Whalewatching

I am absolutely entranced by whales, such huge and graceful creatures. Whenever possible, I try to join a whalewatching event, and never get tired of seeking out and watching whales in the water. It was our only family day with Eric for the week, so we drove to Barnstable (after pancakes and bacon for breakfast and a massage for both Maya and myself) and joined the whalewatching boat out of the harbour for the afternoon. After leaving the harbour and the bay, the boat sped across to the Stellwangen bank, full of rich plankton, where the whales feed and play.

We encountered a humpback and her calf and watched them blow holes and drift along the surface and dive deep for ten minutes at a time. I was in awe. We expected more sightings, but none appeared, and that was the end of our adventure. The last time we took the tour, we saw several species and pairs, but the biologist on the boat suggested that the storm the night before may have altered the food supply and the whales had left for other feeding opportunities.

I had brought my camera with my long lens, anticipating more opportunities to photograph and film, but was frustrated. I was trying to make up for the last time Maya and I went whalewatching near Isla de la Plata in Ecuador, and saw whales breeching and dancing in the surf. My camera battery died, and so I gave up on photos and just watched the show. Eric believes that having the camera alters the experience, and that without the camera one sees more, but I am not sure I agree.

We will have to go whalewatching again.