Another mid-week post, there's too much going on to wait til the end of the week...
We're back near Bay Bulls (last time 1998) and being hosted by Louie and Anita in their old-style motel on the highway. A typical pretty harbour town, the name first showed up on a map in Portugal in 1572.
Massive ocean ships take on giant loads for offshore oil rigs. But the little boat we want is O'Brien's puffin and whale excursion. A million puffins guaranteed, but no such promise for the finny guys. Yet the skies are sunny and lucky today --- they're all around us!
I've wanted to say this since I was kid --- THAR SHE BLOWS! The humpbacks exhale at 200mph -- that's a heck of a sneeze. And the flash of green is actually a white fin seen in clear sea water.
Gorgeous.
The sense of being so close to these majestic animals is so awesome, so belittling. I can't help but post too many pictures...
The boat went so far out in the open water to follow the whales (no one complained) that there was less time to see birds. But a close pass of Gull Island was feathery icing on the blubbery cake. Massive flocks on land and in the sky, the biggest group in North America. Hens & chicks! Again, a sight overwhelming to behold.
The stars of the show are the silly stubby puffins. They come back to this rock after 3 years at sea to mate and gorge. They nest in burrows 3 to 6 feet in the turf. And then back to sea!!
A magical display of creatures undersea and overhead. But wait! On our way back, an attempted rescue of a seabird caught up in fish net. Many valiant tries but the bird could dive if not fly, and nature was left to take its course. And as if to say goodbye, a last salute from the Prince of Whales!
We're back near Bay Bulls (last time 1998) and being hosted by Louie and Anita in their old-style motel on the highway. A typical pretty harbour town, the name first showed up on a map in Portugal in 1572.
Massive ocean ships take on giant loads for offshore oil rigs. But the little boat we want is O'Brien's puffin and whale excursion. A million puffins guaranteed, but no such promise for the finny guys. Yet the skies are sunny and lucky today --- they're all around us!
I've wanted to say this since I was kid --- THAR SHE BLOWS! The humpbacks exhale at 200mph -- that's a heck of a sneeze. And the flash of green is actually a white fin seen in clear sea water.
Gorgeous.
The sense of being so close to these majestic animals is so awesome, so belittling. I can't help but post too many pictures...
The boat went so far out in the open water to follow the whales (no one complained) that there was less time to see birds. But a close pass of Gull Island was feathery icing on the blubbery cake. Massive flocks on land and in the sky, the biggest group in North America. Hens & chicks! Again, a sight overwhelming to behold.
A magical display of creatures undersea and overhead. But wait! On our way back, an attempted rescue of a seabird caught up in fish net. Many valiant tries but the bird could dive if not fly, and nature was left to take its course. And as if to say goodbye, a last salute from the Prince of Whales!
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