Day 7 - The San Ignacio Lagoon - Sunday, 13th February
Got up really early again this morning - about 4.30am. Too excited to sleep any more!
Wow! This is so amazing! It's got to a stage now where I really can't imagine not being on this boat and not waking up to stunning sun-rises and going to bed after stunning sun-sets! I honestly believe that life will never be the same again. I mean, how can it? We're all agreed that what will make it harder is that, because this is a shared experience amongst us, it will be almost impossible to explain it to all at home. Anyone who hasn't has this experience this past week simply will not get it!
This morning, we went for another Panga ride out into the lagoon in pursuit of Gray Whales. It sounds awful to say, but it was a bit disappointing in as much as we saw whales, but they weren't really up for playing with us, so we didn't really get any close encounters of any length. We concluded that maybe there were too many males around and the mothers were more concerned with trying to keep out of their way than play with us. Bloody men! They always get in the way!!
After a brief stop back at the boat, we went out again. This time it was into the mangrove swamps just off the lagoon. This proved to be very interesting and informative as we were looking mainly at the bird-life which lives there. Now, my knowledge of birds is not exactly extensive. I mean, I know what I know - especially when I go out to Rye Meads Nature Reserve armed with my RSPB book of birds, but it's pretty limited. I did feel a bit thick, actually. Especially as Mark was on my boat and everyone was asking him very intelligent questions and regaling him with wonderful wildfowl facts and I knew virtually nothing! I just pointed my camera and clicked when things were pointed out. I vowed not to go out in a boat with Mark again because it does make me feel very inadequate!! Everyone seems to have travelled so much more and know so many more useful things than I do! I mean, I can tell him all about the emotional life of my two cats and the little Robin redbreast that manages to evade them in the hedge outside my living room window...but I just don't think he'd be very interested!! Besides which, if I do open my mouth anywhere near him, rubbish just seems to flow out....!
So, we returned to the boat for yet another wonderful lunch before heading out to the Gray Whales again for the final time...
I told my concerns re: Mark to Sonya and she insisted that I got in a boat with her as it was bound to be a lucky boat! And so it proved! We had the fisherman who I'd been with before and he was really sweet and seemed to have more luck with the whales. Very soon, we encountered a mother and calf whom we named Bertha and Bertie. They loved us and we loved them! They stayed and played with us for well over an hour and it was the most wonderful experience of my life! Bertha kept pushing Bertie towards our boat and I did eventually manage to touch him! He had a hairy nose! I felt so elated! Any thoughts of photography went out of the window! I just had to experience the experience! Everyone on our boat was on a real high by the time we got back to the boat and it was all we could talk about for ages! I can finally say that I've touched a whale! Life will never be the same again......
Just because I've forgotten to mention - our boat is called 'The Spirit of Adventure'. Never has a boat been so aptly named. I feel like an adventurer on this holiday. I know many have done this before, but it's all a new adventure for me!
We had a fantastic evening! I sat with Sonya, Tony, Trish and Leslie and we all laughed so much! I don't think I've ever laughed so much in my life as I have this past few days! Dinner itself was fantastic as usual. Dan and Gary came up with the goods yet again! We were talking about Captain Mike and someone likened him to Clint Eastwood. I suppose there is something of the Clint Eastwoods about him. He's very very cool and you can imagine him, whilst he's up on the bridge at the helm of his boat, saying things like...'Go ahead Whale, make my day!' Clint should certainly play him if they ever made a film of his life!
We had another lecture from Mark after dinner and then shared more laughs before people made their way to bed. I, as is my routine, went out the back and watched the stars whilst reflecting on my day. If this is as good as it gets, then I'm a happy bunny!
Got up really early again this morning - about 4.30am. Too excited to sleep any more!
Wow! This is so amazing! It's got to a stage now where I really can't imagine not being on this boat and not waking up to stunning sun-rises and going to bed after stunning sun-sets! I honestly believe that life will never be the same again. I mean, how can it? We're all agreed that what will make it harder is that, because this is a shared experience amongst us, it will be almost impossible to explain it to all at home. Anyone who hasn't has this experience this past week simply will not get it!
This morning, we went for another Panga ride out into the lagoon in pursuit of Gray Whales. It sounds awful to say, but it was a bit disappointing in as much as we saw whales, but they weren't really up for playing with us, so we didn't really get any close encounters of any length. We concluded that maybe there were too many males around and the mothers were more concerned with trying to keep out of their way than play with us. Bloody men! They always get in the way!!
After a brief stop back at the boat, we went out again. This time it was into the mangrove swamps just off the lagoon. This proved to be very interesting and informative as we were looking mainly at the bird-life which lives there. Now, my knowledge of birds is not exactly extensive. I mean, I know what I know - especially when I go out to Rye Meads Nature Reserve armed with my RSPB book of birds, but it's pretty limited. I did feel a bit thick, actually. Especially as Mark was on my boat and everyone was asking him very intelligent questions and regaling him with wonderful wildfowl facts and I knew virtually nothing! I just pointed my camera and clicked when things were pointed out. I vowed not to go out in a boat with Mark again because it does make me feel very inadequate!! Everyone seems to have travelled so much more and know so many more useful things than I do! I mean, I can tell him all about the emotional life of my two cats and the little Robin redbreast that manages to evade them in the hedge outside my living room window...but I just don't think he'd be very interested!! Besides which, if I do open my mouth anywhere near him, rubbish just seems to flow out....!
So, we returned to the boat for yet another wonderful lunch before heading out to the Gray Whales again for the final time...
I told my concerns re: Mark to Sonya and she insisted that I got in a boat with her as it was bound to be a lucky boat! And so it proved! We had the fisherman who I'd been with before and he was really sweet and seemed to have more luck with the whales. Very soon, we encountered a mother and calf whom we named Bertha and Bertie. They loved us and we loved them! They stayed and played with us for well over an hour and it was the most wonderful experience of my life! Bertha kept pushing Bertie towards our boat and I did eventually manage to touch him! He had a hairy nose! I felt so elated! Any thoughts of photography went out of the window! I just had to experience the experience! Everyone on our boat was on a real high by the time we got back to the boat and it was all we could talk about for ages! I can finally say that I've touched a whale! Life will never be the same again......
Just because I've forgotten to mention - our boat is called 'The Spirit of Adventure'. Never has a boat been so aptly named. I feel like an adventurer on this holiday. I know many have done this before, but it's all a new adventure for me!
We had a fantastic evening! I sat with Sonya, Tony, Trish and Leslie and we all laughed so much! I don't think I've ever laughed so much in my life as I have this past few days! Dinner itself was fantastic as usual. Dan and Gary came up with the goods yet again! We were talking about Captain Mike and someone likened him to Clint Eastwood. I suppose there is something of the Clint Eastwoods about him. He's very very cool and you can imagine him, whilst he's up on the bridge at the helm of his boat, saying things like...'Go ahead Whale, make my day!' Clint should certainly play him if they ever made a film of his life!
We had another lecture from Mark after dinner and then shared more laughs before people made their way to bed. I, as is my routine, went out the back and watched the stars whilst reflecting on my day. If this is as good as it gets, then I'm a happy bunny!
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