July 19th 2008:
Leviathan Morning Breath.
At about 6am, 2 hours into my morning watch, I heard a very loud whoosh; looking up to port, just in time to see a small dorsal fin and a very long, glistening, black body slide underwater.
For the next 2 ½ hours were graced with the presence of six Pilot whales; all being 35-40 feet in length. At first, they would stay off about a quarter of a mile on the port side. Then they would circle the boat, coming up the STB side, across the bow, and then repeat the whole process again several times. About an hour into this, they started their Dolphin imitation, albeit in slow motion. We have had Dolphins playing at the bow on numerous occasions. They will dart back and forth, surface to breath, nudge their friends out of the way, twisting and turning over and under their mates. Now, imagine the same thing, but with 35-40 foot Pilot whales. Sitting on the bow, I could reach down and almost reach their dorsal fin. Sometimes they would be 4 abreast. Like Dolphins, they would roll on to their side, looking up at me. I was in total awe. So much so, I didn't leave to get my camera for fear of missing something. They would surface and blow, not more than 10 feet off the bow. Fishy, wet morning breath that had a rainbow. Hmmm…..and I had just brushed my teeth.
After a quite a long time, they moved off to our stern when I finally felt satisfied enough to fetch my camera. Being the shutter bug that I am, I clicked away, using up two sets of worn out rechargeable batteries. I had to be content to just watch the rest of the show. I had to wonder if they were just as curious about us, as we were of them.
And yes, whales do have lips.
I just had to get this out, this has to be one of the most amazing things I have seen under sail.
John