February 12 – February 19, 2022 

Week Four of our 31st Season

This year Aquatic Adventures embarks on its 31st season of providing our guests the unique opportunity to encounter the North Atlantic humpback whales on their breeding and calving grounds, the Silver Bank. As the season unfolds, we’ll highlight some of the various encounters and experiences of our guests each week. We hope you enjoy following along!

From the years 2008 and 2009, the Aquatic Adventures team was part of a research project that included the tagging of various humpback whales in order to determine their migration routes in the North Atlantic. The results of this project showed the whales that we see in the Silver Bank come from the Gulf of Maine, Newfoundland and as far away as Norway. Some of these whales, through observational studies and fluke identification, have been sighted year after year in their feeding grounds up north and again in their mating grounds, here on the Silver Bank. On an annual cycle, the Aquatic Adventures team have observed the same whales returning to the Silver Bank. Humpback whales are highly acoustical animals, meaning they can detect even the smallest vibrations of sound for long distances underwater, and will react to changes in their environment. We can only assume that when we see two adult whales, like we did this week, hover under the Turks & Caicos Explorer II (TCEXII) for the duration of the day, that they possibly recognize the ship from years past as a safe place and enjoy the vibrations coming from the generator on board. 

Early one morning this week we woke up to the sight of two adult humpbacks hanging around the TCEXII. They came up to blow just beside the vessel then would disappear underneath, spy hop on the other side and disappear again below the surface. Taking the tenders out for the morning, we didn’t have to travel far as the whales continued to surround the vessel. The TCEXII has a wide swing when it sits on its mooring so guests positioned themselves so when the stern of the vessel came by, so did the whales, twisting and turning underneath, creating a fantastic opportunity for underwater photography.

At lunch, we sat in the salon and saw the whales return again, giving us the opportunity to watch the activity right outside our windows. A few days in a row we had encounters right beside the TCEXII to the point that the running joke for the week was “Why do we even bother taking the tenders out?”. Activities like this make us think that these particular whales have probably been here before and recognize our vessels as safe.

We did however take the tenders further from the main ship to look for other activities. We came across a singer in 80 feet of clear water, a friendly mother and calf we recognized from weeks prior and a sleeping duo that rested vertically in the water, displaying their uniquely patterned ventral pleats to the group. Topside we come across a breaching calf that just wouldn’t quit, a rowdy group with whales breaching over and over and so much more. All perfect opportunities for some above water photography.

During one encounter with a mother, calf and escort we noticed that the dorsal fin of the escort had a split right down the center, likely due to a strike from a ship’s prop. These sorts of injuries are estimated to occur quite often due to major shipping lanes crossing migration routes as well as poor whale watching and recreational boating practices and could be one of the leading causes of whale mortality in some endangered species. It’s likely that an injury such as this was never reported so it’s difficult to implement regulations and guidelines where ships and whales are in close proximity. To learn more about the threats humpback whales face and how you can help, please visit Center for Coastal Studies.

The Silver Bank never ceases to amaze. Lastly, on Thursday afternoon we come across a dancer, a female whale twisting and turning, moving her pectorals like a ballerina underwater, all for a male humpback resting just below her. She doesn’t mind having us watch her display her body in what seems like a seductive dance, and we give her plenty of room to shake her booty!

For 30 minutes we hover a few yards away and watch her amazing display as the sun makes her body shimmer. She swims off with the male and we climb back onto the tender. Perhaps maybe this dancing is a prelude to mating, and maybe next year we will be lucky enough to meet their calf. The week comes to a close, another week full of unforgettable encounters with humpback whales that have made their migration all the way from the feeding grounds up north, to visit this special place – the Silver Bank. 

The Aquatic Adventures team hopes that you are as inspired as we are to help sustain the humpback whale population. Through our partnership with the Center for Coastal Studies, we are helping to gain critical information on these charismatic creatures, and to seek ways to protect and preserve them. To find out more about this effort, join their mailing list or to make a donation, large or small, please visit: www.coastalstudies.org/aquaticadventures

We are proud to support SeaLegacy in their efforts to create powerful media to change the narrative around our world’s oceans. Their mission is to inspire the global community to protect our oceans. To learn more about SeaLegacy and help with this important mission, please visit: https://www.sealegacy.org

Thanks to all who have generously donated!

Learn more about Aquatic Adventures here.

Written by: Aquatic Adventures team member Gillian Morin
Edited by: Aquatic Adventures team member Heather Reser 

Images:  Aquatic Adventures team member Heather Reser and guest Mark Grashow