Whale Tales

A Bachelor Group of Sperm Whales! – 23/7/16

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You just can’t be the same . . . sighting of ~16 Sperm Whales off British Columbia’s coast – likely a “bachelor group” of young males.

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rainblows
Rainblows!

Sighted while a Marine Mammal Observer during DFO’s Marine Mammal Research Section survey (July 23 about 60 nm offshore of Vancouver Island).

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see-the-vessel-strike-scarring-in-front-of-the-dorsal-fin-in-the-one-animal
See the vessel-strike scarring in front of the dorsal fin in the one animal.
here-you-can-see-the-single-blow-hole-angled-to-the-left
Here you can see the single blow hole angled to the left.

Their distinct blows veering off to the left; their remarkable wrinkly skin; their huge heads; their ability to dive to 3 km for more than 90 minutes;

see-the-vessel-strike-scarring-in-front-of-the-dorsal-fin-in-the-one-animal
Once again, you can see the vessel-strike scarring in front of the dorsal fin in the one animal

Knowing that over 6,060 were whaled off the coast of BC between 1908 and 1967 and, with life expectancy being thought to be over 70 years, that the older whales we are seeing now would remember our being whalers.

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Please see my blog at the link below for more information about this magnificent and misunderstood species here

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-Jackie

All photos taken with telephoto lens. ©2016 Jackie Hildering; The Marine Detective.

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