Whale Watch Trips Solar Power Energy
Generation Guide
Whale Watch Trips Ending In A Seasickness Disaster
By Genevieve Thomson
Whale watch trips can be the experience of a lifetime.
It’s hard to fathom just what a 90-foot-long blue whale
really looks like until you see him with your own eyes.
You can watch videos of 100 humpbacks migrating, but
you can’t get a sense of what it would feel like to
see it for yourself.
Then, there’s always that one that is just a little
bit curious about the menagerie of spectators, and wants
to swim up and investigate. "If you make eye contact
with a whale you are never the same again — ever,"
says Benji Shake of the Princess Monterey Whale Watching
cruise. However, your cruise of a lifetime can quickly
turn into a huge disappointment if you’re not prepared.
Sea Sickness On An Open Air Boat
Veteran cruiser Bob Messina of Georgia recalls one
horrific experience in February of 2007. After 11 days
aboard the MSC Lirica, he and his wife decided to book
passage aboard a whale watching boat for $71 out of
Samana, Dominican Republic.
The passengers boarded a 24-foot open-air boat with
30 seats, no bathroom and no cover. Despite the 6-8
foot swells, the tour operators handed out seasickness
pills and assured them everything would be fine. Two
women seated next to Messina started throwing up within
minutes.
Whale Chasing At Full Speed After Every Water Sprout
"For the next hour and a half, we experienced
rough seas and what we called ‘whale chasing,’ not whale
watching," he explains. Five boats in the prime
watch area would wait to see a spout and take off at
full-speed to get a closer look, despite regulations
mandating that whale watching boats stay at least 100
feet away.
Messina recalls, "After about two hours, people
started barfing everywhere, due to the rough sea conditions.
Most of the passengers wanted to go back to the ship,
but the operator said he needed to stay out for at least
three hours."
Eager Tourists Armed With Cameras
Travelers usually expect to see something on their
whale watch trips and tour operators desperately want
to make that magic happen, and at any cost. Once the
initial seasickness had subsided, the boat arrived at
the prime whale watching area, along with five other
boats full of eager tourists, armed with cameras.
In this distance, a couple of humpback whales leapt
out of the water. The tour operators fired up the engines
and began pounding over the surf in pursuit of the majestic
giants. The travelers were hanging on for dear life,
fighting seasickness and trying to catch a glimpse of
anything besides the walls of water before them. "Then
the guy behind us puked all over us," Bob Messina
recalls.
Avoiding Disasters By Picking The Calmest Day
"My wife almost joined in! At this point, everyone
was yelling ‘take us back to the ship!’ The boat turned
back finally, but halfway there, they shut down the
engines and offered us some coke or water. They again
said that they needed to stay out for at least three
hours to get paid. I guess the lesson is don’t count
on the cruise line to watch out for your safety; all
they want is the mighty buck."
To get the most out of whale watch trips, be sure you
do your research first. Find out what whales can be
expected at what time of the year. Look at the weather
and the tide schedule to pick the calmest day.
Most Whales Are Active In The Morning
Go early to get the most sightings, since whales tend
to be most active in the mornings. Take your seasickness
medication, eat a carbohydrates-filled breakfast, grab
your ginger ale and dress up in warm layers (even if
it seems like a nice day).
Do bring your camera, but make sure you have a strap
around your neck and a covering to protect it from possible
water damage. Make sure all your batteries are fully
charged. Remember, patience is a virtue.
Take Cleaner Images Without A Zoom
Waiting for humpbacks or blue whales to come up closer
to the whale watching boat is probably worth your while,
since the more you zoom in, the grainier your photo
will be and the jerkier your video recording will be.
Lastly, there is no guarantee you’ll spot anything,
so don’t let one bad whale watching cruise ruin your
opinion. Next time, try a different day, a different
spot or a different operator and you just may be pleasantly
surprised!
About the Author:
Genevieve Thomson has written a number of articles on
solar power and renewable energy including
Solar Power System,
Wind And Solar Power,
Solar Thermal,
Alternative Power Systems,
Alternative Energy Sources, Ethanol
Fuel , Alternative
Fuel Vehicles, Wetland
Ecosystems, Curbside
Recycling, Deforestation,
Forest
Ecosystems, Recycling
Programs, Reduce
Reuse Recycle.
Look out for new articles as they become available on
this site.
Little Known Whale Watching Cruise Facts.....
What types of whales can you see on a whale watching
cruise?
Some whales are more commonly seen
during certain months. That is when they come closer
to shore and it is easier to see them. If you want to
see California Gray Whales then you need to take a whale
watching cruise during the months of December through
April.
The whales are traveling south
at this time and it is a great time to visit Monterey,
California to check out this "Gray Whale Migration Highway).
During the summer months you get the opportunity to
see quite a lot of whales. You can see: fin whales,
minke whales, orcas, blue whales and even the huge humpback
whales.
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