Close Encounters of the Cetacean Kind

Yesterday I mentioned that Bryanne and I were going whale watching. I thought that we'd have a nice cruise in the Pacific, and maybe see a few whales and some less lazy seals. We were up at 7:30 AM, which is not normal (at all) for me, and we had some very questionable quiche at the Bed and Breakfast where we're staying. Then we headed off to the wharves to hop on the boat that would take us a-whaling.





Leaving the harbor, we saw quite a few California Sea Lions and Cormorants, who mostly smelled bad and laid around---I've come to expect this from the Sea Lions by now. Mostly, they are glorified stray cats I think. They hang around the docks because they are safe from predators and tourists feed them, which is all pretty much anyone could ever hope for in life.





We rode out of Monterey Harbor at about 10-12 knots (I think), which put us about 15 miles up the coast after the first hour of cruising. Monterey Bay is an inlet off of the Pacific Ocean where a submarine canyon pokes into the continental shelf. The deepest parts of the bay are about 6000-7000 feet deep, and we turned west at about 10:30 AM and rode along the north wall of the canyon, in about 2000 feet of water.





The the deep, nutrient rich waters are very close to the shore in California, which provide the anchor for a very elaborate ecosystem. The plankton, which form the foundation of the food chain, are present in huge numbers, which draw krill, sardines, and a plethora of species of whales, dolphins, popoises, seals, sea lions, otters, sharks and fish. We were looking for humpback and blue whales this time of year, but at other times, gray whales, minke whales, sperm whales, and fin whales all visit Monterey Bay.


At about 11:00, the marine biologist on board told us that they had spotted some humpback whales---the easiest way to spot these guys at a distance is to look for their spouts as they come up from feeding. The humpbacks eat krill, which are basically little shrimp. But other things eat the krill as well, including sardines, which seals eat---seals, whales, and ocean going birds are all found in proximity to each other.




Eventually, the whales seemed to take an interest in our boat. As they slowly made their way over towards us, the marine biologists mentioned that, on occasion, the humpback's curiosity would compel them to "check things out". This is called a "friendly encounter" in the business. Images of Ahab danced through my head.






Instead of trying to give play by play on what, exactly, happened next, I will only say that it was pretty remarkable. I know what whale breath smells like (don't ask), and I got closer to these animals than most humans ever get. Over the next hour, the pod of about three humpbacks swam back and forth under the boat, occasionally popping up to see what everyone was on about, occasionally showering us in the boat with whale spray and krill bits, and occasionally pushing the boat with their heads and backs. I will let the pictures speak for themselves.









Enjoy! If anyone wants anymore pics, let me know---I have hi res copies of them all, and can email them to you if you like. I especially like the last one---note the rainbow.