On the Ocean

We left our hostel and headed to Wesley's Whale Watch in Pleasant Bay at 9:00 a.m. It was raining and foggy and windy!!! We weren't sure about the whole thing, but that was the main reason we came up to Pleasant Bay....so, whale watching it was. The Dutch couple that stayed at the hostel with us were also there.

When the captain came at 9:15, he wasn't too sure about things because of the conditions on the water...he checked things out and at 9:45 decided it was a go. Originally we planned to go on the big boat, not the zodiac which is a glorified dinghy and much closer to the water. However, the boat was out fishing so we had to take the zodiac. Mom & Nathan were a little unsure about that.


We dressed in thermal life suits which were like snowsuits, but all life preservers. Unfortunately, it was "one size fits no one" so Nathan had to wear a men's size suit. It looked hilarious on him, with his crotch nearly hanging down to his feet.

Once on the very rough water (that was an adventure in itself), Captain Wesley indicated it was unlikely that we would find any whales because of the weather. We trucked on for a bit longer and watched his fishing boat lift the lobster traps.


After being on the water about 45 minutes to an hour, the captain announced we were turning back. We settled on not seeing whales (it was guaranteed or our money back). About 5 minutes on our return trip, we spotted something ahead. Sure enough, it was a group of PILOT WHALES! The captain got up nice and close....real CLOSE...Nathan & I had one come up out of the water right next to the zodiac! So cool. We watched the pods of whales for about 15 minutes and soon white-bellied dolphins joined them. The dolphins were so fast & graceful in the water. What an experience!

I am waiting for some really good pics from Charlotte who had a better camera than me. We'll post them when I get them. Until then, these are the best I got.

Well, after lulling in the water for about 1/2 hour, I started feeling very sea sick. Mom indicated she, too, wasn't feeling very well. Charlotte -- the Dutch girl -- told us to breath deeply in through our nose to our stomach and stare at the horizon. It didn't do much for me, but Mom said it helped her a bit.

It felt good to hit land again, but took me another 45 minutes to an hour to feel better again.

The rest of the day we spent touring. Tried to watch a Celtic fiddler group in the Doryman Pub, but the kids weren't allowed in. Nathan did a bit of fishing. We returned to the 'Bear on the Lake' hostel at 4:00 p.m., settled in and then went out for dinner to "The Red Shoe" Pub in Mabou -- a restaurant/pub owned by the Rankin sisters (this is in the town they grew up in). Mom, Nathan, & I enjoyed fish, while Deon once again settled for chicken.

This morning, we are heading to Wycocomaugh to a Presbyterian church with a service start @ 11:00. On this Sunday morning, the sun is shining here and it's a beautiful day. Mom, Nathan & I went for a beautiful walk along the water. We feel very blessed to have this opportunity together, and are grateful for all the experiences we have had so far.