South
of the Border,
Episode
9 Dec 27-31
Puerto
Vallarta 2
Thar
she blows! I had often read this in
stories about Whales, like Moby Dick, Beneath the Twelve Mile Reef and the
like. To me then, it was just another ‘fishy’ phrase just like ‘ anchors away’
or ‘Hard Port’ & so on. That, to the tar, these words meant a lot, but to a
landlubber like me, it was some sort of gibberish! However, as one grew up, my
love for nature became more inclusive, having started from just Birds, and
going on to animals, reptiles & so on.
To be honest, channels like National
Geographic & Discovery have brought Nature right into our homes &
hearts. I was always fascinated by the pictures that were published in NG and
at the same time, marveled at the passion, dedication & application of
those numerous ‘researchers’, who have risked their lives in order to get
closer to creatures, with whom we are destined to share this world.
So, when plans were being made of our
trip to PV, ‘Whale watching’ got a 100% thumbs up. Of course, each one had
something different in her/his visualization of the watch. 28th
afternoon, we all proceeded in a mini-bus to the wharf at the Opequimar Marine
Centre, from where, we were to embark upon
Op WW (pl figure that out!)
The wharf area was packed with craft of
all shapes & sizes, an indication that yatching/sailing was very much the
culture of PV! While the formalities of the trip were being concluded, everyone
played the guessing game of “which is our boat”? Finally, the guy at the place pointed to a
vessel coming our way, indicating that we were going on that one, The Acalli ! 
After the yacht docked/berthed (whatever!),
we all climbed up the ladder, with sparkling chrome side bars. Our shoes were
told to be kept aside & we all went to the front of the yacht, where
comfortable seating/lounging arrangements had been made. Having cast off, we headed in the
direction of the open sea, watching the wharf & other buildings fall back,
till they were just a blur. 
There was the lounge below, with a bar & barman
in place, the wardrooms below ( visited only to use the banos!) & the upper deck. The first hour or so was
generally spent in exploring the craft, with drinks & snacks doing the
rounds & photo sessions! Soon, we realized that the waters were looking
darker & the skipper had reduced the speed considerably. His first mate
goaded the kids to say, ”whale whale, show me your tail”!!
At the same time, we were trying to get
as much info from the skipper as to percentage of sightings, whether other
craft in the area share info, ‘ how do you know where to look’ & do the
whales attack the boats? The sun was
slowly sinking, the skies turning a different colour, light slowly fading, as
were our hopes. The yacht had changed direction now & executing a wide
turn! This is it, I thought. End of the ride!! But the skipper knew the ocean (
at least that part) like the proverbial back
of his palm.
And suddenly, someone below shouted (I
was on the upper deck) ,”Look, look , whales. Mad rush & a scramble to get
ringside seats, except that here, everyone had a ringside seat. After fixing
ones gaze in ‘that’ direction, we saw what looked like big black curved shapes, going under the
water. There was no knowing where they would surface next (hopefully not under
us!), but the skipper had not earned his cap for nothing. He pointed out to us, the
general area to look at.
A slight digress. I am of the firm
belief, that animals, birds ( all God’s creatures) have been blessed with an
extraordinary sense of “threat”, and yes, a sense of humour! The readers must’ve
read or heard of creatures putting up a display, when their sixth sense
told them, “all is well”. It happened to me in St Louis, when a hummingbird,
whom I was trying to film, just refused to stay in one place. This went on for
almost a month! And one day, the guy decided that I was a good chap & need
to be rewarded with the best profile shot! And I got a fantastic result…..that
too with a Canon Digicam!
Of course, in the wild, the creatures
have the right of way & out here, we were among one of the biggest
creatures, the Humpback Whale. So, having ascertained that our intentions were
honourable, the whales , so I would like to believe, put on a show of ‘sounding’
& spraying. 
Their going under was so fluid & fast, that it was mesmerizing.
The misty sprays were now audible & cellphone cameras were working
overtime. At one point, a ‘pod’ was so close to us that we could hear the water
as it closed over the whales backs!!
At the same time, I couldn’t shake off a
feeling of guilt, in the sense, that were we trespassing the whales territory,
disturbing whatever activity they were supposed to be doing? Were they feeding?
Was there a cow with a calf? And many
such doubts! However, I also had a feeling of calm that I/we had not created a
nuisance, had not knowingly disturbed the whales, had not polluted the seas and
were returning with a happy state of mind.
By now, the sun had already set, we had set
course for the marina……. And it was time to cut the cake for Arindam’s
birthday! The birthday boy, had put up a very brave front all along, as he
suffers from seasickness! Getting ones feet on terra firma was a very welcome ‘step’, but not
without a nod in the direction of all those who have made the seas, a second home,
despite al perils!! And of course doing a 'Titanic' in reverse!!
And so, ended one more ‘voyage’ of the
Sindbad’s, only to get ready for the next, known as ‘The voyage to Las Caletas’!! 
Hope you
enjoyed the Whales as much as we did. Tomorrow, we shall spend a more relaxed
day at the Island Paradise!!
Till then TC
Hasta
Luego!
KalpanAshok
