Whales, like all other animals, fit into scientific categories and sub-categories, which utilize Latin names. The whales, including porpoise and dolphin, belong to the Phylum Mammal, and Order Cetacea. They then fit into a Suborder (of which there are two: Mysticeti--baleen whales--and Odontoceti--toothed whales), and within each Suborder, they are categorized into Family, and then into Genus and species. Several of these species can be seen in the Quoddy Loop area, and due to migration habits, the best time to see them here is from June through September.

Note: There are other whale Families (Monodontidae, Physeteridae, and Ziphiidae), and many other Species (blue whale, sei whale, pilot whale, white-beaked dolphin, saddleback dolphin*, common dolphin, striped dolphin, bottlenose dolphin, gray grampus, beluga, sperm whale, pygmy sperm whale*, northern bottlenose whale, dense-beaked whale*, True's beaked whale*, and North Sea beaked whale*) which typically are not seen in the Quoddy Loop region.

*Strays seen here on rare occasions.

Whale spouts--and whales themselves--can often be seen from shore at Head Harbour Lighthouse (East Quoddy Head Light) on Campobello Island, at West Quoddy Head Light in Lubec, and near the lighthouses on Grand Manan. A more assured way of seeing whales, though, is on a whale watching trip, several of which are offered by whale watching excursion & charter boats in different communities in the Quoddy Loop.

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Phylum

Mammal

Order

Cetacea

Suborder, Family, Genus, & Species

SUBORDER

Baleen Whales
(Suborder: Mysticeti)

Toothed Whales
(Suborder: Odontoceti)

The most commonly-seen whale species seen in the Quoddy Loop area are...

BALEEN WHALES
Suborder: Mysticeti

Baleen whales have a double blowhole.

Family: Balaenopteridae Finback Whale Genus & Species: Balaenoptera physalus Humpback Whale Genus & Species: Megaptera novaeangliae Minke Whale Genus & Species: Balaenoptera acutorostrata

Family: Balaenidae Right Whale Genus & Species: Eubalaena glacialis

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FINBACK WHALE

(Balaenoptera physalus)

Second only to the Blue Whale in size, finbacks can reach 70 feet in length.

In Gulf of Maine from April through October.

Size

30 - 70 feet / 10 - 23 metres, average length = 60.8 feet; 50 - 60 tons.

 

Spout & Dive

Tall--10 to 20 feet. Finbacks often blow three or four times before diving for five to 10 minutes.

 

Markings

Dark back, light underside, including flukes and flippers. Right upper and lower lips are white or light grey. White coloration from right lip to behind blowhole, and behind that, white chevrons running back and down the sides past the flippers.

 

Diet

Capelin, herring, sand launce, krill, and copepods.

 

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HUMPBACK WHALE

Famous for showing its flukes when diving.

 

Size

30 - 60 feet / 10 -18 metres, 27 - 36 tons; Average length = 48 feet.


Spout & Dive

Low and balloon-shaped.

 

Markings

Very long, white flippers--about 1/3 the body length. Knobs on head, snout, and flippers.

 

Diet

Krill, mackerel, capelin, and herring.

 

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MINKE WHALE
('Mihn-kee)

Smaller, yet frequently seen. They sometimes breach (leap out of the water).

 

Size

15 - 30 feet; 5 - 7 tons.

Spout & Dive

Typically, no spout. Two - three breaths 30 seconds apart, then a two - three minute dive.

Markings

Wide white band on each flipper; white crescents running from near the blowhole to each flipper. Pointed snout.

Diet

Herring, capelin, cod, pollock, salmon, mackerel, squid, krill, and copepods.

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RIGHT WHALE
Rare & Endangered

The rarest whale, once plentiful until depleted by the whaling industry; less than 300 on the East Coast.


Size

30 - 50 feet / 10 - 15 metres; 45 tons.


Spout & Dive

V-shaped blow every 1 - 2 minutes. Dive for 8 - 20 minutes.

 

Markings

No dorsal fin. Grey or pink callosities on head. Displays flukes when diving.


Diet

Krill, copepods.

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TOOTHED WHALES
Suborder: Odontoceti

Toothed whales have a single blowhole.

Family: Phocoenidae Harbor Porpoise Genus & Species: Phocoena phocoena

Family: Delphinidae Whitesided Dolphin Genus & Species: Lagenorhynchus acutus Killer Whale Genus & Species: Orcinus orca

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HARBOR PORPOISE

Common to the area, and frequently seen in large pods (e.g. 10-25), these small whales delight the observer.

 

Size

4 - 6 feet; 120 pounds.

 

Spout & Dive

No visible spout. Breaths 3 - 4 times at 30 second intervals, then dives for 3 - 4 minutes.


Markings

Light grey patch on side, in front of dorsal fin. No beak.


Diet

Herring, mackerel, capelin, hake, pollock, and squid.


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WHITESIDED DOLPHIN

These playful whales like to ride in ships' wake, and often leap out of the water. They frequently form large pods of 50 or more.


Size

6-1/2 - 9 feet, Average length = 7.7 feet

 

Spout

No spout.

 

Markings

Narrow white patch running from below dorsal fin toward the tail. Behind this patch, a sharply defined patch of yellow or tan. Short beak, sharply pointed dorsal fin.

 

Diet

Herring, silver hake, smelt, and squid.

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KILLER WHALE

Although not frequently seen in the Bay of Fundy, they're out there! A pod of around 25 Orcas was spotted off Grand Manan and off Campobello Island during the year 2000!*


Size

22 - 30 feet; 7 tons.


Spout & Dive

Short, balloon-shaped blow.


Markings

Tall tailfin. Black, with white eyepatch, grey saddle behind dorsal fin, and white underside.


Diet

Squid, fish, seabirds, seals, other whales.

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Other Whale Resources

Whale Identification Demo
Whale Information Network (Australia)
Whales (cooperative learning & integrated curriculum)
Whales of Newfoundland
WhaleTimes (for kids)
World Wide Web Virtual Library--Whale Watching Web
Smithsonian--Ocean Planet

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Other Unusual Species

GREAT WHITE SHARK

During the late winter of 2000, Coast Guard Canada reported witnessing an attack of a great white shark on a minke whale off the Wolf Islands in the Quoddy Loop.

BASKING SHARK

Several basking sharks have been seen in the Quoddy Loop--around Deer Island and Campobello Island--during 1999 and 2000, and on occasion have previously been reported in the area.

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Old Sow Publishing

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