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Wednesday, August 25
New entry posted Friday Aug 26th, 9:30am ET
Journal Entry
Alexis Somerton
Oh my gosh, today was awesome, it was better then awesome, it was unreal! Barb, Geoff, Richard, Jackson, Heather and I went out in the zodiac to try and get a close look at a blue whale for id photos, and we so got more then what we bargained for. We where out for over three hours and in that time things happened that are so incredible that it is hard to believe that it happened. We definitely took some great id photos of the blue whale fluking, it fluked 2 or 3 times, which was so amazing in itself. We went in to get a biopsy sample (shot an arrow into it with a crossbow, the arrow bounces off though) and we where so close we where only about two meters away. I was scared that it was going to fluke with us on its tail and catapult us into Never Never Land.
We saw so many White Striped Dolphins, there was probably close to 30 or 35 hunting for fish around us. I kept thinking out loud about how in films the dolphins swim up and hit the boat but these ones didn't seem interested. Soon after they came in very close, they are extremely fast creatures and at points reminded me of sharks. After all those amazing occurrences we saw a Humpback logging, that means that it was sleeping. People call it logging because they look like logs floating in the water. We came up to it quietly but the engine still woke it up and it dove down. Then it came up and was so close to us, I was holding on tight to Heather giggling my head off, it went down then came up to us again circling us. It was so close and was bringing its tail really close to the boat. Richard told Heather and I that if it looks like its tail is going to hit the boat, to fall to the floor of the boat and get down as far, fast and hard as we can. It finally decided that we weren't to interesting so it swam off just a little tiny ways and went back to sleeping.
When we saw that it had gone back to sleep these other two shapes popped up right next to us, they where Harbour Porpoises sleeping too. With all the wildlife falling asleep around us we thought that it might just be time to head back in, but first we checked out a harbour to see if there was room for the Sedna to anchor for the night, there wasn't. After such an adventure on the high seas Heather and I climbed on board the Sedna, to warm up with hot chocolate and a delicious meal prepared by Lynn, and to write out our tale before we collapsed into bed.
I originally didn't want to go on the zodiac ride. I had just got off whale watching duty and was going to go eat. I felt like I had a massive pit in my stomach to fill when Geoff walked by told me to grab my stuff because I shouldn't miss the opportunity of a zodiac ride. So I grabbed Heather because she wasn't planning on going either. I am so glad that I did as Geoff said this was truly one of those once in a lifetime experience that people talk about.
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JOURNAL ENTRY
Wednesday, August 25
Heather Edmunds
Makkovik, Labrador
Here we are sailing on the Sedna, all very amazed to have finally seen the great blue whale! This trip is so amazing, getting to meet Geoff, Barb, Richard, the crew of the Sedna, the students that are here to explore the Gulf and see all these great animals (the whales).
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Today we all started our day very early when we arised to come and see the first blue whale that Richard spotted and we all stayed up to do our share for the whale watch and got to see a bit more of the whale but he didn't seem to cooperate with us. Later Geoff, Richard, Jackson, Barb, Alexis and I went in the Musculus to try and catch a closer look at the blue whale and get a sample of the whale's blubbler and skin, we actually got a real good look at the blue whale… we were like a metre away from it! It was so amazing to be that close to such a massive animal, Alexis and I were a bit frightened to be so close and to see Richard's look on his face, it was awesome…he looked so happy to get that sample!
On our way back to the Sedna we spotted a sleeping humpy (humpback whale) so we went slowly closer to see it and we woke it up, and it went under then surfaced again just on the side of us, which was very alarming, it did this a few times and it was scary at the moment, then when we got back to think about it, it was wicked to have this humpback whale right beside you, close enough that he can actually tip the Musculus to one side, (but like they told us humpback whales wouldn't do something like that). Richard was there telling us that if the fluke looked like it was going to come towards the Musculus we should get on the floor of the boat which sorta scared Alexis and I and gave us…scary thoughts…but the whale was calm enough and just wanted to check us out. Who wouldn't?..lol
Then we just stayed there watching the whale sleep and talked about it then Alexis spotted two sleeping Harbour Purpoises in the front of us, it made it seem like we were boring….like all the animals around us were just sleeping. Five minutes later we started up the Musculus and came back to the Sedna and the animals got a bit of a fright and dove under. Then just after we left we noticed that the humpy went back to sleep as a log again.
