Bahia Magdalena
Should it be surprising that a wild animal should seek us out for an encounter? I think so. It would be like any potential prey animal seeking out a predator to play with. Curious animals should be selected out of a population over time, unless there is some advantage to being bold and curious. Some reward should be gained for taking a chance with the unknown. How does this grey whale calf know that one of our Lindblad Expedition guests isn't going to stick his finger into its eye like may happen in this photo? Possibly the reward is a chance for mere pleasure. Most of us are willing to take that chance. Perhaps this calf and its mom know from experience that if they stay around, we'll excitedly squeal and giggle. They are trusting and gentle, with a desire to reach out and cross a species barrier and enter an odd and foreign world. They, in turn, deliver us into their world, and that is what makes the experience so very special.
Watching these leviathans was the highlight of our day, but lots of other activities happened as well. Very early this morning we pulled anchor from Boca de Soledad and the cow/calf pair that were there to find a few more whales. The early morning was spent cruising the Hull Channel as the sun filled the clear and beautiful sky. At low tide, there were egrets and herons galore, as well as waterfowl and shorebirds. The area around San Carlos had at least fourteen whales, so whale watching quickly consumed our time until the afternoon. We passed into the calm Pacific about 6:00 p.m. and watched a beautiful green-flash sunset as we headed south for the tip of the peninsula.
Should it be surprising that a wild animal should seek us out for an encounter? I think so. It would be like any potential prey animal seeking out a predator to play with. Curious animals should be selected out of a population over time, unless there is some advantage to being bold and curious. Some reward should be gained for taking a chance with the unknown. How does this grey whale calf know that one of our Lindblad Expedition guests isn't going to stick his finger into its eye like may happen in this photo? Possibly the reward is a chance for mere pleasure. Most of us are willing to take that chance. Perhaps this calf and its mom know from experience that if they stay around, we'll excitedly squeal and giggle. They are trusting and gentle, with a desire to reach out and cross a species barrier and enter an odd and foreign world. They, in turn, deliver us into their world, and that is what makes the experience so very special.
Watching these leviathans was the highlight of our day, but lots of other activities happened as well. Very early this morning we pulled anchor from Boca de Soledad and the cow/calf pair that were there to find a few more whales. The early morning was spent cruising the Hull Channel as the sun filled the clear and beautiful sky. At low tide, there were egrets and herons galore, as well as waterfowl and shorebirds. The area around San Carlos had at least fourteen whales, so whale watching quickly consumed our time until the afternoon. We passed into the calm Pacific about 6:00 p.m. and watched a beautiful green-flash sunset as we headed south for the tip of the peninsula.
