Spotting Whales
Part 1. Spotting whales
There are a few key things to keep an eye out for when determining whether whales are in the area. We’ve included both pictures and videos of these indicators to help you get an idea of what you’re looking for.
Blows/Spouts
When a whale surfaces for a breath, they typically breathe multiple times before diving. Different whales have different shapes and heights of their blows. You may also be able to tell which direction the whale is traveling from their blows.
Backs
Most whales are between 20-60 feet long, so you can often see part of their back when they surface. Even if you don’t see the blow (like above) a whale’s back at the surface will tell you where they are. The presence or absences of a dorsal fin is a key indicator in species identification.
Look closely! Can you see the two backs of whales in this photo?
Birds
Seabirds are often found scavenging on the same fish that whales feed on, and also congregate in whale feeding bubble clouds. An increase in localized bird activity could mean that feeding whales are nearby.
Bubbles
Humpback whales, alone or in concert with others, often blow “bubble nets” when corralling baitfish. These bubble patches indicate a whale is likely to surface soon. Other species may create similar disturbances or ripples in the water when chasing after prey.
Fish
Dense schools of small baitfish are likely to attract a whale. From a distance, these schools of fish look like raindrops hitting the sea surface.
Fluke print
A flat patch of water is created at the surface when a whale pumps their tail up and down for a dive. This tells you where the whale just went down but NOT necessarily where it will come up.
All images and videos (c) WDC
Splashing
Occasionally whales may be surface active, producing single or repetitive splashes at the surface. As exciting as this is, it’s important to maintain a slow speed if approaching this behavior, and give a distance of at least 300 feet. For dolphins or other small toothed whales, often you will see many small splashes congregated in a group.
What about low visibility conditions?
If operating at night or during fog, you likely won’t be able to detect any of the above mentioned signs. Treat wildlife the way you would other navigational hazards during periods of poor visibility, and travel at reduced speeds. Sometimes whales can be heard exhaling at the surface if they are close by (if your boat is in neutral or idle speed) so try to have a lookout posted on the deck where they can listen for a whale’s exhale.
Once you’ve located a whale, you’ll want to try to figure out the species and what the whales are doing, which leads us to Part 2!
Part 2. Determining what the whales are doing and where they are going
This is a bit tricky, since it depends on the species. But if you’re able to identify what species you see you’ll get a better idea of what behaviors they might exhibit, and therefore help you predict their movements so you can navigate safely around them.
Don’t assume a whale will navigate around you! They are often so focused on what they are doing that they may not be aware of your presence.
Species in the Atlantic
The next section covers commonly seen species in the Northwestern Atlantic.