November 9 - "As You Can See, We Are Now Going Through a Sea of Humpback Whales"


That's what the scientist leading my whalewatch boat trip today said at one point, which gives you an idea of how many whales there were around us. It's Whalefest in Sitka, which is basically a three-day symposium of talks on whale (and other marine mammal) related research, with cool side events like whalewatch boat trips led by scientists and a (loosely) whale-themed community talent show. Sitka is great. I've attended some of the lectures, and went on today's whalewatch, which ended up being spectacular. Sunny, crystal-clear skies, beautiful snowcapped mountains, cool whale facts from the three scientists on board (did you know that bowhead whales probably live to 200 years old, and can break through 3 feet of ice using their heads?), and lots of humpback whale sightings. We even saw a whale breach! No photos of that, I'm afraid – In a way I'm glad, because it was so beautiful to see and if I'd been behind my camera shooting away I'd have really missed the moment. But I did take plenty of other whale photos.  They can't possibly capture the feeling of being surrounded by these beautiful creatures, listening to their breathing, and seeing how gracefully they dive into the water, tails raised, to fish for herring or salmon.  But perhaps they can give you a little taste.  















Comments

  1. Nancy Boyer-RechlinNovember 11, 2014 at 12:27 PM

    How glorious!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lyn BoyerNovember 13, 2014 at 8:49 AM

    Your posts are awesome. I honestly could close my eyes and hear whales breathing. What a great experience. Makes me want to take one of those Alaska cruises!

    ReplyDelete

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