I am having a complete nightmare with this Blog. I had drafted this post yesterday evening – 2nd July – but it would not send. Worse than that it failed to save so I have had to redraft and I can't remember what I wrote!! Poor old thing!
Back in Dunedin in South Island New Zealand, I bought a 'senior moment fridge magnet'. It read "It's a film, one word but I can't remember the word!!
Anyway here goes with drafting for the second time.
I awoke on Monday morning to a bright blue sky and it has remained that way all day. The only downside was that although we had arrived off Skjoldungen Fjord, our destination for today, the sea ice was so extensive and dense that despite spending most of the morning sailing slowly up and down the Captain could not find a 'lead' (Technical term for a gap in the ice) for Silver Endeavour to enter the Fjord.
Compensation came early in the form of a very large and rare sighting of 30 plus individual Fin Whales feeding all around the ship, so we went whale watching for an hour or so!
Fin Whales are the second longest whales after the mighty Blue Whale at 20 to 22 metres but not the second largest by weight that position is held by Bowhead Whales (Now very rare) at 90 tons and again second to Blue Whales.
Fin Whales are Baleen whales of which there are 14 species including Humpback Whales. They are essentially filter feeders. Baleen is formed of Keratin, the same material from which our nails and hair are made. Overlapping strands of baleen hang down from the whale's upper jaw forming a moustache. As the whale feeds it takes in up to 2000 litres of seawater, micro plankton and small fish such as herring. It then forces the water out through the baleen by pushing its tongue up to the roof of its mouth and then swallows the food.
There is a much larger group of Toothed Whales – some 76 species – such as Bowhead, Minke, Dolphins and Porpoises.
Fin Whales are difficult to identify since they do not show large fluke tails as they dive like Humpbacks. Fin Whales have a small dorsal fin set well back towards their tails and only arch their backs before diving.
Enjoy the photo. We were so privileged to see so many Fin Whales.
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