I have this mental "bucket list" of things I think would be really cool to do. At the very top of that list is to see Whales in their natural environment. I loved the whale and dolphin shows at Marine World when we lived in California. I am amazed at their size and yet such graceful and smooth movements in the water. And - whales sing!! I think these are absolutely awesome animals and I love to watch them every chance I get. But to see them in the water in their own habitat - that would be so incredible.

Well, my wish came true a couple of weeks ago when Bradley, Dad and I went on a whale watching tour out of Anacortes. It was a spectacular day - blue sky and sunshine. Not so warm when the boat was going full speed but that wasn't going to deter me from standing outside searching the water for whales. The skipper of the boat knew right where to go and it wasn't long before he found 2 humpback whales in their feeding area. We followed them for about an hour. What a sight. First you look for the water that they blow out as they are coming to the surface. Then you see the fin on top. They just slither through the water without hardly making a splash. Three times they rise a little and then under the water. The final time they arch their back, go under the water and flip their tale up. That's the best part! I was really hoping one would come completely out of the water but they didn't feel like it that day. We had to stay 100 yards away at all times but even at that distance you could see how large they were.

We left that area looking for Minky Whales (never heard of those before this trip) but guess they had all gone home for the night. We also looked for Puffins but they were not out either.

We did see harbor seals, sea lions, and two bald eagles.

It was an absolutely  amazing trip. Thanks Bradley for putting that together!

Mom