Dolphins, Whales, And A Rare Visit From Sperm Whales!
Sperm whale fluke above water as it dives Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific
James S.
Saturday, August 24, 2019
It has been a season of highs and lows, as our blue whale season continues to fluctuate conversely to our historic photo ID program data we’re still getting out there and seeing lots of diversity. Blue whales have been seen most days in the past week, and we had another beautiful sighting of a pair of sperm whales. Sperm whales don’t come around too often, we see them maybe every few years, and when they are here we try to spend as much time with them as possible! I would guess that with all the Risso’s sightings we’ve had this year a sperm whale sighting was to be expected. If you recall I’ve talked about them pretty frequently in the blog, one because I think they are absolutely beautiful, but also because their social dynamics and timing to show up are so interesting. Risso’s are primarily squid hunters, and sperm whales do love to dive deep for their food 1,000-2,600ft on average but can dive down to 6,600ft. At those depths, sperm whales are hunting medium-sized squid.
There’s been plenty of blue whale sightings for us this August, so if you haven’t seen one before I recommend getting on a whale watch in search of the largest animal to roam our planet. Our interns have been working very hard to photograph, document, and identify all of the blue whales we have seen. Just because the summer for students is almost over doesn’t mean the season is over! Come on down to Long Beach and get your combo ticket to the Aquarium of the Pacific and Harbor Breeze Cruises. Whale watches board at 12:00 P.M. and 3:30 p.m. every day and you can visit the Aquarium before or after your whale watch. We’re open late Fridays through Sundays with late-night discount tickets after 5:00 p.m.
See you on the water!
Common Dolphins porpoising at the surface Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific
Blue whale with distinct notch injury in the dorsal fin Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific
Brown pelican in flight Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific
2 Common dolphins riding the boat wake Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific
Blue whale with distinct notch in its dorsal fin Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific
Bottlenose dolphin at the surface of the water Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific
Harbor seals resting on the rocks of the breakwall Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific
Blue whale blow at the surface Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific
Blue whale at the surface with darker complexion Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific
Brown pelicans flying side by side just above the water Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific
Common dolphins porpoising in the water Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific
Blue whale blow Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific
Blue whale arching at the surface Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific
Blue whale rostrum and blow close up Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific
Blue whale with Palos Verdes in the background Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific
Pelican ready to take off from the water Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific
Bottlenose pod porpoising in the water Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific
Blue whale dorsal as it arches in the water Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific
Blue whale dorsal while it is at the surface Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific
Sperm whale with a leftward blow due to having one blowhole Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific
Common dolphins leaping through the air Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific
Bottlenose dolphins leaping in the air, one with a distinct dorsal fin scar Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific