Offshore Team Heads North

Monday, July 18, 2016 by Marianna Hagbloom

RIGHT WHALE RESEARCH

After much preparation, the season’s first offshore team (Philip, Kelsey, Johanna, Pete, Delphine, and Captain Joe) left the dock aboard the Shelagh on Friday night. We all helped load the boat with research and personal gear, as well as three weeks worth of food (this first trip is planned to last a week longer than past offshore voyages). Their final destination will be the Gulf of St. Lawrence!

A growing pile of research equipment, personal gear and 3 weeks worth of food to be loaded on the Shelagh.

The team crossed the Bay of Fundy and then headed to Roseway Basin, south of Nova Scotia to do a brief survey of the critical habitat. After completing tracklines in the Basin, they ducked into the port of Shelburne. They are presently continuing up the eastern side of Nova Scotia. Unfortunately they haven’t found any right whales yet, and the only large whales they have seen are fin whales.

The track of the Shelagh from July 15-18, 2016.

They will next be docking in Canso, on the northeast tip of mainland Nova Scotia, before using the Canso Canal to enter the Gulf. You can follow the voyage of the Shelagh through their onboard SPOT tracker, which posts their current location every half hour!

The crew of the first offshore trip this season. Captain Joe is very eager to get off the dock.