Today just when lunch was over for my shift, someone came down to the messroom and said that there were a couple of whales really close by. So I took my cup of coffee, fetched a jacket and went up to see if it was possible to get a glimpse of them.
There were two humpback whales and a playful sealion maybe 25 yards away from the ship.
I managed to get a picture and a decent video of one of the whales and the sealion sort of photobombed all the videos I tried to take. :-)
It is awe-inspiring to see such a huge animal so close by. And almost equally impressive to watch a sealion scoot around like a happy kid in a water park.
Humpback whale in the South Atlantic Ocean
That's really close!
ReplyDeleteIt really was so close that you felt like you could almost touch it.
DeleteThose things are huge.
I guess that they were just curious, because they both followed the ship really close for about half an hour or so and then decided that playing with us was kind of boring after all.
But that sealion did all it could to entertain. barrel rolls and jumping out of the water etc.
Brgds
Jonas
Beautiful creatures. Wonderful to see them!
ReplyDeleteIt is funny, but you know that a whale is big, but it is just such a different experience to actually see it with your own eyes close to the ship.
DeleteI have seen Orcas earlier and we saw what we think is a Fin whale, but I wasn't fast enough on the camera. It also just surfaced a couple of times before it left the scene.
Brgds
Jonas
I have been close to an Orca (arms length in a dinghy). They are beautiful (and big enough for me). I'd love to see a bigger whale that close.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on that chance meeting and thanks for sharing with us!
An arms length in a dinghy is too close for me I think :-)
DeleteI can't help being impressed with an animal of that size that just "lives here". I mean it doesn't belong to anyone like a cow or a horse, and it hasn't run away from a farm or a zoo or a family. It just happens to live in its natural habitat.
Today we again had a visit form a curious sealion. They just seem so interested and observant. And watching one of those swim is a stark reminder of how inadequate man is as a swimming animal :-)
Brgds Jonas
Very true! There are few big wild animals we encounter in Europe (at least my neck of the woods). Meeting a red deer wandering around the neighbourhood is probably the biggest and closest we have. Still, with the antlers and all they are impressive :)
DeleteMan really is an abysmal swimmer, mostly churning up the water and just not moving with any grace or speed. I met a turtle when snorkeling once, and they are incredibly relaxed and graceful creatures.
Meeting wildlife in its habitat is a joy! Let's try and preserve nature as best as we can.
Mvh Johannes
Hi Johannes
Delete"Meeting wildlife in its habitat is a joy! Let's try and preserve nature as best as we can."
I could not have said it any better myself! I wholeheartedly agree.
Another impressive animal down here is the Albatross. They look so elegant when flying :-)
Brgds
Jonas