I wanted to share an update on our very special sighting of 2 endangered North Atlantic right whales on October 7, 2015 in the Grand Manan Channel. With the help from members of the New England Aquarium right whale research team we were able to get BOTH whales identified!!
First I will start with Eg 1506, a male born in 1985 to Eg 1248, Rudolph. Eg 1506 is a regular visitor to the Bay of Fundy and was last seen in Cape Cod Bay in the spring of 2015.
Eg 1506, a male born in 1985 to Eg 1248, Rudolph
North Atlantic right whale 1506
The second whale was Eg 4057, a male born in 2010 to Eg 3157, who is a female born in 2001 to Eg 1157, Moon. Eg 4057 has never been sighted in the Bay of Fundy before to my knowledge (based on the info in the online catalog but I am trying to confirm) but was sighted on August 15, 2015 in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The majority of the scars you can see on 4057 is from an entanglement in 2014. It is estimated that more than 80% of NA right whales have scars from ship strikes or entanglements in fishing gear.
Eg 4057, a male born in 2010 to Eg 3157, who is a female born in 2001 to Eg 1157, Moon
North Atlantic right whale 4057
right whale 4057 , look at those scars
right whale 4057
I also have a video to share!! A HUGE thank you to Jessi Barkley for sharing this video of both 4057 and 1506!! 1506 raises his tail first followed by 4057. Such an amazing experience.
If you want to learn more about the sightings history of 1506 and 4057 just check out the NEAq right whale online catalog.
I have been with Quoddy Link for 14 years and I am always in awe every single time we get to spend a trip with right whales (and we have had some amazing experiences, especially prior to 2012 ), they are my favorite and I feel it is a privilege every time we get to see these endangered whales. For me, this was the best trip of the season. Thank You to everyone who was able to join us,
Cheers,
Danielle
