A
Rare Encounter at Sea
On July 21, 2005 while flying
a mission to locate and tag basking sharks for the Massachusetts
Division of Marine Fisheries east of Cape Cod, I reported to Captain
Bill Chaprales and Dr. Greg Skomal aboard the fishing vessel
EZYDUZIT the location of a group of sharks in the vicinity of the BC buoy.
With the boat more than a half hour steam from that location, I
decided to fly south to determine if there were any more sharks in
that area. I came upon a solitary, healthy young northern right
whale and began to photograph it for identification purposes. Right
whales are a critically endangered species, with only 300-350
individuals known to exist. They are monitored carefully and to
identify and pinpoint the location of any animal is important
information for right whale researchers. As I shot photos and
simultaneously scanned the horizon for other signs of life, I
spotted an unusually large spot of white water 5 miles away and,
being the curious sort, flew that way to investigate. What I found
there was a most unusual grouping of 4 adult right whales, which
were literally piling on top of each other at the surface.
select
photo for greater detail
Being very social animals,
it is not unusual for right whales to be seen in tight groups like
this during mating season, which is mostly during the winter months,
or in pairs courting one another. But this was mid-summer and these
animals were clearly agitated. As I began to photograph the group
for the usual ID shots, an extra boil, then a flash of black beneath
the whales caught my eye. Assuming that this was a group of pilot
whales playing with them and always looking for photographs of
animals interacting with each other, I drew back and began to shoot.
A sudden flash of white, then another told me instantly that these
were not pilot whales, but orcas…..killer whales to most. Sure
enough, as the airplane came around and the glare on the water
cleared, there they were….a swarm of 10-11 adults and juveniles
surrounding the right whales. I immediately informed Capt. Chaprales
of the situation, knowing that this was a very special event, and
that he would have to forego the shark tagging for a while in order
for me to document this. It is always a treat to observe and
document endangered right whales. Killer whales are documented in
the Gulf of Maine and adjacent waters only once in every 5-10 years.
Many fishermen and researchers have spent their entire lives at sea
and never seen them. I had only seen them once, a female and her
calf in Cape Cod Bay in the late 70's. To see the 2 species together
was indeed a special moment.
select
photo for greater detail
The killer whales initially
made several passes beneath and close behind the right whales in
what appeared to be a coordinated attempt to separate the right
whales. Led primarily by 2 large males and 4 smaller adults,
presumably females and younger males, they repeated this process
several times as the right whales slapped their tales and
accelerated in a westerly direction, all the while pressing against
one another.
select
photo for greater detail
The killer whales that so
rarely pass through our waters are thought to be primarily fish
eaters, feeding on bluefin tuna and other species, though this
cannot be known with any degree of certainty, for so little is known
about them. It is questionable whether killer whales could take down
a healthy adult right whale. Though appearing to be very awkward,
docile animals, right whales are extremely agile, powerful, and very
"handy" with there large tale flukes. There is evidence in
the form of scarring and missing appendages, however, that killer
whales will attack juvenile right whales, as they do humpbacks from
time to time.
select photo
for greater detail
Each time the killer whales
drew near, the right whales pulled together, there massive heads
butting and pushing into one another in what appeared to be a
defensive posture. From time to time the killer whales would
separate themselves briefly from the right whales and eventually the
smaller animals remained at a distance while the more aggressive
adults continued to harass. Though still very agitated and traveling
at a fast clip on the surface, the 4 right whales would relax
somewhat during those brief moments, but return to the tight
defensive posture with each pass of the 6 remaining aggressors. In
the end, after one half hour of observing and photographing this
event, it appeared that the killer whales were riding the "bow
wake" of the right whales in a more playful posture, much like
dolphins with a boat or with other whales. Though they continued to
"buzz" the larger animals from time to time, as if knowing
how obnoxious they were to the much larger right whales, it appeared
that an attack was not imminent.
select photo
for greater detail
In the end, duty called and
I was called to return to the tagging of basking sharks.
Reluctantly, I left this scene knowing that I had witnessed
something that perhaps no one had seen before, but with eager
anticipation of my photographic results and sharing this moment with
others.
Tim Voorheis
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