A whale of a story

norm, st. louis, MO — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 18:14:40 GMT

I just had a similar experience in the Catalina Channel on a commercial whale watching boat. Such boats are not allowed to approach closer than 100 yards from the whales. None of us had the opportunity to swim with them, but I can tell you that following two gray whales for 45 minutes was one of the best activities I ever did in visiting California many times over the last 17 years. We only saw one tail flip at the start of a dive and one pectoral fin during a side roll. But there were lots of blows and fluke prints. Being near these great creatures offers a primal link with nature that is truly inspiring and pacifying at the same time. We were told that their round trip between the Bering Sea and the Sea of Cortez is 7000 miles, and they do it every year.

A whale of a story

Irene Rose, Sturbridge, Massachusettes — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 18:53:30 GMT

What a wonderful story! I can't wait to see your pictures of the whales and especially the mother whale and her baby. What a great opportunity you had.
Thanks for sharing!

A whale of a story

Anne Flores, EL Paso, Texas — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 18:55:37 GMT

Now, if the International Whaling Commission could enforce the moratorium on whaling with countries like Japan and Norway, that would really be a victory at sea. I hope pressure is put on by all people to banish this barbaric hunting of whales. The sooner, the better.

A whale of a story

John Self, Mountain Home, Arkansas — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 19:46:35 GMT

I was one of the first to make the dive at Silver Bank (not Banks) with Mr. Conlin. It is an life experience to share with others. I had a baby humpback swim in circles around me. What an awesome time. I was on a Peter Hughes dive vessel. I highly recommend this trip.

A whale of a story

Kathy G. Crosswicks, New Jersey — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 20:01:50 GMT

I spent 6 months on a cruise ship that toured the Inside Passage of Alaska and got to see humpbacks on an almost daily basis. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Several times, a whale would come within yards of my ship and just observe us; just as we did in return. These gentle giants are a gift to watch and admire.

A whale of a story

Alita Silver — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 20:29:11 GMT

You really have to wonder about people who would look at a whale and say "...now how can we kill it?"

A whale of a story

Sendy — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 20:31:43 GMT

That is a awesome story in this time of violence and backstabbing. It is nice to hear about God's wonderful creatures. Thank you, I know this is a dream of mine to see whales up close it is just me finding out the place to go, and the money to go but in the mean time I will keep on dreaming of them.

A whale of a story

D. Bath, Harvest, Al. — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 20:57:47 GMT

What a great experience. I have always wanted to go on a whale watching trip, but have never had the opportunity. Can't wait to see the pictures.

A whale of a story

EWB St. Petersburg Florida — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 21:33:12 GMT

In the 60's I had THE GREAT opportunityto d an exploration to the North Pole up thru the Davis Straights along the west coast of Greenland and beyond North Star Bay. An abundance of killer whales and many other whales would blow, flip sound and unknowinly entertain us for hours. These are truely magnificiant creatures and deserve to be protected.EWB

A whale of a story

Steven, Sutton, Mass — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 21:44:25 GMT

I recall a time when I was on a deep sea day fishing boat off the coast of Massachusetts in the mid 1970's and a Humpback whale was spotted by the captain. He ordered all lines brought up so that the whale would not become entangled and we would move on to another spot so that the whale wouldn't be bothered. Before we could make the move, the whale actually swam to our boat to investigate. At one point, the whale gently nudged the boat. I recall the smell of the mist from its blowhole as being somewhat akin to an automobile tire. the whale stuck around for a few minutes and playfully rocked on its side to slap the water with its pectoral(?) side fin. Splashing those of us at the side of the boat. I recall looking into its eye with nothing but sheer wonderment. They are amazing creatures.

A whale of a story

Colleen O'Hara, Glendora, NJ — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 22:08:54 GMT

I'm so happy to see this story. Everything we can do to educate people about the beauty and wonder of these creatures is so important in the fight to save them from commercial whaling. Together, people who respect and want to protect these magnificant whales, can have tremendous impact on their safety and protection.

A whale of a story

MARIE, LAS VEGAS NEW MEXICO — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 22:31:51 GMT

I really enjoy reading stories about whales, I also hear that it is good therapy for people to encounter in the experience.. they say it's good for the mind and soul. Maybe someday I would like to experience that.

A whale of a story

Linda L, Phoenix, AZ — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 22:38:44 GMT

Having seen these wonderful creatures with their young returning to the Alaskan waters for summer was the most incredible experience of my life. They are inquisitive, humorous, and sometimes a bit of a show off. I have so many photos of tail flips and fin waving from Mom and baby. I will treasue that experience the rest of my life.

A whale of a story

Jim Roberts, St. Cloud, Minnesota — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 22:55:28 GMT

It is good people like this that will preserve these wonderful creatures. This is so nice to hear. We need alot more appreciation of whales and nature in general. Bless all of you!

