Le Conte Bay and Petersburg
Captain Graves made a very early announcement that whales were near the ship as daylight first filled the canyons and valleys, and a warm glow lit a tiny distant cloud. Humpbacks broke the glassy water and blows hung on the still air. Even if you were too late to see the whale, one could tell where it had been from the lingering mist. A cow and calf took shallow dives, so we had many chances to observe them. There is perhaps no view more beautiful than when water runs down flukes and cascades into the sea.
The next announcement before breakfast came from our Expedition Leader, “We are approaching a killer whale”. The individual was a male with a bent-over dorsal fin. He dove for about five minutes and then surfaced near enough to our ship to give us great views. During the time when killer whales were captured for aquariums and sea-life parks, many biologists became concerned about whether wild populations could withstand the number of whales being harvested. In the 1970’s researchers photographed the dorsal fin and light-colored saddle patch to form a record of nicks, scratches, and tears that was unique to each animal. This information can be used like fingerprints to identify individuals. After 30 years of careful research, most of the 1200 killer whales up and down our coastline have been photo-identified and are individually recognizable. The animal in this photograph is T40. He was first described in 1962. The “T” designation means that he is a transient killer whale, a type that eats only marine mammals and an occasional bird. T40 spends most of his time in Southeast Alaska but has been as far away as the southern tip of Vancouver Island. He has traveling companions but is usually found by himself. A bent-over dorsal fin typically means that the whale has gone through some type of stress. Once the fibrous tissue bends over, it will never straighten to its former height. This condition is sometimes seen in captive animals.
After breakfast we explored the field of grounded icebergs at Le Conte Bay. Many of these blue cathedrals towered over the Zodiacs as we timidly wound our way through their precarious heights. Our afternoon was filled with flightseeing by helicopters and floatplanes, hikes to muskegs, and a walk around town and the docks. Later in the evening we listened to a gill netter explain her trade, then feasted on fresh Dungeness crab and ribs. After dinner Andy Szabo from the Alaska Whale Foundation told us of his research and adventures with humpbacks.
Captain Graves made a very early announcement that whales were near the ship as daylight first filled the canyons and valleys, and a warm glow lit a tiny distant cloud. Humpbacks broke the glassy water and blows hung on the still air. Even if you were too late to see the whale, one could tell where it had been from the lingering mist. A cow and calf took shallow dives, so we had many chances to observe them. There is perhaps no view more beautiful than when water runs down flukes and cascades into the sea.
The next announcement before breakfast came from our Expedition Leader, “We are approaching a killer whale”. The individual was a male with a bent-over dorsal fin. He dove for about five minutes and then surfaced near enough to our ship to give us great views. During the time when killer whales were captured for aquariums and sea-life parks, many biologists became concerned about whether wild populations could withstand the number of whales being harvested. In the 1970’s researchers photographed the dorsal fin and light-colored saddle patch to form a record of nicks, scratches, and tears that was unique to each animal. This information can be used like fingerprints to identify individuals. After 30 years of careful research, most of the 1200 killer whales up and down our coastline have been photo-identified and are individually recognizable. The animal in this photograph is T40. He was first described in 1962. The “T” designation means that he is a transient killer whale, a type that eats only marine mammals and an occasional bird. T40 spends most of his time in Southeast Alaska but has been as far away as the southern tip of Vancouver Island. He has traveling companions but is usually found by himself. A bent-over dorsal fin typically means that the whale has gone through some type of stress. Once the fibrous tissue bends over, it will never straighten to its former height. This condition is sometimes seen in captive animals.
After breakfast we explored the field of grounded icebergs at Le Conte Bay. Many of these blue cathedrals towered over the Zodiacs as we timidly wound our way through their precarious heights. Our afternoon was filled with flightseeing by helicopters and floatplanes, hikes to muskegs, and a walk around town and the docks. Later in the evening we listened to a gill netter explain her trade, then feasted on fresh Dungeness crab and ribs. After dinner Andy Szabo from the Alaska Whale Foundation told us of his research and adventures with humpbacks.
