The early morning of our 6th trip
to the Great South Channel
(from Montauk) in
five years started with clear calm conditions and
unlimited visibility.We had heard reports of a few whales east of the BC buoy and
a report of several hundred whales at Cultivator
Shoal, only 35 miles away and we decided to head there. Our first whale
was sighted at 6:44 AM, a Minke whale, breaching in the distance. At 6:50
AM, our first mother calf pair of humpbacks and a fin whale were sighted, along
with a group of pilot whales. We were nearer to the BC buoy than
Cultivator Shoal and began finding whales regularly along the way. Fin
whales, Minke whales, common dolphins, humpbacks and pilot whales were the
species of cetaceans that we encountered over the ensuing 10 hours, Nearer
to Cultivator Shoal we began to find a large, yet widely dispersed group of
Minkes, fin and humpbacks, feeding on dense and thick patches of prey.
After 10 hours, we had to
leave the area to avoid an impending gale. We steamed
throughout the night and anchored safely in the lee of
Nantucket 23:00. Our next day was spent either on
Martha's Vineyard or fishing, depending upon one's
preference. We returned to Montauk at 22:00 on 8/15,
exhilarated and exhausted.
Many of the humpbacks
seen here were not known to the researchers from the Whale
Center of New England who were on hand to help ID the
whales. The humpbacks are still being ID'd and
as they are, we will post the information.
Some of the whales
identified at the site were surprises, for example, Cane and
her calf were there; Cane had not been seen in 13 years.
Other surprises remain to be found. Keep
checking back.
