Whale Watching Pics - Yesterday in Monterey...
I just came back from a brilliant trip to Monterey Bay, California. I had a lovely time. Have a look!
A sea lion sitting on a buoy checks out Sea Wolf II as we ease out of the wharf:
Humpback whale in Monterey Bay:
For more, click on these links:
People Watching a Whale on the Bay
The Breakwater on the Way Back
If I'm in the mood, I'll show you some pics I took at the aquarium later.
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Ohhhhh, how I love Sea Lions!
Awwww. I could watch sea lions all day. They're a hoot.
The one time I was in San Francisco, I tried to just spend my day at Fisherman's Wharf watching them. Alas, I was with people that wanted to DO things in California.
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My idea of "doing" things in California consists of observing wildlife. Between the boat trip and the aquarium, I was agog all day.
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Their whiskers remind me of my puppy dog's. We call him our little "sea lion face". LOL
For my sea lion fans, here's a big version of the above picture:
Sea Lion on Buoy
Be sure to zoom in.
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Gorgeous GORGEOUS Pics, Iruka!!!!!
Ooohh, I love animals. And those are breathtaking. I must add my voice to the chorus of people who love sea lions. We have harbour seals up in Vancouver, and they're pretty damn cute.
See?
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I went kayaking in Monterey Bay, sea otters are like 10 times cuter than sea lions, and i got to see them from 10 ft away.
BTW Glamorkat! I'm going up to Vancouver in in June, is there anything cool to do there?
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Sea otters are seriously adorable.
Vancouver is pretty fun. Depends on what you like doing, but there's something for everyone. We have whale tours as well, awesome trails and mountains, great beaches, a pretty cool bar/club scene. There's seriously almost too much to do here. Maybe I can be your tour guide! LOL
But make time for the Vancouver Aquarium, Stanley Park, and Granville Island. And go shopping on Granville(fun stores), Robson(classy stores) and also on Commercial Drive(Hippy stores).
That's my advice. Now, back to cute animals!
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Nice pics!
I love harbor seals, too. (We Americans leave the "u" out...just like we do when we spell "color," "honor," and "Vancover." ) We also like to put all commas and periods inside quotes whether they're part of the quote or not. I prefer the British / Canadian punctuation, but hey, I can't help where I was born.
Harbor seals have a HUGE range, which includes the Atlantic as well as the Pacific oceans. I usually see quite a few when I visit Monterey, but I missed them this time around. I did see two wild sea otters, but only got a close look in the aquarium--and no pics this time.
If you haven't seen it, I recommend renting or buying the Blue Planet DVD series. It is incredibly awesome! Sea Wolf II and Nancy Black of Monterey Bay Whale Watch are included. I've seen her and Captain Ternullo on a ton of documentaries about transient killer whales. She wasn't on Sea Wolf II yesterday. Apparently she was looking for orcas on one of the other boats. (I LOVE Sea Wolf II !!!!!)
The aquarium now has African and Asian river otters on display, but the little fuckers were so busy I didn't get a single non-blurry pic. I learned a bit about my digital camera yesterday which should come in handy on my next trip. The camera was a gift from my mother last spring and I've gone nuts with it. I've always been a pretty decent photographer and the digital cam has helped (except with those blasted river otters!).
The herniated disc in my back got to me after the boat trip so I ended up in a wheelchair for the aquarium tour. I'll continue to work on my health and stamina as best I can, but I'm lucky I got to have such a wildlife-rich day. I treasure such days SO MUCH.
I've seen such spectacular animals during my trips around the state. In Monterey Bay I've seen blue whales, gray whales, humpback whales, orcas (preying on a sea lion!), Northern right whale dolphins, Pacific white-sided dolphins, long-beaked common dolphins, Risso's dolphins, sea otters, sea lions and harbor seals. Up here in my beautiful county I am treated to frequent wildlife adventures involving all kinds of critters. Someday I'll regale you with a story or three.
Yesterday was so exciting I had trouble sleeping last night. I have to admit I'm pretty tired. But happy.
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Yeah, and California sea lions bark, too. A LOT. ALL DAY. ALL NIGHT. Pinnipeds are the shiznit, even noisy California sea lions.
I understand a stellar (or Northern) sea lion has been making an occasional appearance near the Monterey Bay Aquarium. We also caught a brief glimpse of a Northern fur seal.
Northern fur seal:
(obviously not one of my photos)
The bay is also home to Northern elephant seals.
Interesting factoids about elephant seals:
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Kayaking in Monterey Bay is on my list of things to do, but I'd have to be paired with someone whose health is a little more reliable than mine. I have envied kayakers from afar and noticed they were able to paddle right up to the sea otters.
You're right. Sea otters are very cute. I have gotten some good looks at wild ones from the shore, piers and from boats and there is, of course, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which always has sea otters on display. They're a hoot to watch. I understand all otters are extremely feisty. Yes, they're cute, but they aren't cuddly. In my opinion, their feistiness just adds to the allure. All otters are intelligent, playful, inquisitive and very busy when awake. Those blasted river otters in the aquarium wouldn't hold still for even a second. I had to laugh at all those blurry otter pics I took. Pthththtth. Next time I'll increase shutter speed a bit.
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I was in Vancouver once while on choir tour in college. We didn't stay very long, but I was impressed by the city. It's quite lovely. Maybe someday I'll be able to return.
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BTW, GlamourKat (or since I'm American, should I spell it "GlamorKat"? ), Blue Planet has a wonderful sequence on the mating rituals of harbor seals. The males listen to each other's throats as they vocalize. It sounds like a long, drawn-out grunt. It was hella funny, watching them listen to one another's vocalizations.
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Incredible pictures! Thanks for sharing them. Sea lions are too cute for words and whales are just...breathtaking!