Orcas spotted off the Armstrong

Screengrab from drone footage taken on 14 July 2022 by Croy Carlin

While transiting from the work site in the Irminger Sea to Reykjavik during a recent AR69-01 OOI-Irminger 9/OSNAP-SDWBC cruise, a pod of orca whales came by the ship. NOAA Marine Mammal Observer Pete Dooley was on board, and he estimated the pod size to be 32, with several calves in the group. It was a stunning sight – crew and science stood on the ship’s bow and watched in wonder. The calves spy-hopped and breached. WHOI SSSG Croy Carlin was given permission by Captain Mike Singleton to fly the drone, and captured footage of the whales.