All-in-all the day was so wicked and awesome that I can't really explain it any other way but it was a blast! Also the weather we have been getting for this trip was great…except for maybe two days but that's something that is bound to happen to anyone so we've got it pretty good, I think that the weather is cooperating with us really well. We made the most out of those bad weather days though…we went to visit Bonaventure island to see the huge colony of Gannets and hiked around the island which took us around 4 hours! I'm not usually a walker but yesterday I was lovin' it…., and we also went to touch Perce Rock (you know the rock with the huge hole through it!!).
We also had time to go and check out the town of Perce which was great and we walked around and went SHOPPING which the girls loved. I'm not to sure about the boys though….one other thing the girls loved was just to be on land!!! (Esp. Alexis..right?)..lol Land seems to suit her more….
This trip was a great experience for me and I would advise anybody to join in whenever there is another Students On Ice Expedition. You would love it and it's great to meet Geoff!!!!(He's one of those right on kind of guys, right GEOFF? You know your great)…and you would also make new friends from all over and you guys can keep in touch with them make new plans to meet again!
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JOURNAL ENTRY
Wednesday, August 25
Jackson
Today's zodiac ride was one to never be forgotten. It started out normally, mostly an hour of playing hide and seek with a blue whale. Things got really interesting when we got within a mere ten metres of this magnificent creature and Geoff exclaimed this will probably be the closest I would ever get to the largest animal on this earth in my life. Boy was he wrong! We followed this particular blue whale for just under two hours, and by the end we had many fluke shots (yes this was one of those rare fluking blue whales you might have heard of) as well as shots of both sides of the animal. We ended up getting within two meters of the whale while Richard Sears shot it with a crossbow to take a biopsy. This may sound harsh but the small skin and blubber sample we take is nothing but a tiny pinprick for a behemoth such as the blue whale.
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During this cat and mouse like game of manoeuvering, one really gets a sense of the power of these animals, and when they fluke their majesticness comes into play as well. At one point during our quest a tourist boat approached us (it appears they saw the fluke from two miles distant and came to investigate) and we were afraid that they might distrub the whale but they were polite and kept their distance. I think this might have partially come from the fact that a small immature humpback approached them and distracted them for a time.
In the end we all went away happy, tourists, researchers and whale included. After having fully photographed to the best of our ability, we decided to pack it in (we were late for dinner after all). Alas we got sidetracked by a logging humpback. Logging is a term for whales that bob on the surface while sleeping/resting and they resemble logs when seen from a distance. When we passed by we aroused the animal from it's "slumber" and it decided to investigate us within meters. When it swam towards us it looked like a misshapen shark, as a horrible rendition of the jaws soundtrack ran through my mind. After a short time it went back to sleep and all of a sudden some harbour porpoises bobbed to the surface to our right. Were we that boring? Everything was going to sleep around us. I was just praying none decided to use the zodiac as a pillow!
After our encounter with the "loggers"we headed back to the Sedna which had move down the cost to the nearby town of Riviere-au-Renard. After a long day of adventuring, whale watching and a three-hour zodiac ride all I'm ready to do is a little logging my self. Well until tomorrow, night all.
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Earlier entries below
Thar She Blows!! JOURNAL ENTRY -Alexis Somerton
Wow we actually saw a blue whale! I know it was kind of the main point of the trip to see a Blue whale but I didn't actually expect to see one. We followed it all morning from 7am to around 10am. It never fluked, but it was huge it seemed like it's back would never end when it was diving. It had a lot of fresh scars including a big on its left and a big one down its back, almost certainly from entanglement with fishing gear. We where able to identify it too. Its name is Opera. Richard and his team first spotted it in 1981. Seeing it today is really important for the research data!! Phillip was the first to spot it and I was right beside him watching the other side of the ship for signs of whales when it blew.
