Keeping Track with Humpbacks

Otters: Inside the Harbor

The Whales Singing?

If I stick my head under the water--or just slip on in completely--what sounds will I hear these humpbacks making at this time of year and in this place?  (In Hawaii, in December 2009, I could hear the humpbacks singing whenever I went swimming.)  

Or, will I just hear the wailing of the anchovies?

Kayaking: Whales Feeding Near the Jetty

Folks on the jetty were treated to a feeding show for over two hours that I witnessed with whales feeding within 10-30 yards. Jeff and I were about to head back into the harbor at the end of the afternoon paddle when two humpbacks in tandem lunged forth and then another humpback spouted right behind us! Too cool!

We didn't get any shots of that finale, but here are two more of my shots of a humpback feeding a little earlier.

Kayaking: Humpback Whale off Moss Landing

No zoom here, so this whale was even closer than it looks in the photo!

And I had back-paddled before taking the shot because I could see bubbles and possibly a back beneath and just in front of my kayak.

And, JP reminds me:  "And just picture how much whale there is below the surface: more than 2/3s of the humpback lies ahead of its 'hump' & its ventral fins are about the length of the tail section that's visible here."

A very special moment on a very special day:  I felt blessed.  Still do.

Kayaking: Brooks Island

The Surfer and the Shadow

 What's that shadow in the water?

Probably, a mass of kelp.  There was quite a bit of kelp in the water, in the surfzone, and on the shore.

Dolphin?  Seal?  Maybe a fellow surfer or two duck-diving?

Here's the picture I took just before the one with the shadow in the water.

Kelp-Beauty; Or, Why I Dive

My favorite kelp shot this summer.

I originally posted it last month, but I found myself returning to this picture again and again, so I return it to you.

Fuzzy Boats

Police boats for the City of Richmond.

Maybe I can use these shots to help with those notes/drafts for that crime story I'm flirting with.

Water drops on the amphib-camera: my apologies.

Lovely Day: Pacifica

I swam out and played in the waves for a while today.
I need to do that a bit more often.

TBT: Boyhood / Summer

Swimming Out: A Sequence

 Lindamar.