As winds increase and the air temperature cools the time has come for the end of another season. 2017 was our 23rd season whale watching on the Bay of Fundy and just like every season, the wildlife never ceases to surprise. This year brought humpbacks to our part of the Bay, especially on the Wolves Bank. We documented 22 individual humpbacks and they were here consistently from the end of July until the end of October. We saw the return of some very familiar “faces” including Cork and Chevron and some new favourites like Sockeye, Tusk and Puppet. There were minke whales amongst the inner islands but there was a noticeable decrease in the number of large finback whales in our area.
2017 was also full of heartache and loss as we are all still mourning the death of Joe Howlett, one of the founding members of the Campobello Whale Rescue Team. Joe was killed while disentangling a North Atlantic right whale in the Gulf of St. Lawrence on July 10th, 2017. Since June/17 there have been 17 documented dead NA right whales, this number is unprecedented and represents more than 3% of the the world wide population. The known causes were blunt force trauma (caused by ship strikes) and chronic entanglement in fishing gear. Steps are being taken to try and ensure the next feeding season in the Gulf will be a safer place for right whales but with a shifting food source and many unknown factors only time will tell.
Thank You to all of our passengers who joined us on both the Quoddy Link and our new vessel, the Fundy Odyssey this season. Your passion and enthusiasm for whales plays a huge part in us returning year after year.
If you have any questions about our upcoming 2018 season please contact us through Facebook or by email at info@quoddylinemarine.com
See you in 2018!!