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UPDATE by phone 11:00 am ET (Posted 11:45 am ET)
Geoff
Very exciting news! ... for the last few hours we have been able to stay with the BLUE WHALE we spotted earlier this morning and now have been able to positively photo identify it.
It ia a BLUE MALE named OPERA, first tagged in 1981. With Richard and his database we have been able to ascertain that this whale has never been seen in this section of the St. Lawrence before! This information is tremendously helpful in ongoing research. We were also able to note that OPERA is scarred - quite badly, behind his dorsal fin - probably due to entaglement in a fishing net. Also very helpful research data.
(Webmaster note: if you have not yet visited the Mingan Islands Cetacean Study's (MICS) field centre, which Richard created some 20 years ago - please do so. Here you’ll find out much more detail about Blue Whale research as well as see a gallery of images!.)
We are now heading up the coast of the Gaspe Peninsula (Gaspesie). We are around Cap-Gaspe heading toward Cap-des-Rosiers. All of our armchair expeditioners can read more about the area by visiting INFO GASPE.
Earlier update below
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Geoff and Richard
Good Morning everyone!
By phone 6:50 am (Posted 7:35 am ET) UPDATED by phone 8:15 am!!
We woke to a fabulous day - blue sky, only a slight wind!! We are now heading north/northwest up the St. Lawrence - were we will soon pass the tip of the Gaspe Peninsula. And, most exciting - we just saw our first BLUE WHALE!! Barb and Richard both have the cameras out, everyone on board is watching for another glimpse and hope to get a photo soon and send it along to us --- stay tuned.
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Richard mentioned that just beyond the Peninsula they believe there is a group of 10 blue whales, so they hope to begin to focus on the expedition’s “Blue Whale Research” almost immediately.
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The next week will be filled with exploring the St. Lawrence River looking for Blue Whales! Our zigzag route will take us east along the mighty river and we'll have opportunities for kayaking, wildlife sightings, education program activities, science activities, learning about the history of the St. Lawrence, learning to sail, and much more. We also will visit a few small Gaspé communities along the river for a chance to stretch our legs on a hike and experience some local culture. Everyday will be filled with adventure and learning!
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The St-Lawrence River is one of the most important rivers in North America. The course of the mighty St. Lawrence River is also the course of Canadian history. Avenue of exploration, corridor of commerce, cradle of New France and Upper Canada, the great inland waterway of the northeast was destined to lead not to the spices and silks of China, but to the even greater bounty of forests, furs and raw materials. Carved between the Laurentians to the north and the Appalachians to the south, and forming a natural pathway to the Great Lakes, the river seems almost purposefully designed for navigation. It takes its source in the Great lakes, draining a million square kilometres, beginning in the freshwater bays of eastern Ontario's Thousand Islands, and running nearly 1,200 kilometres, to the saltwater shores of Anticosti Island and the tip of the Gaspé Peninsula to finally empty itself into the Atlantic. The river is the frontier between Canada and the USA for approximately 200 kilometers. On St. Lawrence's Day in 1535, Jacques Cartier gave the saint's name to one small bay near the river's mouth, but by 1600, it was used to describe the entire river.
The blue whale, the most imposing animal on Earth, lives in the waters of the St. Lawrence. The second-largest cetacean, the fin whale, can also be found here. Numerous species of rorqual can also be seen in the river, including the humpback whale, known for its exuberant leaps through the air. In addition to these giants, we might see porpoises and dolphins and if we a really lucky we might catch a flash of white floating on the waves: these are belugas, the small arctic whales that live in the St. Lawrence year-round. About 1,000 belugas inhabit the river. The more eyes and binoculars we have on deck the better our chances for whale encounters will be!
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