Every year around this time all the whales that live in the Southern and Antartic Oceans start heading north in their annual migration to warmer waters. Up in the balmy climes, they mate and give birth to their calves with which they were impregnated with only the previous year.
Anyway, this isn't mean to be biology leasson on the Humpback, but rather a post to let you know, as they pass Sydney, I went whale watching at the weekend.
Sunday, up the crack o' dawn (Again, she didnt seem to mind), I made my way to Circular Quay for the 9am boat. It was a cold start seeing as we are in the middle of winter here and my ears were burning with cold thanks to the Pearl Harbour weather (Nip in the air).
MermaidThe trip out to The Heads takes about 30-40 minutes. When past them, you're out in the Pacific Ocean with only water and air around you and within minutes, right off the coast of Sydders, you can see small puffs of steam in the distance.
"Thar she blows!" yelled the skipper as we loaded our harpoon. As we bore down on the hapless catacean, we took aim..........Oh alright, we never. Put your pens down and stop writing to Greenpeace!
As we approached the whales we were told there were two pods, one of two whales and the other, three. It was pretty amazing to see these creatures, tail slapping, diving, breaching. At one point after their downtime, they resurfaced, really close but on the opposite side to which we were all standing.
So close.The sea was a bit choppy, so to see 50 people swaggering and swaying to get to the other side in a rush was a bit Keystone Cops. Trampling over one very sick chappie, who had taken refuge in the middle of the deck as that was the place rocking the least in the swell, in their efforts to get from port to starboard. Leaving said sick chappie with footprints on his arm. He skulked away below decks and spent the remainder of the voyage throwing up into a bag.
Actually, when I did venture below decks myself, I was amazed at the number of people who had been unable to cope with the boat and its motion. There was a young woman, lying down across three seats looks VERY green. A couple were clinging to each other and crying with their hands over their respective mouths trying not to be sick whilst consoling their loved one. One grandad, sitting forward in his chair with a very full bag permanently locked at his mouth.
Seriously, I thought I had walked into a M.A.S.H. unit with all the groans and wails!
Wails! Whales! Get it? Oh never mind.
High and not so dry
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