Our last day in sunny Victoria!

Monday – Lovely and sunny Victoria!     

               

Hello!

Wow, we are experiencing a truly lovely day, and (I hate to say this!) but it looks like it will be nice from beginning to end, which will definitely be a first!

Up about 6 and as, we’re abandoning Mom to go whale watching today, we decided to take her out for breakfast, so at least we’ll be sure she has one good meal.  We drove over to the Beacon Hill Drive-In, which, truly, is a drive in – although there is also an inside area, where we headed.  A fairly basic menu – how do you like your eggs? And ham, bacon or sausage?  They also came up with what they called a “really” hot sauce…obviously these people are not from Arizona or New Mexico!  So, overall, breakfast was so-so, but the venue was fun and we may return there sometime for ice cream!

Back to the flat to organize ourselves for whale watching. 

Lovely day, we have binoculars and bird books, sweaters and jackets…what more could we need?  Plenty, it turns out!  We got to the appointed spot by 9:30.  First we had to read, initial and sign the disclaimer form – which means that they are not responsible for anything at all, up to and including death!!  Ever wonder if these forms really work?!

Then came clothing assignment…oh boy!  Out came insulated pants to pull over what we had on, followed by the jacket assignment.  I was a bit concerned, as everyone else seemed to have a nice, newish red jacket…except for me, who was assigned a rather ratty (literally!) well worn jacket.  I will say, it was warm!  Then came gloves…make sure you get two, preferably one right and one left!  Thanks!  Then, to the boat.  However, before we could even GET on the boat, we got the lecture on 1) way to board the boat, 2) way to walk on the boat, and 3) what NOT to put down the nautical toilet!  All very interesting, to be sure!

Finally, we were allowed on board!  There are seven rows of seats – each seat to accommodate two people – on either side of a center aisle.  We weren’t quite full – maybe 23 or 24 people, including the two guides.  Out into the harbor, and then headed past the harbor entry lighthouse – at which point the boat got REALLY fast – something like 40 mph!  We were flying!!

 

We headed to the east of the harbor, and then up the east side of the island, where whales had been sighted earlier in the day.  (It looks like all the boat operators belong to the same association, and there is a great sharing of information and support, which is great!)

And, voila!  There they were!  A pod of transient Orca whales (distinct from resident Orca whales)!!  There looked to be about 6 whales, including a really, really tiny one, which they’re estimating at less than a year old!  There is a great deal of whale research going on in Victoria (in fact, a whale research boat was also out with us) and they distribute photographs and descriptions of the various whales as they transit the area.  “Our” pod was moving north along the coastline, and, as it turned out, looking for “lunch!”  Well…I do hate to report that they found it … they swum up and surprised a poor seal, which then quickly became food.  The transient Orca whales that we were following eat seals, sea lions, and beavers that they find along their path (the resident Orcas eat fish).  As they pass through an area quickly, there method of hunting is to be stealth whales and literally sneak up on an animal in the water.  They then grab their prey and move quickly out of the area, before the other seals, seal lions, etc. can figure out what’s going on.  As one of the guys said, they’re probably asking: Where’s Bob? And poof, he’s gone…hmmm…Robert constantly reminds me that whales have to eat too…I’d just really prefer them not to eat while I’m around!!

 

At any rate, we tracked the whales for over an hour, as they would surface in once place, then submerge, and come up quite a distance away.  We were amazed at how closely they went to shore – but apparently some seals will sun themselves on rocks at the shore line.  There was quite a crowd out on the water with us – other tour boats, sail boats and even the occasional kayaker closer to shore.

We really did have the opportunity to have an extended study of the whales; they are truly amazing creatures, and we feel so fortunate that we were able to see them so well today!

On the way back to the harbor, we visited a small outcropping of rock that was home to hundreds of cormorants and seals – or, as one of the guides called them, “sea sausages”…ugh!

Back to the dock about 1:30 p.m. after a very successful morning!!

Back to the flat, where Robert downloaded pictures and started charging up the camera again; he had almost run the battery down; fortunately, just enough power to make it through the complete cruise!

Robert and I were both truly starving – all that wind and water; you really build up an appetite!  And, as spaghetti has always been my comfort food, yep, that’s right – back to the Old Spaghetti Factory!  I had a repeat of what I had last week with Mom – salad, spaghetti with meat sauce and mizithra cheese, and spumoni for dessert.  Robert started with clam chowder and then moved on to spare ribs.  Mom had minestrone, spaghetti with meat sauce and spumoni.  Everyone very, very happy – and full, which is more to the point!

Walked back to the flat, where Mom is now reading, and R is now sleeping on the couch in front of the football game.  Me?  I’m blogging away!

More later!

m

xxx