A poll about whales........

[caymaniac]

I've seen Southern Right Fin whales, and I've seen humpbacks , both from a distance. I've snorkeled with whales near Lizard Island, and seen a whale go underneath me while on the Great Barrier Reef I thought it would be interesting to see if others have seen whales close up.

Caymanaic

 

[pipedope]

When I was working on RV Hero in Antarctica, seeing whales was a daily event.
You knew you had been there a while when you would hear the call, "Whales" and you would ask, "What kind?"

Here is a pic of a couple of old friends, Pete and Matilda. They are a pair of humpbacks well known to the crew of the Hero.

 

[pipedope]

I have just started scanning my slides so I will have more pics to post as I find the really good stuff.

Most of my whale pics are humpbacks because they would come right up to the ship and pose for pics.
Orcas would not come very close and they didn't stay around very long.
I was unable to get any pics of the Right, Fin or Minke whales.

 

[drbill]

While working as the underseas specialist on a series of Lindblad Expeditions cruises to Magdalena Bay, Baja, I had a gray whale give our Zodiac a brief ride and got to rub her belly in the first "friendly whale" encounter of last season.

Dr. Bill

 

[CBulla]

That is just very cool stuff.. My closest whale encounters have saddly only been at Mote Marine Labratory in Sarasota when my wife and I trip up there.

 

[ScottyK]

We see whales all the time here, but usually at a distance. I've also had the great pleasure of working closely with some small pilot whales while volunteering with the local marine mammal rescue foundation.

I've also held, fed and worked with several different species each of dolphins, seals and sea turtles, and spent hours as a volunteer educator.

All in all an extermely rewarding experience

 

[Aquatic Eagle]

While working as the underseas specialist on a series of Lindblad Expeditions cruises to Magdalena Bay, Baja, I had a gray whale give our Zodiac a brief ride and got to rub her belly in the first "friendly whale" encounter of last season.

How exactly do you get to be an underseas specialist on an expedition like that? Just curious.

 

[drbill]

NatureDiver- Working with Lindblad as a naturalist/underseas specialist isn't easy. Many of us are research scientists and/or university educators. Several are members of the American Academy of Science. To be a naturalist you need expertise in the area the individual cruise travels, or the species they encounter (such as whales or birds). To be an underseas specialist you need a background as a marine biologist with additional skills in underwater video.

However Lindblad also has other positions available as crew members and that can be a start. Check their web site:

www.expeditions.com

Dr. Bill

 

[adder70]

I have seen the belugas at Sea World Orlando in the Polar exhibit, and while they aren't technically whales, I got to see some really neat behavior from the Orca there as well.

Apparently there were two pups/cubs/whatever the hell you call whale/dolphin babies in the pod at the time. Both mothers, and consequently the babies, were in the show tank for the show. The show never started because the babies were apparently getting too rough in their play and the mothers kept going to separate them. The pod matriarch was in a connected pool, and occasionally she would whistle and the pod members in the show tank would congregate at the grate, almost like a discussion!

They finally felt like the mothers had calmed everything down, and the entertainer swam to the center of the pool. He was going to emerge on the nose of one of the dolphins (feels weird to call a "killer whale" a dolphin!) and be carried upward a good way.

Well... he stayed down for about 15 seconds, came up and looked around in confusion for about 2 seconds, and then began swimming a top speed for the poolside. The announce said as he swam out that, "Anytime a 2 ton predator designed for the water is exhibiting unexpected behavior, the wise trainer is dry!"

But hey, I got to see something very few people will ever see: actual pod interaction by Orca when not under the control of trainers! It is definitely something I will never forget, and I can't even tell you how many times I have seen Orca shows that happened as planned! (Probably about 3, as I grew up in FL.)

 

[Tekk Diver]

I go whale watching in Nova Scotia every once and awhile...never had the chance to jump in with scuba gear on, though.