We were up and off the boat just after it docked in Icy Strait Point. Dressed warmly and in layers, we all piled onto the boat that would take us out into the open ocean. We secured our seats inside on the lower deck (it was still pretty hazy and cold out) ...
and promptly tried out our binoculars to see if we could spot anything...
But there was nothing to see in this cloud covered haze.
So, we waited a bit for the haze to burn off but it wasn't going anywhere fast. We went upstairs and outside to see if there was better viewing...
To no avail. The captain tried a few of his tried and true viewing spots but the whales just weren't there. So we enjoyed the fresh air and the company for awhile.
And then went back inside to warm up - with a beer - at 10 am...
Some kept a vigilant watch out for whales and some played video games on their phones. I won't name names.
And then, out of the blue, screams of excitement and the entire boat tipped to port. I was already back upstairs with a few of the others so we just shifted our bodies with the masses and lo and behold we saw it - the telltale mist cloud that signified the whales were close by.
{And here is where I tell you all I have learned about Humpback whales and their very unique Bubble-net feeding method. If all you want is pictures, scroll down...}
Humpback whales are very solitary creatures and, in that regard, they tend to feed alone. By instinct, they surface feed by a method called lunging which is exactly what it sounds like. They dive down deep, open their mouths and quickly rise to the surface with a mouth full of krill, salmon, and herring. They breach the surface, expel the excess water and go back under to do it again. And they do this for about 22 hours a day for 6 months in the cold waters off the coasts of Alaska and Antarctica before migrating to warmer waters to breed, and fast, for the next six months. But what does that have to do with bubble-net feeding you ask? Not much except that ALL humpback whales exhibit this same pattern of eating, migrating and fasting. But only a few do their feeding by bubble-netting.
Bubble-net feeding is very uncommon. And it is only done by Humpback whales. And it must be taught to them as babies because it is not instinctual to them. It requires a Mama that wants to teach and a baby willing to learn because if one of those isn't present they will just feed by instinct for the duration of their lives. So what is the difference?
In bubble-net feeding, the whales gather in groups of anywhere up to 60. They then use vocalizations to communicate with each other to effectively create a net of bubbles around a large group of fish. As the group circles a school of fish, one whale will exhale out of their blowhole and then another will follow, and then another. They do this while circling around the fish creating a "net" of bubbles that the fish cannot escape. Depending on how many whales there are in the group this net can be up to 30 meters (100 ft) in diameter. Once the net is complete, one whale sounds a feeding call and they all swim to the surface at the same time, mouths open, swallowing fish and up to 15,000 gallons of seawater. How? The 14-35 throat grooves that run from chin to belly button which can expand to allow maximum capacity. They then use their baleen plates (almost like their teeth since they don't have any) to strain out the water as they surface so that they can hold more food. It is an extremely advanced way to feed and unique to the humpback whale.
We were super lucky to find a Mama teaching her baby how to bubble-net feed. (Our guide said they had not encountered this before!)
Now - the pictures...
{And here is where I tell you all I have learned about Humpback whales and their very unique Bubble-net feeding method. If all you want is pictures, scroll down...}
Humpback whales are very solitary creatures and, in that regard, they tend to feed alone. By instinct, they surface feed by a method called lunging which is exactly what it sounds like. They dive down deep, open their mouths and quickly rise to the surface with a mouth full of krill, salmon, and herring. They breach the surface, expel the excess water and go back under to do it again. And they do this for about 22 hours a day for 6 months in the cold waters off the coasts of Alaska and Antarctica before migrating to warmer waters to breed, and fast, for the next six months. But what does that have to do with bubble-net feeding you ask? Not much except that ALL humpback whales exhibit this same pattern of eating, migrating and fasting. But only a few do their feeding by bubble-netting.
Bubble-net feeding is very uncommon. And it is only done by Humpback whales. And it must be taught to them as babies because it is not instinctual to them. It requires a Mama that wants to teach and a baby willing to learn because if one of those isn't present they will just feed by instinct for the duration of their lives. So what is the difference?
In bubble-net feeding, the whales gather in groups of anywhere up to 60. They then use vocalizations to communicate with each other to effectively create a net of bubbles around a large group of fish. As the group circles a school of fish, one whale will exhale out of their blowhole and then another will follow, and then another. They do this while circling around the fish creating a "net" of bubbles that the fish cannot escape. Depending on how many whales there are in the group this net can be up to 30 meters (100 ft) in diameter. Once the net is complete, one whale sounds a feeding call and they all swim to the surface at the same time, mouths open, swallowing fish and up to 15,000 gallons of seawater. How? The 14-35 throat grooves that run from chin to belly button which can expand to allow maximum capacity. They then use their baleen plates (almost like their teeth since they don't have any) to strain out the water as they surface so that they can hold more food. It is an extremely advanced way to feed and unique to the humpback whale.
We were super lucky to find a Mama teaching her baby how to bubble-net feed. (Our guide said they had not encountered this before!)
Now - the pictures...
We learned quickly that where there were birds there were the whales as they eat the fish that escape their jaws.
This is the hump of the Humpback.
On the left are the bubbles rising to the surface. Another telltale sign that the whales will be surfacing (as they are here).
A close up of the spout (right) and hump (left).
This is Baby and Mama. Baby is on the left with her mouth open to the side. You can see the grooves in her neck on the far left and she has a mouthful of water. Mama is on the right with her mouth open.
Don't know if this is Mama or baby but it shows the underside of her chin, mouth closed, just before her expansion grooves start.
On the right, she is still gathering fish in her open mouth.
Expelling the excess water.
Mouths wide open for both of them! On the left her upper jaw is straight up in the air and on the left she is on her side mouth wide open (she is the baby).
Another look at how those mouths close (and the baleen plates used to filter seawater from fish). And another look at the baby's neck grooves.
A final look as we sail away.
To say it was thrilling is an understatement!!! And they weren't the last whales we would see as we watched a bunch playing in the water right off the side of the ship which we watched from Nana and Grampa's balcony.
Though this is all we got for pictures since no one had a real camera :)
But back to our boat trip...
Whale watching exhausted this one.
We pulled up to the dock...
Walked the ramp directly into the restaurant and ordered this...
Bloody Mary was great - the seafood I left up to the others.
We toured the town for a bit and picked up our souvenirs (magnets and snowglobes) and hit the ship as a swim was promised and I needed some downtime after the early morning (and a quick run). We all met up for dinner (and the pre-dinner drink in Nana and Grampa's room) and then some of us went to kids club for the pirate night...
And most of us hit up the bar for our nightly shot...
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