Humpback On The Surface

Sun Bathing

So Saturday was a beautiful sunny day. How fitting for a community called Sunnyside. We were however in Bull Arm kayaking. It certainly proved to be the place to be. Yesterday I posted about a Humpback encounter and a wonderful underwater display he put on for Tony and I. Today you can see his topside show of curiosity, bewilderment, playfulness and perhaps communication. Certainly whatever was going on was very moving to say the least.

Coming closer to investigate we began to get a good impression of the size of this whale. Right then he is just sizing us up. With a few sprays from his blowhole we got to feel him as much as see him.

He bobbed up and down getting a glimpse at eye level for us both. Too bad for the water droplet but you get a good perspective of the size of his head. A small portion of his head.

Still there??

He seemed to understand that I wasn't going anywhere. He wanted to be sure I guess that I ws harmless. I wasn't moving perhaps he thought I was an injured fish not a foe.

I'll just roll over a few times to see what you look like upside down.....

Are you sure you know how big I am and where my blowhole is?

Ok, Ok,  you know, but did you know that I can roll too? Watch!

I have an offside roll as well.............

and since you appear to be so still and not moving, I'll clap for my own performance. Thank you...thank you very much!

I'm going to wind up for my curtain call......don't be too alarmed .....but you probably will....

of course I sure was as he maneuvered around me to his own tune. Flickung his tail gently at my boat and stretching out so that his whole length was extended across the water surface showing his flukes in the front and his belly and tail closer to me. The waves he created right beside me were gentle and didn't require any kind of bracing. It was as if he knew. His control was impeccable and his ability to read our situation was astounding. I was at a loss at this point for anything other than total amazement. What a spectacle, how privleged I felt to have been able to witness and be part of this wonderful encounter and sit at home each day now and wonder really what it meant.

Of course like a fighter pilot tipping his wing at a target he let go on land, this humpback actually submerged so that just a part of his tail fin was exposed and meandered around a bit in that stance like a shrk fin on the surface of the ocean, as if to say, "see you, I know you are here but now so are you aware of all of me."  I can only thank the whale gods for all of everything Tony and I were witness to on Saturday. Off he went to the otherside of the arm. We did not engage him as he left. Later we tried but he was busy with his own activities and had obviously figured us out but left us with lots to talk about and figure out for ourselves. What more can be said other than please treat these animals with respect as we did and I hope that you someday may have this magical experience to share with others too.