Loading search...
Ian Basnett travelled on our 'Baja California & Sea of Cortez' holiday and submitted this entry to our writing competition.
Blue Whale by Paul Marshall
Watching Blue Whales in Baja
Cruising in the Sea of Cortez, close to the east coast of Baja California Sur, we’d spent the last couple of hours tailing a beautiful Blue Whale who obliged us every time with a wonderful fluke as she slid slowly out of sight for one of her deep feeding dives. After a couple of choppier days the weather had calmed to provide near perfect conditions for an afternoon spent whale watching. Clear blue skies, a light breeze and a gentle swell combined to give wonderful views of several of these incredible leviathans as they calmly swam, breathing deeply before their next feeding dive.
We’d been following this one, all eagerly awaiting the tell-tale ghostly blue shape showing against the surface, each keen to be the first to spot her turquoise outline showing beneath the water, reappearing out of nowhere as she rose from the depths before breaking the surface. Then the incredibly thrilling sound of her strangely soothing breathing delighted us once more as the blow erupted high into the air. On this occasion her positioning resulted in the much sought-after rainbow appearing against the blow as the gentle sunlight was diffracted through the water droplets in the air, provoking murmurs of delight from the appreciative watchers on board, the sound of numerous cameras chattering away as all tried to capture a memorable shot.
Once on the surface we knew from past experience that she would cruise along just under the surface of the sea, rhythmically rising and breaking through every 30 seconds or so to breathe, replenishing the oxygen in her system until she had enough in her blood stream to sustain her on her next feeding foray, diving deep to feed in the krill-rich depths of the ocean below us. We had stayed with her for so long as she was a ‘fluker’, one of a minority of Blue Whales whose last dive before feeding would result in the tail lifting clear out of the water as they propelled themselves effortlessly into the depths, almost in slow motion and much to everyone’s satisfaction.
The feeding dives tended to be of seven to 10 minutes’ duration before she reappeared, the watchers on the deck eagerly speculating as to when and where she would resurface to thrill us once more. There was always the possibility that she might not reappear but, thankfully, Captain Brian up in the bridge and the aid of modern technology, was able to skilfully monitor her progress through the deep as she foraged for food, her ghostly shape outlined against the dark blue of the sonar screen as she manoeuvred through the deep. He skilfully ensured that the Spirit of Adventure was in the optimal position to view her when she broke the surface each time and to follow her progress until time next she dove.
Occasionally, she would break the pattern and remain almost stationary just rising and falling in the water nearby, logging out as she rested from her exertions, her ghostly outline beneath the surface giving us the chance to truly appreciate the immense size of these magnificent creatures. Then, once rested, it was on with the show as she recommenced her regular breathing and feeding pattern.
We continued to follow her. The afternoon light starting to fail as the sun slowly disappeared behind the landmass to the west of us, the hills and mountains showing dark against the evening sky and the crew of the Spirit of Adventure started to prepare a farewell cocktail. It surely couldn’t get better than this. The incredible feeling of peace and satisfaction engendered by the perfect afternoon of whale watching would be hard to beat but we had underestimated Captain Brian. He announced that the time had come to let our beautiful beast continue on her way without the accompaniment of our incessant chatter, interspersed with delighted laughter and the sound of our cameras clicking away. As he did so he positioned the whale on the port side of the Spirit, slightly ahead of the bow as she headed towards the mainland, her sleek powerful body arched up through the water once more as she propelled herself elegantly into her feeding dive. Slowly, slowly her tail lifted clear of the water as she fluked one final time, water cascading from the edge as the drops sparkled against the fading light, sliding gently beneath the waves and much to the joy of all the photographers the juxtaposition of her in the water, the evening light playing on the surface of the sea and the silhouette of Baja against the gentle sky provided the perfect shot with which to end a perfect day. We raised our glasses in appreciation. Cheers, Margherita, and thank you for another memorable day in the holiday of a lifetime.
Read more about our 'Baja California & Sea of Cortez' holiday.