What a working streak we have here. We have been sampling non-stop for three days now, as it should be. Impressive! The skies have mostly been gray, but the seas have been calm, and that is what matters. I hope the mini lesson on density did not scare you from reading the journal.
Today's highlight was what appeared to be a family of humpback whales on starboard (the right side of the boat when facing forward). They seemed very small for being humpbacks, maybe they were all juveniles after all. They are smaller than the ones I have seen in the tropical Pacific Ocean and North Atlantic Ocean. The identifying keys still point to humpbacks, as I describe below. Do let me know if you can prove they are another type of whales.
An adult and two young humpback whales, There were more whales on the pod. The small dorsal fin with a broad base are characteristic of humpbacks.
We were having lunch as the trace metals rosette was on its way down when a crew member came to tell us there were whales out there. We sprang from our seats towards the mess hall's tiny portholes. The whales also seemed to be having their lunch, and very close to us! I left my plates, went for the camera, got a coat and went outside. By then they had started to move towards the stern (rearmost part of the boat). It was incredible to see them all together.
At times they would swim straight forward, alternating coming out for a breath of air, and at other times they would stop an splash the water in a circle. Humpbacks are known for fishing as a group. Some will dive and blow bubbles as they swim in a circle. This creates a curtain of bubbles that traps the fish. The whales then surface with their mouths open to catch the fish. I have seen them do this in the coast of Massachusetts and it is quite a spectalce. These where not feeding like that, perhaps they were feeding on some patches of krill.
Here is the fluke of one of the small ones as it makes a shallow dive. When a humpback does a deep dive, more of the body comes out of the water and the tail is straighter up before it submerges.
Humpback flukes have serrated edges and a unique black and white pattern on the underside that can be used for identifying individuals.
Humpbacks have what is described as a flattened, knobby rostrum (part above the mouth and in front of the blow hole). This picture is not great, but if you pay great attention you will see the knobs on the rostrum on the one on the left, and a bit of the ones on the right coming out of the water.
Two humpback whales. The one in the foreground has the mouth visible and the one int he back is barely emerging from the water.
Some whales have what is known as the splashguard in front of the blowhole. Humpback's is pretty visible, as you can see in this picture.
A humpback's blowhole and splashguard on the foreground, and a bit of a whales rostrum on the back
The whales went around the boat, so by the time the 'abandon ship drill' rolled at 12:30 pm they where at the bow. We had to say good bye, and here is one that appears to respond with its flipper. The knobby long flippers are another humpback characteristic.
Humpback's have long knobby flippers.
It was great seeing a family of these great animals with whom we share our world. I should not place human feelings on them, but they seemed so calm and easy going. They were definitively in their element.
Talking about families, here I am working on my corner of the dry lab. I just connected the large monitor and realized that I now have two backgrounds!
My command control center with my double alternating family background.
Today we start advancing our clocks one hour. We will not change the day, so we are still a day ahead of the US, but will be one hour closer to your than we were before the change. Eventually the time will slow for us and we will have a day twice so you guys can catch up with us. I just hope it will not be a day with bad seas.