Stranded Bull on the Old Hunstanton Beach, Norfolk, UK on December 2011
Not a lot to see, admittedly, but the texture on the back is pretty characteristic (besides the fact that we were on a guided tour and sperm whale tours are this town's main attraction).
This whale is known as Tiaki.
Observed from an aircraft at 1000' (I think).
The sperm whale floats at the surface for ~10', blowing and resting. Then it sounds; this is the only time you see the tail. It all happens in surreal slow motion: the back starts to curve into a graceful arc; the arc rolls forward, carrying the head down and the tail up; and then the tail slides silently beneath the waves. Once down, the whale will remain below on its feeding dive for ~40'.
The underwater topography is what makes Kaikoura special. Just a few km offshore the continental shelf drops precipitously to form Kaikoura Canyon, which channels an upwelling of nutrient-rich waters from the deep ocean to the surface here. Hence there is a rich concentration of sea life, from plankton to fish to pelagic birds all the way up to the top predator and star of the show, the sperm whale. (And did I mention pelagic birds?)
Whale Watch Kaikoura is a Maori-owned, ecofriendly operator, and they did a very good job. I believe they track the whales by low-intensity sonar and spotter plane; at any rate, they have a 95% success rate at finding them. The local whales are familiar with the whalewatch boats and allow them to approach very close. We had 3 sessions with 2 individuals: after the first whale dove we acquired another; then we rejoined the first one when it resurfaced 40' after its first dive.
Yes, it's a he. The males & females have different migration patterns, and all of the ones seen here are males. I caught this one with its head bobbing a bit out of the water, so you can see that huge, iconic sperm whale head. Kept trying to catch that rainbow in the spout, & finally succeeded.
The sperm whale floats at the surface for ~10', blowing and resting. Then it sounds; this is the only time you see the tail. It all happens in surreal slow motion: the back starts to curve into a graceful arc; the arc rolls forward, carrying the head down and the tail up; and then the tail slides silently beneath the waves. Once down, the whale will remain below on its feeding dive for ~40'.
The underwater topography is what makes Kaikoura special. Just a few km offshore, the continental shelf drops precipitously to form Kaikoura Canyon, which channels an upwelling of nutrient-rich waters from the deep ocean to the surface here. Hence there is a rich concentration of sea life, from plankton to fish to pelagic birds all the way up to the top predator and star of the show, the sperm whale. (And did I mention pelagic birds?)
Whale Watch Kaikoura is a Maori-owned, ecofriendly operator, and they did a very good job. I believe they track the whales by low-intensity sonar and spotter plane; at any rate, they have a 95% success rate at finding them. The local whales are familiar with the whalewatch boats and allow them to approach very close. We had 3 sessions with 2 individuals: after the first whale dove we acquired another; then we rejoined the first one when it resurfaced 40' after its first dive.
With Pink-footed Shearwater flying over.
Washed ashore last night - already dead, not stranded. As of this posting it was being autopsied by a large team from Cal Academy and the Marine Mammal Center. Teeth were very worn and no visible signs of trauma, so maybe died of old age?
Video: https://flic.kr/p/NgKdhH
Distinctive off-center, puffy spout on the horizon had us flying full tilt despite swells. Yee-haw! Got two nice looks at this rare visitor, with a 40-minute dive in between. Second photos show tooth rake marks on body, perhaps another sperm whale being social or orca or ? This could very well be the same individual first spotted on Oct 1 by the Blackfin out of Monterey - @leptonia on board: http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/4253161
What a treat. Thank you Kate, Jim, and the entire Blue Ocean Whale Watch crew.
UPDATE: This is apparently the 4th sighting of this individual since Oct 1.
Mega-pod of over 50 individuals. Females and juveniles. In sub-groups of two to three individuals.