A whale of a story

Wes Ferguson, Kilgore, Tx — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 22:56:12 GMT

Sometimes you have to see that times like these are the time those dread and live for likewise. peacful encounters about the world have won the hearts of those who sing about hearts.

A whale of a story

Lisa V, Pittsburgh, PA — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 22:57:23 GMT

I cannot wait to see these pictures! You have had an awesome experience, and you are correct: This is the best way to teach conservation and an appreciation for nature, by observing these awesome creatures in their natural habitat. My husband and I have had the pleasure of whale watching in Cape Cod and Puget Sound. Our best experience was sea kayaking in the middle of a pod of Orcas in Friday Harbor on our honeymoon. They swam right under us! Phenomenal! I cannot wait to take my kids.

A whale of a story

Mary Miller, Pueblo, Colorado — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 23:42:16 GMT

What an awesome experience and priviledge to be alongside these magnificent creatures. Now let's enforce a ban on commerical whaling to stop countries like Japan keep killing whales. It's absolutely abhorrant to even think of what they do to these beautiful creatures. Unconscionable.

A whale of a story

John Self, Mountain Home, Kentucky — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 23:49:52 GMT

I swam with the whales once and then one went roid rage and ate 2 of the other guys.. I barely escaped

A whale of a story

Henry Rowe, Fayetteville, AR — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 00:10:11 GMT

Whales, the American bison, and bald eagles are just a few examples the positive effects we humans can have on the planet when we put our minds to it. The same spirit that saved many whale species from extinction in our lifetime is needed now more than ever if our great grand children's experiences with nature are in any way close to what we have enjoyed.

A whale of a story

Jill Eckenrode, Maui, HI — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 01:02:29 GMT

I work with the North Pacific Humpback whales in Maui (Maui sounds very similar to Silver Bank in the way that it is a perfect nursery for Humpback calves). I get the honor of delivering whale information to people that stop on the road to watch them. These majestic creatures change people for the better. I have watched people of many nations jump up and down when they first see a whale. The excitement is the same, no matter where they are from. It's wonderful to read stories of other places far away, but with the same incredible experience.

A whale of a story

M. Thornton — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 01:44:22 GMT

I wish every American could travel and interact with the natural world, see the whales, swim with stingrays, visit a rainforest. I used to work throught the Carribean for 4 years. The interaction with nature and local culture helps us tap into that Global Consciousness that has been discussed lately by Oprah and other cultural figures. Hope the pictures convey some of the beauty!

A whale of a story

Rob, Los Angeles, CA — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 02:19:13 GMT

Woohoo! I'm going on my first whale watch on Saturday. I was already really excited and this article just made me even more excited.

A whale of a story

Louis Snyder Houston, TX — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 02:20:37 GMT

Once sailing thru the passage between Vancouver and Seattle we were inspected by a great big whale. It just rolled over and continued as we posed no threat. we were in a 30 something sailboat but the whale was larger. The sun was shining and the whale looked to be taking a sort of sunning rolling over beside and in front of us.

A whale of a story

Jay, Twin cities MN — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 04:01:14 GMT

I've been whale watching in Puerto Vallarta and have pictures of a humpback mother and calf. It's beyond me how some people can justify hunting such amazing animals.

A whale of a story

JB, Olive Branch, MS — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 04:12:56 GMT

My husband and I just returned from a grey whale watching trip in Baja. We saw tails, flukes, breaching, spy-hopping and were very close to mothers and babies many times. We could see and hear blows all the time while in the lagoon. A magnificent trip.

A whale of a story

Michael Randall, Cocoa, Florida — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 06:15:48 GMT

Japanese Whaling Factory Ships have been seen in Whale Sanctuary in the Pacific. There efforts have been called by them as "scientific research". Yet these Whaling Ships haven't proven their research at all and has been called FAKE research. In Japan, most citizens don't eat whale meat. So tons of whale meat sits in Japan without being eaten. These Whaling ships are actually just trying to find a way to profit from their killings yet haven't found a market for it.

A whale of a story

Steve, Russian River, CA — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 07:48:10 GMT

Thank You! A kind, refreshing, positively charged story about the beauty and the blessings this universe offers us. Again, thank you.

A whale of a story

The Human Predator — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 09:46:47 GMT

You can have similar nice experiences watching seals, wolves, bears, elks, tigers, fishes, cows etc. All animal species are valuable and we should cherish them all. Preserving all species from extinction is important both for our experiences and to keep the variuos genebanks. I am happy that many of the different whale species are nowhere near extinction any more.

However, we(humans) as the earths biggest predators, have elbowed our way into so many of the earth's ecosystems that once any animal population grows beyond a given size we get a conflict with human resource usage. When you remove the predators, you also will need to undertake culling the animals lower on the food chain.

