An open challenge to Gorton's | Home | Not exactly the Caribbean

Wow, Lally -- you made first contact! I saw my first Blue whale a while back off Iceland and I felt myself to be in the presence of something extraordinary -- old as time, and while I may be obliged as a bloke to claim it was the wind and spray in my eyes, the salt on my face wasn't all from the sea.

But the moment that sold me forever on these creatures was making eye contact with a baby humpback off of Cape Cod some 20+ years ago. It was on an overly crowded whale whatch ship -- one of Stormy Mayo's, which were identifying and cataloguing individual humpbacks by the unique patterns on their flukes. Anyway, this calf surfaced no more than two meters off the stern, everybody clamored to the rail to gape and gasp and snap, and suddenly there was that whale's eye, looking straight at me, then slowly panning along the line of homo sapiens standing there. We may of thought we were watching her, but she was definitely watching us. It was a child's eye, expressive, full of curiousity and intelligence, and it met your gaze level and true. I don't need scientific reports to tell me they're intelligent creatures. I've seen it, with my own two.

Fair winds.

--b

Yup, it's a transformative experience. And it makes you wonder, as you stand in wonder, how can someone see that and turn a weapon on it?

Hi Lally
Great to see your article - your mum told us where to look and now we feel quite jealous of your experience. Give our love to Mikey and say thank you for the bracelet its lovely.

Carolxx

There's a beach in Newfoundland where you can walk with whales. The humpbacks chase the capling in close. I've watched them playing in the surf and lungefeeding at my feet.
And a curious calf exploded in a breach in front of me. As I felt
the salt spray from the splash, I jumped with joy. I've made eye contact with these highly intelligent animals - wonder often who is watching whom, and what stories these animals could tell us if we could understand their language and their beautiful songs.
Good luck with your voyage - saving whales from Japanese harpoons is a huge undertaking.

Smoko eh? Yep, I remember them from the old days. Nothing like a Capstan Full Strength to blow the cobwebs out of your lungs and fill them with soot and cancer.

Come on you guys! Seafaring can be tedious, but you don't have to prop up some of the worst global corporate offenders by buying their vile products.

Go on. Wise up. Use your time at sea to kick the weed and break clear of their evil clutches - and do yourselves a little good at the same time.

And your skin will be so much nicer when you're fifty!

Every whale I see is always just as awe inspiring as the first. From the humpbacks in Harvey Bay Australia, to the right whales in the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia and the sperm whales on the Grand Banks - every one has made my heart beat that little bit faster and filled me with electricity.

As I sit here in this overly air conditioned computer lab I'm imagining that I'm feeling the cold breeze on the Sunrise, looking out towards those icebergs and watching those brief puffs of sea spray with you.

Lally - Thanks for bringing me along - if only for a few minutes... before I get back to work, here on dry land.

L.

Worried - There are still quite a few smokers on board, but I suspect less than you remember if you sailed on Greenpeace ships "back in the day". For most of us, "smoko" means a tea/coffee break now.

In fact, Philster (the Esperanza bosun) quit just before this trip - so some support for him from folks is welcome.

Thanks so much for your comments. Being so far away I sometimes feel like I´m rabbiting away to myself!

I now totally agree with you Lisa. Every whale sighting has the same effect. I actually find it overwealming in a nice kinda way.

My first sighting was also in Australia at Port Stephens a couple of hours north of Sydney. Mummy and baby humpbacks just doing what they do.

To see one is just such a gift and I still can´t believe how blessed I am to have this chance.

See you in Newfoundland Echo! I´m going to make a note and track that beach down!