Whale-watching at Kurnell...

[khiemtran]

Back to Sydney now, where we decided to take Liem whale-watching last weekend...

At Kurnell, there's a small whale-watching post, where volunteers keep a count on the whales going past.



Liem sees his first whale...



After a brief shower, it was almost perfect weather for whale-watching...



With the sea mostly flat, it was easy to spot when they blew.



Unfortunately, spotting them was one thing, photographing them was another. Here's a piece of a humpback...



A view of its back...



And a wave of a pectoral fin...



One of the humpbacks came very close and these people went past the safety barrier to get a better view.



Most stayed safely behind the ropes.



Some of the other mammals were easier to photograph.



Some were also better prepared than others...



The tally so far... The volunteers were very excited because there was a blue whale about. Unfortunately, we never managed to see it. It only surfaced every twenty minutes and they were plotting its progress and trying to work out where it would appear next.



They also called up Channel Seven and tried to get them to direct this helicopter to where the blue whale was going to be next.



Here it is hovering over a humpback.



A ship leaves Port Botany. You can see the pilot's boat alongside. Once safely out to sea, the pilot will head out to bring one of the waiting ships back inside.



Even without the whales, the view was stunning.



Next up: the site where James Cook first landed on the Australian continent.

Comments

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Liam is SO LUCKY in his dad!

We got to go whale watching when I was in high school--out on a boat. It was a wonderful experience.

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

Seeing them from a boat must have been great. You can do that here too, but it's nice just to be able to drive out on a whim and watch them from the cliffs. It wouldn't be a bad spot for a picnic, actually. (Beat that, Wangaratta!)

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

What a wonderful and memorable moment to share with Liem.

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

It was a lot of fun. The best bit is it's actually not that far from where we live, so we'll be heading back there soon with friends. Hopefully, I'll be able to get some better shots of the mammals in the water next time.

[mnfaure.livejournal.com]

Good luck with the better photos. In our three years of living in Mayotte, I never once got a good shot. :(

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

Yes, I guess it really just comes down to luck. I had a 300mm lens (handheld), but it wasn't nearly long enough.