Dolphins in Salem Harbor yesterday!!!!

[matt_unique]

This picture most closely resembles the dorsal fins except they were a bit smaller in size and leaning over to the left on both animals. I have emailed a friend at the NE Aquarium to see if they can help confirm the type based on my description. I'll reply with what they say.

--Matt

 

[MSilvia]

Wow! If they were Atlantic White Sided Dolphins, that's a great sighting. Pretty unusual in the harbors around here. I hope the drooping isn't indicative of some sort of problem.

 

[MadisonK]

There was a recent sighting of Orca's by some Gloucester commercial guys on Jeffries. I didn't read the article but it was in the Gloucester Daily Times. It confirms what some fly fishing guides told me a couple of years ago. We target the small bluefin tuna on fly rods. I have seen huge schools of dolphin off of Thatchers mixed in with the tuna but never any orcas.

I just put my boat in on Monday. Hopefully by Friday we'll be diving. I would love to see those dolphins. I'll be honest, though, I am a little bit concerned about some big sharks being in the area. I heard (5th hand at least) that the Maine fisherman were expecting alot of big sharks this summer for some reason. I kinda hope they're wrong.

Matt - do you have a radio with DCS. If so we should get eachothers numbers for a little added safety out there. I haven't registered mine yet but I will in the next week or two.

 

[matt_unique]

Wow! If they were Atlantic White Sided Dolphins, that's a great sighting. Pretty unusual in the harbors around here. I hope the drooping isn't indicative of some sort of problem.

I know man - this was why I was so pumped! I know how unusual it was for us to see them so close to shore. I was not kidding when I said 35' of water right on the depth sounder and about 50 yards from Winter Island. I wondered about the drooping dorsal fin as well. I can't imagine there is much for them to feed on so close to shore this time of year.

--Matt

 

[matt_unique]

Madison:
I have a VHF of course but not with Digital Selective Calling. We could connect easy enough if we were planning to head out on the same day.

Decapoddiver: Winter Island says they are open from 8am to 7pm right now. I arrived at 8:30 and they were open. The water temp varied a bit this past weekend. At Halfway Rock on Sat I had 44 degrees according to both my computers 50' and above. Below 60' it really dropped and my computers recorded 42 degrees. I did not stay long enough for them to adjust fully. It was really cold at 97' oceanside of Halfway. Monday at Paddock Rock I had 42 degrees with a max depth of 64'. I had friends that hit the Poling who said it was 40 degrees on the deck.

First weekend of the boat dive season for me - seal one day and dolphins the next - pretty awesome start! I was joking with my buddy that perhaps the dolphins came in close to shore because GW's hanging out at Halfway drove them in. (We were heading out to Halfway Rock of course). Ha ha ha - I would probably shoot out of the water straight into my boat like a missile if I ever turned around to see a GW. It definitely comes to mind during the safety stop on a Poling night dive for example.

--Matt

 

[MSilvia]

It definitely comes to mind during the safety stop on a Poling night dive for example.

I just bought some used 72s from a gy last week who also asked if I was interested in his bigass speargun. I wasn't interested, but he told me he'd only got it wet once, when diving the Poling. As luck would have it, he saw what he described as "a 5 or 6 foot shark on that dive... a pointy nosed one with long side fins". Sounds like a blue shark for sure. I was suprised to hear he saw it there.

 

[matt_unique]

I just bought some used 72s from a gy last week who also asked if I was interested in his bigass speargun. I wasn't interested, but he told me he'd only got it wet once, when diving the Poling. As luck would have it, he saw what he described as "a 5 or 6 foot shark on that dive... a pointy nosed one with long side fins". Sounds like a blue shark for sure. I was suprised to hear he saw it there.

That would describe a Blue for sure. I have only ever seen Spiny's at my usual dive sites in NE. Who knows what else I/we'll see this year. I would love to see other large sea life such as a Blue or GW. Ideally from a comfortable position and not by surprise during a night dive Last year two of us (myself and another buddy) had our fins tugged by a seal at Halfway. For me it was during a night dive. When I turned around my buddy was about 15' away as seen by his light. This was a stop your forward motion tug as well. Ha ha ha - his arms were not that long!

The largest NE sea life I have ever seen has been at the Poling. Actually underneath the Poling. I once saw a giant lobster and another time a large Pollock or Cod (not certain) but it was one of the two with the white stripe down the middle. The eye on this fish was the size of a silver dollar with a nickel sized pupil. I could not believe the gerth of this thing. Lot's of fish like to rest or whatever under the Poling. You have to look in with a light to see what's under there on any given day.

--Matt

 

[MSilvia]

I have only ever seen Spiny's at my usual dive sites in NE.

Yeah, dogs are the only "sharks" I've seen in New England too.

The largest NE sea life I have ever seen has been at the Poling.

I've seen a few monster cod and lobster at various wrecks, but the biggest thing I've seen (outside of Stellwagen) in local waters was a minke whale about a half mile off Thieve's Ledge. Of course, I wasn't diving at the time. I remember Nantasket Beach being closed years ago because of a Basking shark that was hanging out, but that was at least 15 years ago.

 

[ScubaSarus]

I wonder if thats a good sign of water quality ?

 

[decapoddiver]

Didn't see any sea mammals but did get a couple gallons of scallops. Luckily the bed only moved about 100 yards. I'm far too tired to post anymore. Here's a shot after we pulled the first 2 bags.