Los Titeres & Hull Canal
Waking up in Magdalena Bay and peeking out my window, I was greeted with slivers of red and orange against an azure day breaking sky. I knew I had to hustle out there with my camera, as it was going to probably just get better, and indeed I was rewarded. An auspicious start I thought, with the brilliant colors now reflecting against the silvery canvas of a very flat bay and the moon setting on port side. We did the sun salutation and moon vinyasana stretch while our marine mammal whale friends spy hopped and swam all around us, perhaps also enjoying the tranquillo effect of this magic morning!
Early risers headed out to have closer looks at these amazing animals that we shared our anchorage with last night, and they surely did not disappoint. If yesterday gave us pleasant and close up encounters, today was over the top as these babies and moms engaged us in what I would describe as a playful encounter at a pre-school! The beauty of watching them as they moved towards us, allowing us to pet them, gazing up with that deep soulful eye, swimming all around and under our Zodiacs with an occasional bump, baby flipping over the moms back, at times exposing fins and tails with such grace and power, all a feast for the eyes and heart to behold. A bit overwhelming to absorb that such a wild and huge creature would willingly make contact with us and share her newborn as well.
I ask our youngest travelers what the experience felt like for them and here are a few replies.
Aidan, 4 years old, “Squishy but not too hard, I touched one eight times.”
Cole, 4 years old, “Awesome and very wet.”
Proud, 6 years old and all the way from Thailand said, “The baby is playful, special, and happy. I love the whales because they are gentle, kind, and because they like me.”
Zander, 12 years old, “Nothing you have ever experienced. I never expected to touch one or get that close. Not too many people can say that they touched a whale.”
Max, 13 years old, “I got to photograph them, so that was fun. They are soft, rubbery, and amazing.”
For myself, I came back with a whale-blow facial, and still have not washed my sunglasses!
