Notes From The Tarquin

06/02/2024

Good news from the Virginian Coast!

05/31/2024

5-30-24: The weather was ideal for a water tour, with partly sunny conditions and a high of 59 degrees. It was good to get out on the water after a long winter! Our first stop was the Old Sow whirlpool, which did not disappoint. We had a big vortex just off of Deer Island Point (Old Sow herself) along with a smattering of “piglets.” In terms of wildlife encounters, the trip was dominated by bald eagles. Our first eagle sightings were on Pope Island, where we observed two adult birds attending a nest. A crow was buzzing one of the adult birds, which completely ignored the swooping corvid. We saw another two eagles perched on the Black Rock ledge marker, and another adult near a nest with a chick on Spruce Island at the top of Head Harbor Passage. The other birds worth noting were large numbers of black guillemots--they seemed to be everywhere today. We had a few marine mammal sightings as well, the first being several gray and harbor seals on the north end of Casco Bay Island, and a few harbor porpoises just off the Head Harbor Lighthouse. No whales yet; it is still a bit early for them, but sightings are always a possibility.

Best,
John Delaney
Naturalist

02/18/2024

Celebrating with a classic: Songs of the Humpback Whale. Produced in 1970, the album made the charts, won supporters and helped to launch a conservation movement that continues to this day. It also changed public perceptions about whales. It’s safe to say that most people now view humpback whales and other whale species as magnificent, intelligent animals with culture and intrinsic value. May our oceans always resonate with the songs of whales.

01/28/2024

Hope springs eternal: another North Atlantic right whale calf is born. That is number #16 for the 2023-24 calving season.

01/18/2024

Fourteen right whale calves so far..

01/04/2024

Number 9.

01/01/2024

More good news for North Atlantic right whales: calves #7 & #8. Happy New Year!

12/29/2023

Calf #6.

We've just received word of the sixth right whale calf sighting of the season! 🐋 Right whale mother Halo and calf were seen on December 28, east of Cumberland Island, Georgia. Halo is 19 years old and this is her third documented calf.

Photo credit: Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute, taken under NOAA permit #26919. Funding source: GADNR and NOAA Fisheries.

12/24/2023

Good news on Christmas eve: right whale calf #5 sighted.

11/29/2023

Great news from southern waters. Researchers have sighted the first North Atlantic right whale calf of the 2023-24 calving season. More details below.

09/11/2023

9-10-23: Earlier forecasts of rain gave way to mostly clear skies, glassy-smooth water, and low 60-degree temperatures, all of which made for a pleasant trip on the Tarquin. At Friar’s Head, we were treated to the sight of an eagle on top of the Old Friar with a great blue heron at the Friar’s feet. Further up the passage, we spotted an osprey in a tree with another great blue heron near the water. We later saw five great blue herons along the Campobello coastline. At the top of Head Harbor Passage, we caught a few glimpses of a distant minke whale headed in the other direction. The passengers had close-up views of several pods of harbor porpoises breaking through the surprisingly calm surface waters of the Bay of Fundy. From there, we headed to Black Rock, where we found eight gray seals, and then Sandy Ledge, where more than 40 harbor seals were basking on the rocks. On the way back to port, we saw more great blue herons, a white-tailed deer on Indian Island, and an osprey hitting the water in a feet-first dive for fish.

Many thanks to our passengers for joining us on a great day on the water. Call 207-733-2009 for reservations on the Tarquin.

Best,
John Delaney
Naturalist and First Mate on the Tarquin

09/08/2023

9-8-23: This morning’s foggy weather necessitated an hour delay as we waited for better visibility. The mist lingered for some time, but we still managed to see a few common loons and a perched bald eagle at Friar’s Head. The great bird sightings continued with an osprey in a spruce tree near the entrance of Harbor de Lute on Campobello Island. The fog started to burn off as the sun climbed over the passage. We had lots of marine mammal sightings, with dozens of harbor porpoises, 12 gray seals hauled out on the Black Rock Ledge, 8 harbor seals on the north end of Green Island, and about 18 seals (probably harbor but too distant to be certain) on the Sandy Ledge beach area. One noteworthy sight: hundreds of northern gannets soaring high over the water just beyond Head Harbor Lighthouse in the Bay of Fundy. Such beautiful birds, and somewhat archaic looking. We also managed to find a minke whale, the individual known as “Topsail”—so called because of the whale’s high dorsal fin.

Thanks to our passengers for their patience and enthusiasm. Join us tomorrow if you can—call 207-733-2009 for reservations.

Best,
John Delaney
Naturalist and First Mate of the Tarquin

09/08/2023

9-7-23: Our excursion started with bald eagles and shifted to searching for whales on the Bay of Fundy just beyond Head Harbor Lighthouse. We soon found a fin whale, which we observed for a few minutes before spotting another whale, this time a humpback. We followed the humpback towards the lighthouse, where we got good views of the animal as it lifted its tail flukes on its terminal dives. From there, we went to Black Rock to see gray seals. We then ended our tour with a stop at the Old Sow whirlpool, and managed to see a white-tailed deer on Indian Island on the way there.

