A typical weekend (whale watching pics)

[Far_X]

Well, I thought I would illustrate a typical weekend in sunny New York. I nearly didn't take my camera out with me this weekend but I thought I may as well get the good folks on Zendiving some decent photos for a change. Now I am experimenting a bit with you here. Normally I would not let a photo out into the public arena without major doctoring...LOL. However, I have decided to try and aim for for perfection within the camera and so the photos I present to you have not been altered except for a reduction in size. They represent that which was taken.



Saturday Morning: The day started off with a glorious sunrise.


http://www.zendiving.com/gallery/data/623/Nice_Start2.jpg


On the way out, the sea is getting rougher and some of our passengers stare out towards the horizon...

http://www.zendiving.com/gallery/data/623/Waiting_to_get_there.jpg


Others take to the bed and try to sleep the journey off...

http://www.zendiving.com/gallery/data/623/Need_to_lie_down.jpg


Yours truly lets the weather eventually get to him and thinks it is prudent to put the camera away... :D

After a couple of dives on the San Diego (no pics, sorry), we head back to port and reach there two and a half hours later.

The following morning, it is a quick beach dive where my dive video sucks so bad it is barely holding its own on the hard disk drive. We check out another potential beach dive site but realise that the walk involves half a mile from the parking lot and the boats come too close to the beach. I dump my gear in a dive buddy's truck as one of my other buddies is going to rinse and dry my equipment when I go whale watching after I chewed her and another out for not waiting at the dive exit and Steve and I were waiting fifteen minutes wondering where the hell they were. (I picked my gear up this evening and she did a good job and she is forgiven.) So I head off to Montauk.

The first encounter were some whales off in the distance that I couldn't get any decent photos. We travel onewards and eastwards, deeper into the Great South Channel. Then we come across a massive pod of dolphins that is easily 100 in number. They are darting about all over the place and my video footage captures my amateur videographing skills perfectly. :D However, I have sense of mind to try and take a few photos for Pue. So Pue, say hi to the dolphin... :)

http://www.zendiving.com/gallery/data/623/dolphin.jpg

We move further on and the whale encounters are growing more frequent and the whales get closer to the boat.

http://www.zendiving.com/gallery/data/623/closeness.jpg

And suddenly, we are surrounded by whales on all sides. I so badly wanted to jump into the water... Fortunately, I had left my video housing with my dive buddy so I wouldn't be tempted... :D

http://www.zendiving.com/gallery/data/623/tail_sideview.jpg


http://www.zendiving.com/gallery/data/623/tail.jpg


Some of the whale are breaching...

http://www.zendiving.com/gallery/data/623/breaching.jpg


http://www.zendiving.com/gallery/data/623/breaching2.jpg


http://www.zendiving.com/gallery/data/623/breaching3.jpg


Some are feeding...

http://www.zendiving.com/gallery/data/623/feeding.jpg


Some calves just want to say hello...

http://www.zendiving.com/gallery/data/623/saying_hello.jpg


And others are just happy to be around...

http://www.zendiving.com/gallery/data/623/smile.jpg

And in the midst of all this, the shearwaters are trying to get out of the way when not trying to pinch a missed fish or two...

http://www.zendiving.com/gallery/data/623/taking_off.jpg


All too soon, it is time to move on. The weather starts to get rough and we are six hours away from Nantucket. We head for there so we can at least spend half the night in the protection of the island as 10 foot seas are on their way. We reach Nantucket at midnight, anchor up and then in the morning, as we eat breakfast, we head for Martha's Vineyard. Most people are relieved to get off the boat. I stay on as I don't want to be stuck on Martha's Vineyard just waiting for the boat to return in six hours. The day passes quickly and we pick up the tourists from the dock. We head for Long Island and the day ends in a wonderful sunset.

http://www.zendiving.com/gallery/data/623/night_night.jpg

Thanks for spending some time reading and looking at the pretty pics. :D

[Dee]

A beautiful weekend....thanks!

[Cold_H2O]

Far ~ Thank you.. Princess Pue will be very pleased..
I know I am...

Looks like a fabulous time.

[Bubblepuppy]

Far..it must have been an awe inspiring weekend.....incredible...makes one really appreciate this world we live in.
Thanks for the great pics.

[wb416]

Incredible visuals. Those are remarkable and awe-inspiring creatures!

Thanks for sharing!

[drdiver]

Very, very nice pics. Awesome. Thanks so much for sharing.

[Far_X]

Thanks for your thanks. :) My photos could never do justice to the majesty of these creatures. I tried to capture them the best I could. To think that these creatures were almost wiped out - they may yet still. It annoys me to think of man's stupidity and egocentricity. They waste billions in fighting these stupid wars which all boil down to someone's ego in the end. We are a wasteful society and I for one am going to try and do more things about it.

[Fish_Whisperer]

Beautiful, Ishmael... Wow!! I agree: I would have soooooo wanted to hop in the water!!

Yours Truly,
-Capt. Ahab

[Zendiver]

WOW....totally awesome FX....those are some incredible shots. Even though the photos are incredible, I bet they do NO justice for actually being there and seeing those majestic creatures in their natural habitat. Like the Chcuk says, "It makes one really appreciate this world we live in." I honestly don't know if I could have stayed out of the water at that point....totally amazing and again, thank you for sharing.

[Bubblepuppy]

WOW....totally awesome FX....those are some incredible shots. Even though the photos are incredible, I bet they do NO justice for actually being there and seeing those majestic creatures in their natural habitat. Like the Chcuk .........

Far, you have ZD so excited he's stuttering........:D

[Far_X]

Far, you have ZD so excited he's stuttering........:D
I was thinking that was some member I hadn't heard of. :D

[Bubblepuppy]

Humans will never be able to build anything that will come close to the majesty and wonderment that nature has.

[Zendiver]

yes, reading and looking at the photos got me very excited yet brought me to a state of of ease.....which I really needed.

[pennypue]

Hi Dolphin!!! :wavey:

FarX, thanks for the wonderful and the fantastic story around it. Almost all the pics were beautiful.....except for the two guys cutting lumber in the bunk!!!!! LOL

Nice to know you were thinking of me and my visual needs. :D

[Far_X]

Hi Dolphin!!! :wavey:

FarX, thanks for the wonderful and the fantastic story around it. Almost all the pics were beautiful.....except for the two guys cutting lumber in the bunk!!!!! LOL

Nice to know you were thinking of me and my visual needs. :D
Two guys and one woman!!! :D

[Mrs.Prages]

The woman must be the one wrapped in the coroner's sheet in the background.

Um ~ this story, I don't want to know. :D

[Far_X]

And there are two more on the benches further to the right and two also lying on the floor. At least I didn't get seasick till after I had done two dives!! :D