Not every day on the water feels the same; some hold a promise of surprise—a flash of a fluke or a curious spout where least expected. On a quiet August day in Witless Bay, there was Joe, cutting through the cool saltwater like he had all the time in the world.

Joe, a hefty gent among humpbacks, has a talent for popping up where the coastline bends and meanders. His first big hello goes back to August 2013 from Witless Bay, leaving just enough mystery about where he wandered before resurfacing miles off Horse Chops in July 2019. That same summer, he found his way into the welcoming sweep of Trinity Bay, the kind of spot that lights up with capelin runs and shouty seabirds.

Then came 2020—a year most of us remember for other reasons, but Joe seemed to make the most of it, spotted spinning his tales off Spaniards Cove one day, then meandering to Trinity Bight and English Harbour in quick succession. He made Bay Bulls and St. John’s part of his summer address book in 2024, with a run all the way down to Green Island. By July 2025, Witless Bay and Horsechops Head bore witness yet again to Joe’s return, as if the old places called him home.

Each appearance feels both luck and blessing—a patchwork trail along Newfoundland’s rugged coast. Joe’s pattern? Hard to pin. He’ll show where the baitfish are fleet, weather fair or foul, never staying too long in one corner, but leaving enough of a hint that he’ll be back.