As long as the population of any whale species is in no danger of extinction it will have to be hunted sooner or later to keep its number down so it does not interfere with human interests. The earth food supply is nowhere near abundant for the number of people we are. Whales do need a huge amount of food each day, and they are competing with the human need for food.

How many humans will you let die to preserve one whale?

And why is there no such interest in not killing cows? Are cows less worth than whales?

A whale of a story

SAM INGRAM,FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 12:09:18 GMT

LET THE GREAT CREATOR BLESS THESE GENTLE CREATURES, WE AS HUMANS MUST NOT DESTROY EVERYTHING WE SEE.

A whale of a story

Biswas, Zurich, Switzerland — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 14:34:06 GMT

I can almost see some Japanese and Norwegians reading this article and going *slurp*

A whale of a story

Judi, Waterford, CT — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 14:46:21 GMT

WOW, that is all I can say. Wish I had been there.

A whale of a story

Nadine, St. Petersburg, FLorida — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 14:49:52 GMT

I had a life-long desire to see whales in the wild and had an opportunity to see Orcas off the coast of Washington State this past July. It was the most awesome experience I have ever had. We saw three pods come together (a rare happening, I am told). There were whales breaching and fin slapping all around our boat. I will remember this trip for the rest of my life. To see such huge creatures and observe their grace and tranquility is unbelievable. I cannot stress the need for the entire planet to stop hunting these special creatures, it is barbaric at the least.

A whale of a story

Doug Kerns — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 15:05:40 GMT

Thanks for taking me to a place I will likely never have the chance to see in person. I will watch for the photos and video of your trip. Thanks again!

A whale of a story

Pauline. Toronto, Ontario. — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 15:06:47 GMT

Wow! I love this story. I'm definitely looking forward to more of the same. I've never had the opportunity to observe Whales, but I find them facinating. Whenever I have time & know there's something on TV about Whales, I watch.

A whale of a story

Mary, Toronto Canada — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 16:06:51 GMT

We had the great fortune of seeing the humpbacks up close in Alaska last year. A beautiful sight. Please let every know that Japan is killing the whales agin. The united states, Canada and Australia are all sitting back and allowing this to happen again. Please stop Japan!!

A whale of a story

Maria, Boynton Beach, Florida — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 16:28:28 GMT

What a great experienceyou had!! We had seen them in Vancouver Island and in Alaska and was just fenomenal.I can't image how it could be to swim with them...You describe it so well that I could almost 'feel it".
Thank you!

A whale of a story

R.J. Smith, Washington, D.C, — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 17:11:05 GMT

Your suggestion that the Silver Banks area is ideal for Humpbacks because the water is too shallow for Killer Whales makes little sense. First off Killer Whales are smaller than Humpbacks. Secondly Killer Whales are well known for pursuing prey like seals and sea lions right up into the breaking surf on beaches.

A whale of a story

Kathy, Wasilla, Alaska — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 17:18:59 GMT

We are concerned about the Beluga Whales in Cook Inlet Alaska as they were examined in a "scientific study" where the Belugas brought up with tumors on their bodies were killed and not counted in their research. This group happens to be around the oil platforms in Cook Inlet which spew out pollution. In addition to that sewage from Anchorage goes into Cook Inlet untreated when their system breaks down. If the oil companies tell you something think opposite of what they tell you and you will have your facts. By the way in the 70's they found one of the biggest oil reserves in the world in Alaska so believe me there is no oil shortage in the US just another way to drive up prices.

A whale of a story

Tunatofu — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 17:59:49 GMT

I have visited Iceland many times and unfortunately, the whales DO get used to the sound of the tourist boats. They also get over their fear and become easy targets for the whaling boats who want to kill them. Why should they be afraid when every other time, all anyone wanted to do was cruise by and take pictures.

We really need to be all or nothing with the whales - ONLY viewing where tourists will view or no cruising where they are hunted. They dont get the mixed messages and it is getting them killed.

A whale of a story

Nathan Driscoll Hilo Hawaii — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 20:03:01 GMT

The Kingdom of Tonga also offers whale swims and the coast of accomidations is very low. the water is warm at 84 degrees and the island chains are so beautiful so for all of you that think this is out of reach it is not. look into Tonga for whale swims and manny other ocean funn. stay away from packege deals they are not coast efective. you will save thousands by flying in and finding a place to stay some as as low as 15.00 a night and are the same place the pacedge deals send you for several thousand. the Vava'u island chain is highly recomended and one of the best places i have ever visited. the locals are very friendly and loving.

A whale of a story

Sandy, Philadelphia, PA — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 20:12:37 GMT

How many humans will you let die to preserve one whale?

I can think of one.