A big thank you to our passengers for coming out with us. Call 207-733-2009 for reservations.

Best,
John Delaney
Naturalist and First Mate of the Tarquin

09/06/2023

9-6-23: Another beautiful day in Lubec with temperatures in the low 70s. Our first wildlife sighting was an unusual one: a belted kingfisher on the southern tip of Pope’s Folly. We then traveled straight to the top of Head Harbor Passage in search of whales, but we were unable to find any there. There are no guarantees when it comes to observing nature, but we can usually find harbor porpoises, and today was no different. We saw lots of them up and down the passage. As we headed down Quoddy River, we found two gray seals swimming off the ledge at Black Rock. We then observed two bald eagles on Green Island, one of which swooped out over the water and caught a fish (likely a mackerel). The eagle then landed back on Green Island, and then flew over to the Sandy Ledge marker where it swallowed the fish whole. We then observed 27 harbor seals on the Sandy Ledge beach. Still, we had yet to see any whales. Our last stop was Old Sow, where we saw lots of turbulence, swirling eddies, and—at long last—a whale on the outskirts of the whirlpool. It was a minke whale, and the passengers got good views of the animal before it disappeared. One whale is better than none, and even better when combined with the Western Hemisphere’s largest whirlpool.

More fun tomorrow, and who knows what we’ll see. Call 207-733-2009 for reservations.

Best,
John Delaney
Naturalist and First Mate of the Tarquin

09/05/2023

9-5-23: The mercury passed 70 degrees today as the Tarquin left port under clear skies. First stop was at Old Sow, where our passengers got impressive sights of the roiling waters and spinning vortices of the Western Hemisphere’s largest whirlpool. From there, we crossed Friar Roads and reached Windmill Point before we spotted our first whale, a minke, across the passage by Thumbcap Island. We managed to get several good looks at the animal before it submerged and remained unseen. We saw several pods of harbor porpoises as we made our trip north, stopping at Black Rock to look at a few gray seals along the way. We steamed past Spruce Island, looking for larger whales. We finally spotted the long dark back of a fin whale about a half mile away. Seeing the world’s second largest animal species is always a privilege, and our passengers seemed impressed with the sight. We spent a good half hour with the whale before heading back to Campobello Island for a lighthouse photo-op. We had some good bird sightings on the way back, including an osprey dive-bombing a bald eagle and two 3-year-old bald eagles sparring with one another on the wing.

More fun tomorrow. Call 207-733-2009 for reservations.

Best,
John Delaney
Naturalist and First Mate of the Tarquin

09/02/2023

9-2-23: The good weather this week has continued with clear skies and temperatures in the 60s. The highlight of the day was a toss-up between a phenomenal encounter with two fin whales beyond Head Harbor Lighthouse in the early afternoon, and an Old Sow Whirlpool adventure in the morning. Regarding Old Sow, the whirlpool was at its full strength due to gravitational effects of the full super moon on the earth’s oceans. The passengers on the Tarquin had great views of Old Sow’s spinning vortices and roiling water. The difference in water level from the middle of Western Passage and the surging brine just offshore from Deer Island looked to be about five feet. And then there were the fin whales swimming side-by-side where Head Harbor Passage meets the Bay of Fundy. We spotted the spouts some distance away and realized there were two animals when they started surfacing together. Such a thrill to see such beautiful animals, also the second largest animal species on earth. One of the animals surfaced just off the stern, its white lower right jaw and chevron markings clearly visible, and dove under the boat. Great encounters, and on the way back in the two whales seemed to be keeping pace with the Tarquin at about 12 knots (no problem for a fin whale, the “greyhound of the sea.”) Other highlights included gray seals, northern gannets diving into the water after fish, and a few minke whales on the way back to Lubec, including Slice.

Thanks to everyone for joining us today. If you’d like to come out on one of our tours, call 207-733-2009 for reservations.

Best,
John Delaney
Naturalist and First Mate of the Tarquin

09/02/2023

9-1-23: Perfect weather for today's excursion, which started among the swirling eddies and turbulent waters of the Old Sow whirlpool a day after full moon. Besides Old Sow, the highlights of the day were the whales. We usually see minke whales on our tours, but today we saw the two larger species: the fin and the humpback. We saw a fin whale in the morning (an animal known by the name Nickfin, a return visitor) and two fins in the afternoon. We also got great views of a humpback whale. I did not recognize the tail markings on the animal--it's one I've not seen before. Also saw bald eagles, great blue herons, lots of Bonaparte's gulls, and a few common loons.

A big thank you to the passengers who joined us today. Call 207-733-2009 for reservations.

Best,
John Delaney
Naturalist and First Mate of the Tarquin

08/31/2023

Tonight’s press coverage on the great white shark feeding on a whale carcass by Campobello Island. The CBC’s Shane Fowler spoke with Mr. Paul Keller and Captain Ralph Dennison of Downeast Charter Boat Tours in Lubec, Maine.

