatures up close. From learning about these animals in the classroom to seeing them and putting into practise their newly aquired knowledge and skills in identification, 2009 was a very promising year for whale education! The campers also learned all about the great tides of the Bay of Fundy and how influential these are in predicting where the whales will be at particular times of the day and being able to explain why the whales are where they are when we see them.
The minke whale is one of the smallest of the baleen whales and is seen commonly in the waters around Grand Manan. One of the best viewing points for these animals is from Long Eddy Point up at the north of the island. Minke whales were seen regularly throughout the season.
The students and campers had many close encounters with all the different cetaceans of the Bay of Fundy this summer. Here, those on the Elsie Menota are treated to a minke whale foraging near the boat up at the north end of the island as the tide turned.
Minke whales commonly feed up at the north end of the island during the peak flood tides (when the waters are flooding into the bay, leading to high tides). Here, the waters that go around the east and west of the island meet and mix, churning up nutrients from the sea floor and creating an area of very high productivity.
NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALES
The north Atlantic right whale is the rarest of the large cetaceans in the world. The population was seriously depleted by commercial whaling and today the remaining animals, although heavily protected, are still facing many threats including increased boat traffic in their critical habitat areas.
While out on the Elsie Menota, we are proveliged enough to have onboard Laurie Murison, a renowned right whale researcher. Having Laurie around provides a fantastic opportunity for the campers to learn as much as possible about this population of whales, and also learn about what has been done and what is being done to protect them and try to restore the population. At present, there are thought to be around 300 north Atlantic right whales left in the world.
While out on the Elsie Menota, we are proveliged enough to have onboard Laurie Murison, a renowned right whale researcher. Having Laurie around provides a fantastic opportunity for the campers to learn as much as possible about this population of whales, and also learn about what has been done and what is being done to protect them and try to restore the population. At present, there are thought to be around 300 north Atlantic right whales left in the world.
Right whales show their tail flukes like this when they are taking a longer dive. The peduncle, or tail stock, is one of the strongest muscles in the whales body and is used to enable the animal to get deeper underwater. Many whales, including the humpback whale (see below) take a series of shorter dives at the surface to replensih their oxygen stores in preparation for a longer dive.
HUMPBACK WHALES
Humpback whales are one of the most fascinating whale species to many people, notably due to their agility and behaviour at the surface. This summer we were fortunate enough to witness humpback whales breaching, where they launch their whole body out of the water and smack down on the surface, tail lobbing, where they smack their tails on the water surface and flipper/ pectoral slapping.
Tail slapping is thought to be used as a sound production mechanism for the whale underwater. Sound has different properties underwater than in air, it travels faster and further, thus the loudness of the slapping can be used as an indicator of the whales size and maybe dominance.
FIN WHALES
Fin whales are the second largest animals in the world, after the blue whale. They are seen commonly in the Bay of Fundy in the summer when they come and utilise the productivity caused by the huge tides. Groups of as many as 10 fin whales were seen regularly this summer, a grouping unique to the Bay of Fundy. Fin whales are usually much more elusive and rarely seen in groups greater than three animals.
The blow of the fin whale is used to spot groups of whales from quite a distance. A blow like those of the fin whales is produced when the animals come to the surface to breathe.
HARBOUR PORPOISE
The harbour porpoise is the smallest of the cetacean species to be found in the Bay of Fundy. These small little creatures were seen regularly throughout the summer and became a massive favourite of the campers. On nearly every whale watching trip we were met by groups of harbour porpoise.
The harbour porpoise is the smallest of the cetacean species to be found in the Bay of Fundy. These small little creatures were seen regularly throughout the summer and became a massive favourite of the campers. On nearly every whale watching trip we were met by groups of harbour porpoise.
For more information about the marine mammals of the Bay of Fundy, follow this link to the Grand Manan Whale and Seabirf Research Station.
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