Sunday, July 04, 2010

Waiting



The whales are in, following the capelin which throw themselves by the hundreds of thousands on the shore in the annual frenzy of breeding.

The whales come within about twenty feet of the shoreline and their surprisingly soft tomcat calls can be heard above the sheesh of the waves on the beach stones.

When the fog descends there isn't a hope in hell of catching a glimpse.

But these tourists hauled down their beach chairs and little tables and a picnic and a huge dose of patience to the very edge of the five foot waves.

And waited.

14 comments:

  1. Here is the video...makes me want to move there
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3GAKBJ9riA&feature=related

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  2. oh excellent.
    we went on a whale-watching cruise out of Tadoussac one year. the whole thing was in French, and the only words we understood were "Mon, dieu, mon capitain!" when we got very close to a whale by accident.

    (there are laws restricting how close you can get.)

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  3. Thanks Twain - It's funny how it replicates my experience on Friday!
    I just love this ad. It says so much about this wonderful place.
    XO
    WWW

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  4. Laurie:
    There are so many great whale watching places here, can't count them all but Fogo Island at the very north east is wonderful, my granddaughter and I lost count of the orcas and minkes and porpoises and dolphins all in at the same time...it was magical. We were both crying.
    XO
    WWW

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  5. Oh *wow*. I would be out there with those tourists, just waiting for the fog to lift for a second...

    As soon as we have got the money together, (and are at the right time of year, obviously), I am planning on heading down to the South Island here to do whale watching - it is one of my dreams to be able to see a whale in real life.

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  6. How about my favourite, belugas?

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  7. We had a similar experience at Tadoussac as Laurie did except a young lady on board who was from South Africa but raised in the Eastern Townships translated for us.

    In the rubber zodiac you do get close to the whales. I have the video of our adventure.

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  8. Jo:
    And before they're all gone 8-/
    The oil volcano is doing incredible harm to these sensitive mammals.
    XO
    WWW

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  9. Nick:
    I haven't seen the belugas here - I could be wrong, I get the orcas and belugas mixed up. I have to say the wee minkes are mine (after dolphins of course!)
    XO
    WWW

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  10. GFB:
    Can you post a bit of it on your blog? I'd love to see it!
    XO
    WWW

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  11. You can't mistake the belugas - they're all white! We saw a whole lot of them at Chicago aquarium, quite spectacular.

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  12. Nick!
    See how bloody little I know!
    White?
    How on earth does one see them in the water?
    White? Seriously?
    And in aquariums, sadly. Safer there then in the oceans 8-/
    XO
    WWW

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  13. They're an endangered species but there are still around 100,000 mainly along the coasts of Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and Russia.

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