Before I get to my story of whale watching, I must mention the support staff and hospitality without which it would not have been such an incredible experience!
I am so grateful to our guide Pam and our wonderful captain Tico. Our experience has literally been out of this world almost bordering on the spiritual. The camp is in a beautiful part of the lagoon. The staff is very cordial and helpful and Idris who is in charge of the meals dishes out better food than we had at San Jose.
Pam and Tico are amazing and seemed to draw whales wherever they go. Pam especially was superb in engaging and educating us about the habitat and the whales. Tico took the boat to the precise places where we could pet the whales. It is all a hugely fun time with a great camp experience. Thanks to the team again.
Up Close with the Whales
Yesterday, we got off to a great start in the morning with a few sightings but the momentum really picked up in the evening. We did a double whale watching with the new luxury group. In the beginning, we did not know what to expect but as soon as we got into the whale-watching area, we were in for a treat. The creatures put up a great show for us, spy-hopping and jumping out of the water. By the time the evening ended, all of us were fortunate enough to have petted a whale. An out-of-the-world experience!
Today was amazing and a once-in-a-lifetime experience. For the first time this season I got to touch two different babies within just half an hour, babies that 3 months ago were smaller than a large dolphin, shy, and totally inseparable from their mother. And now they are confident, extrovert, playful, and swim some distance from their mothers. It is so very gratifying to see them growing up so fast, almost doubling their sizes.
I often wonder, will they come back next year? They will soon be on their way on one of the longest migrations on the planet and the babies have to survive this arduous route. The real adventure is soon to start for these little fellas and I hope they get to their destination safely avoiding encounters with orcas on the way. And even if they do, I wish them the strength to survive.
Family Sunday with the Whales
It’s Family Sunday and the whales know it. The lower side of the lagoon was quite busy this morning and we saw pairs of mothers and calves navigating in different directions, others resting, and a few mothers trying to avoid annoying males that were pursuing them for mating purposes. The females were not interested and were instead more focused on teaching their young ones how to navigate against the current to avoid dangers. The scene was like “rush hour” in the cities in the morning!
Suddenly, and out of the blue, we noticed the peculiar behavior of a curious calf that was playfully rubbing itself against the boat. It is well-known that grey whales have a highly developed sense of touch, which might explain this behavior. Eventually, the calf checked out our panga, raising its head to see us and looking us straight in the eye. For a moment, we were one with the whales and nature at its best.
What we understood on our whale-watching trip is that you should have patience and nature will give you back its best in abundance.
