Watching Whales

"Thar she blows!"

We went on a whale watching cruise.  We hopped on a boat and went out to see.  Don't call me Ishmael.

 

It was a lovely day for a boat ride.

It is great to see the whales blow their stacks.
We were upwind, so we did not get the pleasure of smelling whale breath.

These guys are nuts.
Standing up on the rolling sea
to see gray whales 4x the size of one's boat
just doesn't seem like a good idea.

Three whales in tight formation.
We were told they're on their way from Baja
to the Bering Strait.

The flotilla chases the whales.

I'm holding the camera parallel with the deck of the boat.
It was rockin' with the 7-foot swell.
A few got seasick.  People, not whales.

Here is my shot of one of the whales breaching.
He leapt half-way out of the water.
Impressive sight, and to think I caught the split second with my camera!
What a treat.

The white spots are barnacles along for the ride.
I think there could be a business in barnacle removal services,
if I can only figure out how to receive payment.
Maybe that's what Bitcoin is for.

Though not a whale, this sea lion provided entertainment,
swimming around and under the boat.

The tail, or "fluke."

Waving good-bye.

Looking past Point Loma and across the bay to San Diego.

 

It's a beautiful day!

The first hour was nice, but as the sun got lower in the sky, the thrill faded.  Thankfully, there was entertainment on the way back in. 

The lighthouse on the point.
Why isn't every square inch covered with houses?
This land is owned by the government.

A large fishing party.

More whale watchers.

This is a US Navy black whale.
It must be mating season, since we saw another in the distance,
waiting outside the harbor.

What's this all wrapped up?

Shrouded from view, it's the tail of a Navy Black Whale in dry dock.

This is one of 3 US Navy surface whales in the harbor.
This one is retired and serves as a museum.

Whale of a nice sculpture, don't you think?

The whale watching all done,
we watched the sun set from the other side of Point Loma.