Friday, September 28, 2012

Minke Whales & Spectacular Dall's Porpoise Encounter! Sept 24, 2012

Minke Whale

















Dall's Porpoise







Hybrid Porpoise


Hybrid Porpoise








Here are a few images from today's wonderful encounter with several Minke Whales and a spectacular encounter with Dall's Porpoise! We even encountered a rare Hybrid Porpoise this afternoon:)

We headed out towards Salmon Bank in the search for Whales & Wildlife and hit the bonanza today near Middle Bank where we encountered at least 4 Minke Whales. The Minke Whales were spread out and doing a lot of Lunge-feeding. Minke Whales are known as the Torpedo's of the Ocean due to their long (35 feet) and streamline bodies. They also get the nickname "Stinky Minke" as they have a bacteria that grows near their blow holes that produces a very pungent smell!

However the highlight of the day was when we encountered a large group of Dall's Porpoise that began to bow-ride our vessel! These incredibly robust Porpoise can reach speeds of over 50kph and are one of the fastest Cetaceans. Whilst we were watching the Dall's rush at our vessel's bow, we suddenly spotted a rare Hybrid Porpoise:) These Hybrids are a result of Male Harbor Porpoise mating with Female Dall's Porpoise.

What an incredible day on the water with amazing wildlife and a fun group of passengers:)

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