Humpback Highway
Oct. 6th, 2014 07:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
khiemtranIt's the Labour Day public holiday today in NSW, so we're off to the Humpback Highway for some whale watching with Taronga Zoo...
We set off from Circular Quay, next to a giant cruise liner. Here you can see a fueling ship alongside transferring diesel. They aren't kidding when they say "No smoking"...
We sit topsides for a better view, but the passage out through the harbour is just a bit breezier than I'd expected...
Passing out through the Heads. Beyond here is the open sea.
The crossing is a little rough, but soon we're through and heading away from the coastline. The humpbacks are on their southern migration now (heading back to the southern ocean as the water there warms up) and they tend to stay further out to sea than they did on the way up.
Now comes the waiting and watching. The two people in striped shirts are crew members on the lookout. That's Liem in the grey hood behind them, and Hsiu Lin beside him.
After what seems like ages, we spot our first whale. Unfortunately, photography turns out to be quite difficult as the boat pitches and rolls, and the other passengers crowd in a view.
After each sighting, there's usually a short period of activity as the whales are at the surface, then a lull as they dive deeper again. That means it's back to watching and waiting.
The big advantage of watching from a boat is that the whales can get very close to us. (Technically, we can't approach closer than a fixed distance, but if they come to us it's okay.)
Two humpbacks playing follow-the-leader.
Since still photograph was so difficult, I switched to video instead. This clip gives a good idea of just how much the boat was moving. The commentary is from our Taronga Zoo guide. (Warning: don't watch if you're prone to motion sickness...)
Unfortunately, Liem started feeling a bit under the weather after that and we took him to the back of the boat with a sea sick bag. The poor little guy was feeling quite unwell, but he managed not to throw up. Luckily, he soon perked up again once we started heading back to the coast.
Back inside Sydney Harbour now, and the other whale-watching boat is following us home.
Looks like we're not the only ones enjoying the weather...
The view as we head back to Circular Quay via the zoo. A great day to cap off the long weekend and the end of school holidays.
We set off from Circular Quay, next to a giant cruise liner. Here you can see a fueling ship alongside transferring diesel. They aren't kidding when they say "No smoking"...
We sit topsides for a better view, but the passage out through the harbour is just a bit breezier than I'd expected...
Passing out through the Heads. Beyond here is the open sea.
The crossing is a little rough, but soon we're through and heading away from the coastline. The humpbacks are on their southern migration now (heading back to the southern ocean as the water there warms up) and they tend to stay further out to sea than they did on the way up.
Now comes the waiting and watching. The two people in striped shirts are crew members on the lookout. That's Liem in the grey hood behind them, and Hsiu Lin beside him.
After what seems like ages, we spot our first whale. Unfortunately, photography turns out to be quite difficult as the boat pitches and rolls, and the other passengers crowd in a view.
After each sighting, there's usually a short period of activity as the whales are at the surface, then a lull as they dive deeper again. That means it's back to watching and waiting.
The big advantage of watching from a boat is that the whales can get very close to us. (Technically, we can't approach closer than a fixed distance, but if they come to us it's okay.)
Two humpbacks playing follow-the-leader.
Since still photograph was so difficult, I switched to video instead. This clip gives a good idea of just how much the boat was moving. The commentary is from our Taronga Zoo guide. (Warning: don't watch if you're prone to motion sickness...)
Unfortunately, Liem started feeling a bit under the weather after that and we took him to the back of the boat with a sea sick bag. The poor little guy was feeling quite unwell, but he managed not to throw up. Luckily, he soon perked up again once we started heading back to the coast.
Back inside Sydney Harbour now, and the other whale-watching boat is following us home.
Looks like we're not the only ones enjoying the weather...
The view as we head back to Circular Quay via the zoo. A great day to cap off the long weekend and the end of school holidays.
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no subject
Date: 2014-10-06 12:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-10-06 07:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-10-06 05:00 pm (UTC)So much fun to see your bright and sunny photos as we're moving out of summer and into changeable autumn/winter weather.
no subject
Date: 2014-10-06 07:51 pm (UTC)It was great to get up so close to the whales, but I still haven't got that elusive breaching photo. Might have to wait to the northern migration when we can watch them from the cliffs again.
no subject
Date: 2014-10-07 10:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-10-08 07:00 am (UTC)