Ramblings.....

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. 28^th 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!!