I've been reliving the encounter and in my mind's eye I still see several things that are clear and lead me to believe that it was a Fin Whale. 1. A clear, significant blow was clearly visible on at least 2 occasions 2. I saw the pectoral fins on the last breach and they definitely did not have white bands. These 2 factors rule out Minke along with the animal looking far too big for that species (I've seen at least 10 Minkes breach in Biscay before and they look remarkably small due to the height we're viewing from and the distance of the animal. I've seen Fins breach twice before and that animal looked very similar, hence me calling that species at the time).
3. Research has shown me that Atlantic Humpies have dark lower jaw/chin/throat areas and the Rorqual in question was definitely all white in that area.
4. The pec fins were not large enough, or the right shape for a Humpy.
Others in my group believed they saw Humpback-sized/shaped pec fins but I'm not convinced. I've sent an email outlining my opinion to ORCA and I'll let you know their response.
11 comments:
It`s a 3 Whale theory now then!
Or how about Sei Whale? or Bryde`s? or can a hybrid Beluga/ Blue be possible?
No doubt Orca will tell us what it was soon enough!
This is a very plausible and a most likely conclusion to the ID of this animal.
There are several reasons why it could not have been Hump back.
Humpbacks do not re- breach with the frequency observed - they have to deep dive to gain enough impetus to breach and this takes several minutes.
The breach looked more like a spy hop - spy hopping by HBW is literally just a nose above water.
The white bellied HBW are found in all populations but I believe not often in the Atlantic North East.
So....................
Fin would look like a Minke from the underside in a spy hop / breach - just a bigger version?
Fin pecs are more pronounced and lack the white patches - though at the distance onserved these would be hard to see. Fin blowing at the surface just prior to a breach - I am still not sure about this as breaching must occur after a dive?
All things considered Fin Whale is now the more likely.
Did you consider Hoopoe at the time? All that salt on bins!
It was a small Fin whale HA HA!
Very probably a Fin. Thought it looked a little too small at the time! That would explain the shape on the third breach.
Though bigger than a Minke. When Judd came down telling us it was a definately a Humpback there was something not right. We will never know, no matter how many times people change their minds!
Rich - the blows were seen when the animal was at the 3-4 o'clock position ie. between the initial 2 breaches and the last ones towards the back of the ship.
Steve - it's a woman's prerogative to change her mind! If you remember, I said others had seen features that could have only made it a Humpy and that my initial impressions (after the final 2 breaches) were that it was a Fin and that's what I called it as.
Nothing like a bit of conjecture and subsequent debate.....
I only saw the ones at the back of the ship.
Fascinating stuff for a numpty when it comes to cetacea. I must get a decent ID guide. Whatever it was we defo had a whale of a time :-) Sorry :-(
How many whale species are we up to at the moment?
How can you rule out Sei whale? There, we're up to 4!!
A wandering Bryde's possibly? :-)
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