Saturday, August 04, 2007

CRAZY Bay of Fundy Fog!

Hello everyone, it's Danielle with Quoddy Link Marine with a few days of updates for you. The past 2 days we have been met with strong southwest winds and the infamous Bay of Fundy fog. With these conditions we have been forced to remain inshore where the seas are relatively calm and we have some areas with better visibility. On our trips we have been seeing both minke (left) and finback (below) whales. The sightings have been excellent on most trips, even with the weather.

One of the great sites over the past 2 days have been the large numbers of northern gannets. This impressive seabird can have a wingspan of over 2 metres. All of the gannets we have been seeing are immature (below), the won't reach their adult colours until 4-5 years of age. One of the most amazing things about watching gannets is the main way they feed. They are plunge divers, sometimes diving from over 100 feet in the air down into the water to catch fish. Their streamlined body has air cells between the skin of its neck and shoulders and the muscle beneath. When a gannet prepares to dive these air cells will inflate and cushion the body as it strikes the water. Gannets are also one of only a few birds to have binocular vision, therefor both eyes can see forward at once. Thanks for checking in, the weather forecast is better for tomorrow, we are all keeping our fingers crossed.

Northern Gannet information provided by: "Hinterland Who's Who - Northern Gannet http://www.hww.ca/hww2.asp?id=58

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