Rainy and Sunny Sunday…

July 27, 2014

Under a starry but a lightly dusted altocumulus sky (cloud like a thin layer of un-carded sheep’s wool) we paralleled the coast of the Zuytdorp Cliffs on a NE bearing.  Between 12 and 1 am the wind finally switched from NNW to SW and calmed to 12-15 knots.

There is no traffic and no major threatening weather and all is good as we trundle north at 7.8 knots.  On and on we go – it will be nice to see whales off Ningaloo very soon, tomorrow in fact and then off Dampier and near Broome a few days later.  All of these places hold great significance in our hearts as we have travelled this coastline following whales for the last 20 years in various kinds of craft.

Under grey skies we are still happy to see whale tails!

Under grey skies we are still happy to see whale tails!

Looking out the window when I woke at 0730 the vista was grey drizzle.  RRRR, it is getting calmer but now it is raining…  I guess you can’t have everything!  I didn’t think we were going to the northwets!  By 1422 the rain stopped and calm seas and blue sky (with 5/8 cloud) combined to make for very pleasant conditions.  We just need some whales…  This is the thing – we have all the abilities to be distracted by whales but the reality is we just want to get to the Kimberley.  There, we will have calm weather under blue skies and myriads of whales.

Curt is keen to put the pedal to the metal and just get there… and so we shall.  Excitement plus awaits us.  After lunch of hot pasta and chicken Adobo, rice and salad all the crew is licking their lips.  Curt, Leighton, Jonathan and Johnny work out recording from the Current Corporation camera and everyone is starting to get excited at the prospect of what we can gather.  I am so glad they are sorting it out now, rather than later in the middle of something amazing.

The air is crystal clear after the cleansing rain.  Bernier Island, the northern island of the three forming the outer barrier of Shark Bay, 5 nm away, is crisp and sharp in our vision.  Reddish-brown, pale green Spinifex and darker green vegetation glow in the bright clear light.  SW swell crashing on the cliffs encircles the land like white gleaming teeth.  Bright blue sky is dotted with cumulus over a bright blue sea with barely a white cap in sight.

A footprint of a humpback whale travelling north.  Many tail beats will take the whale north and south on a winter mission!

A footprint of a humpback whale travelling north. Many tail beats will take the whale north and south on a winter mission!

The film boys play with GoPros and get all sorts of angles and pole footage of the boat and waves as we see a few whales in the drizzle and then more later in the sunshine.  All up 26 pods of  41 humpback whales are recorded on our datasheet.  Dinner of Restys’ delicious curried eggplant with vegetables, steamed rice, beef steak Tagalog and salad were fabulous – again!  Thanks Resty!

Under a starry sky I call it quits and make my way to bed for a good nights’ sleep.  Everyone is settling in and getting the feel for life at sea on board our fair ship Whale Song.

Happy, happy to be at sea,

Mich

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