A Whale of a Tale

As we found our seat aboard the Sea Adventure, we prayed. We prayed that:

A. We actually see a California Gray Whale and...
B. Asha doesn't get sick

We should have added Jeremy to the list.

We slowly left the port and all was good. It wasn't as cold as we anticipated and we were handling those waves like nobody's business. And then the first whale was spotted.

Everyone, including us, rushed to the front of the boat in anticipation of seeing a whale. That's when we felt it. The jolt of the boat against the waves. There weren't enough spots for us to stand together so Asha quickly handed off the camera to Jeremy and found an open spot, holding on for dear life. 

The first two whales were spotted in a crowded area so our captain kept it moving, steering south and coming across choppier water. We were both a little frustrated because we couldn't spot the whales but we learned to look for a fluke print which is a large circle of water formed by tail fluke turbulence while the whale dives. 

We traveled on as two more whales were spotted at a closer distance. We were able to follow them for a good ten minutes, tracking their forceful blows and then waiting for their dorsal hump to rise in and out of the water. It was simply breathtaking. At one point the boat was stopped and the waves weren't choppy. While calm and serine, all we could hear was the blow of the whale and it was magical, like something out of a movie. Incredible.

Shortly after that magical moment, we both came together with a look of "I don't feel so good." Jeremy found a trash can (it's safe to assume the worst happened) and Asha felt best laying down horizontally. We both took naps and woke up to a pod of dolphins swimming and jumping along side the rear of the boat. It was a serge of energy that brought a little life to the boat ride home. 

We stepped off the boat starving and ready for lunch. Lucky for us, we had a few choices to choose from at the harbor. We ate some delicious fish and chips with an incredible view at Mitch's Seafood.

We were pretty tired from our morning of whale watching so we decided to take it easy by relaxing at La Jolla's beautiful cove. After walking along the shoreline, we found a spot on a cliff and napped as we listened to the waves crash against the rocks. We woke up feeling refreshed and noticed people gathered around sea lions sunbathing paying no attention to the hub-bub around them. You only live once, so we checked it out coming across the cutest sleeping pup soaking up that Vitamin D. 

Before heading back to San Diego, we stopped to watch the sun go down at Sunset Cliffs. We envied the houses built around this road as they get to see this stunning site on a daily basis.