You never know what you’ll see on the Tarquin. Call 207-733-2009 for reservations.

John Delaney
Naturalist and First Mate on the Tarquin

Paul Keller first thought he was hearing water splashing upon a rock. Turns out it was a great white shark splashing about as it tore into a whale carcass.

08/31/2023

Posting another great video from 8-28, location Windmill Point on Campobello Island. The video shows a great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), the world’s largest predatory fish, feeding on a floating whale carcass. The spectacle was observed by the crew and passengers of the Tarquin on that day. This video was taken from shore by Paul Keller, who has kindly shared his video with us for posting on “Notes from the Tarquin.”

John Delaney
Naturalist and First Mate for the Tarquin

08/29/2023

8-28-23 & 8-29-23: Yesterday my colleagues Captain Ralph Dennison and Meredith Huntley witnessed something extraordinary: white sharks feeding on a floating whale carcass (most likely a minke whale). I was not onboard myself. The initial sighting was made near Campobello Island’s Windmill Point, where the crew and passengers of the Tarquin first spotted the carcass with a few white sharks taking advantage of an enormous windfall of energy-rich food. They later spotted the same carcass near Head Harbor Lighthouse with an even larger white shark near the deceased whale. On today’s trip, one of our passengers—Paul Keller—showed us a video he had taken from shore of the carcass and a passing shark; he has graciously allowed us to post his video.

We did not see sharks or the carcass today, but our excursion boasted several highlights, including more than 59 harbor and gray seals hauled out on Sandy Ledge, more seals than I have ever seen in a single spot in this region. We also saw eight bald eagles, lots of harbor porpoises, and an initially elusive minke whale that we finally got a few good views of after a 20-minute effort at the end of Head Harbor Passage.

No trips scheduled for Wednesday, August 30th due to the rainy forecast. Call 207-733-2009 for reservations for Thursday and the rest of the week.

Best,
John Delaney
Naturalist and First Mate of the Tarquin

08/25/2023

8-24-23: Another beautiful, sunny day, which we have learned not to take for granted. The temperatures remained in the 60s all day. The big news of the day was seeing a humpback whale beyond Head Harbor Lighthouse, the Tarquin’s third sighting of the species this season. We received a tip on the whale early, so we made our way straight up Head Harbor Passage, past nine harbor seals and two minke whales we would ordinarily pay more attention to. Eventually, we found our whale, an individual known as Hashtag, so called because the animal actually has markings that resemble a hashtag (or pound sign) on the underside of its tail. We had several sightings and a few views of its tail as the whale sounded. We also had several great encounters with minke whales, our most abundant whale species in the waters around Lubec and Campobello Island. We had a minke suddenly surface 20 feet off our starboard side by Windmill Point, followed by another sighting of a minke whale at the northern end of Indian River. Besides whales, the visits to Old Sow continued, and our visit to the whirlpool today was greatly appreciated by our passengers as they watched the turbulence and spinning vortices. Other sights included a few bald eagles, great blue herons, and a feeding frenzy in the passage that included harbor porpoises and two species of gull (herring and great black-backed).

As of tonight, no trips are scheduled for Friday, August 25 due to inclement weather. Call 207-733-2009 for reservations later in the week.

Best,
John Delaney
Naturalist and First Mate of the Tarquin

08/23/2023

8-23-23. The great weather on Head Harbor Passage continued today with another wonderful, blue-sky day for the Tarquin and her passengers. Besides the great conditions, there were three big highlights worth noting up front. The first was a chance encounter with a harbor seal and a freshly caught flounder. We stopped the boat and actually backed up to get a better look, and the seal made it easier by closing the distance with us as it chewed into the fish. It was immensely rewarding to observe a wild marine mammal feeding for more than 10 minutes. The next highlight: a rare encounter with an ocean sunfish (or mola mola) just offshore by the Pier Waterfront beach on Campobello Island. Captain Ralph spotted the dorsal fin and its distinctive side-to-side sculling motion. We attempted a closer approach but the fish soon dove out of sight. I managed a few images of the dorsal. The third highlight was a rewarding visit to the Old Sow Whirlpool, where the power of the Bay of Fundy tides is on dramatic display in the form of churning seawater and swirling vortices. The whirlpool was surprisingly active for a quarter-moon neap tide cycle (as opposed to a spring tide, when the combined gravity of the sun and moon produces the highest tidal range).

The other sights of the day included minke whales by Windmill Point on Campobello Island and Casco Bay Island; we spotted Slice—the region’s most famous minke whale—at the latter location and watched her as she surfaced several times. We had bald eagle sightings on Campobello and Deer Island, along with encounters with more than a dozen pods of harbor porpoises, by far the most numerous cetacean within our tour area.

Many thanks to the folks who joined us today. If you’re interested in coming out on the Tarquin, you can call 207-733-2009 for reservations.

Best,
John Delaney
Naturalist and First Mate on the Tarquin