"Down The Arm"

With waters as smooth as silk every stroke seemd effortless and the hulls of our boats easily sliced the crystal clear surface of the Arm.

Tony choosing a course through The Duck Islands.

With a spectacular day behind us we depart for home under a setting sun. So ends our day and so ends our Bull Arm paddle last Saturday.

"Duck Islands"

Near Bull Island are a bunch of smaller islands which all seem to connect underwater. Sort of like a rolling meadow with all the deeper compressions filled with water. When you paddle in and around them you are treated to shallow under water vistas suitable for easy viewing and I dear say fishing as there are lots of shoal(y) type areas for fish to feed and feel protected. We decided to lunch here on Saturday in the afternoon sun and just really take it all in.

An underwater glimpse of some water creatures.

Just organising lunch. Nice day for a Saturday Tony?

"Ripples"

Upon Reflection...........

Critters big and small are in Bull Arm. This little guy got our attention as we were on our way back from Duck Islands and Bull ISland Tickle. I thought at first he was kind of floundering in the water but in retrospect he may have been just finding his way on his own. Later we saw a few other bigger seals that were perhaps looing for him.

This Bald Eagle was spotted on our way out the Arm. There appears to be some animal diversity in this quiet community. Perhaps of course "the quiet" affording this opportunity.

Upon further reflection it felt like we were paddling on a lake not a coastal arm. Bull Arm I am sure has its' share of wind and sassy weather like any part of NFLD. Today however was to be tranquil and relaxing. It was a day of roving on the water and dilly-dallying around most of the day. The water was so clear and near the Duck Islands at the exit of the arm into Trinity Bay you could see clear to the bottom and there sure were a lot of scallops down there I wouldn't have minded getting to. Lots of sealife on the floor of the arm as well.

Of course the paddle was with Tony but it is nice when the other animals show up on the paddle as well. Our blogs always have pictures of us. Sometimes it is difficult because of conditions or geography to capture the life around us. Today we did.

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.

My Hull

My attractive kayak hull. The whale probably was admiring all the scratches thinking they were perhaps scars like on his own body. Maybe not but the hull does look fishy.

Humpedback Whale: A Whale's Tale

A Whale's Tale

Tony and I wanted to paddle on Saturday past. I suggested a paddle originally from Bellvue Beach to Bull's Arm. We settled on Bull's Arm at the top of the isthmus that connects the Avalon Peninsula to the rest of Newfoundland. It is a typical Newfoundland outport with character, charm and of course Newfoundland hospitality evident straight from our put-in. Senior Hiscock of the community was very helpful and generous in allowing us to enter near his staging From then on it was simply adventure and a most awesome paddle with lots of wildlife above and below water and warm weather to sharpen the trip. 

The word leviathan is pretty much synonymous with a large sea monster or creature. It is the modern Hebrew name for whale I believe. Today we came eye to eye so to speak with one such leviathan, the Humpedback Whale, on our paddle. Every cent and every hour ever spent on kayaking to this point in my life  was worth it, for the moments of this day.

I don't think he came out of no where as we heard his blow hole earlier. I also felt several times his blow hole spray when he was maneuvering around me on the waters' surface. Ithought it would smell fishy, as I heard it did, but I couldn't smell anything but the salt water.When he did come he came as a huge graceful  monolith. Slithering beneath me I felt totally frighted and in awe at the same time. I wasn't sure what his behavior would be but his persistance allowed me time to photograph some of his magnificent movements under and very near me.

I really didn't realise his size until his back at one point was right beside my kayak. He seemed attracted to it. Perhaps because of the color. I'll post an under water shot of the boat hull at the end. He also surfaced many times right beside me. Flicking his tail ever so gently for the colossal size and resting his huge head parrallel to the side of my kayak in the water. The above water shots I will post another time but his underwater show was just as spectacular to me.

From various angles he studied me and i him. I felt he was trying to communicate something. Maybe ...just get the hell out of here....but it did not feel like that at all.

I tried in vain to figure out what was going on. I dare not move my kayak I was spell bound and totaaly enthralled in this display. I wasn't scared he was observing me for so long. Even poking his head up like a seal right beside me and looking me in the eyes. I felt so small and humbled. For a time I felt part of the food chain. I know Humpedbacks don't attack humans

 but his size was very diminsihing to me.

He was either playing with me or courting my kayak. His on water behavior was even more peculiar in his display of unconventional positions and movements. Well at least unconventional to what we normally see as his feeding behaviours. I wasn't moving, he could have departed, but choose to stay and reveal his playful antics.

Strangely enough I had just watched one of those corny Jaws movies last week. With this in the back of my mind I looked over and saw him rising not quite as quickly as the hair on the back of my neck I might add but rising and then rolling over exposing his underside and flukes as he glided beneath my boat. It was simply amazing and something I've never experienced before.

His gigantic size cannot truely be appreciated here but though he was probably meters beneath me he felt everywhere. I just couldn't surmise what he might do next. So I just kept sticking my arm in the water with the camera attached hoping for the best and being entertained on a scale that has no comparisons.

I knew there was an end in sight and surely he'd soon tire of me and my boat. That was a close encounter of a whale kind and a whale tale I shall cherish for times to come. I shall never forget this day, the sunshine, the whale, my humility, my humanness and the sharing of it with my pal Tony Roestenberg. What a friggin' day Tony!