Not Quite A Rime of the Young Californian (in three parts)
How a motorcar, having first stopped at the gas station was driven through storms to the cold country towards Monterey; and how from thence the Young Californian ventured onto the Pacific Ocean; and of the strange things that befell; and in what manner the Young Californian came back to her home.
With my dad in town there's sure to be a lot of birding going on and this year I agreed to a Pelagic Briding trip on Monterey Bay. I had some reservations owing to memories of last year's seafaring adventure involve vomiting for five hours straight and every few minutes someone yelling - look a rhinoceros auklet. The allure of seeing whales and wanting to make my dad happy prompted me to agree. So Saturday we packed our loads of baggage into the car, filled the tank with gas, put air in the tires and were on our way. I was pleasantly driving down Route 1 with surf crashing to the side when water started falling on my windshield. This is August in California it DOES NOT RAIN, what was this stuff. Apparently it does rain, along the coast, drizzle would probably be a more apt description but nevertheless there was water falling from the sky.
Dad and I awoke promptly at 6:00 on Sunday, downed some coffee, breakfast and sea sickness pills. Stepping outside I realized the jacket, hat, sweater and various pieces of fleece were not going to be enough but there was nothing to be done about it. The trip started out well enough, a few birds, sea lions, seals, otter in the harbor. An hour out and we came upon whales. The biggest, closest humpback whale I've ever seen, as big as the boat and not 10 yards away. He even flipped his tale for us. It's quite a thrill to see an enormous beast emerge from the ocean, blow water form its head then disappear and have an enormous tail appear. I'm amazed by all the marine mammals, they seem to enjoy life and put on quite a show. I rather like the idea the old seafarers had of mermaids and mermen, it's such a nice thought people enjoying life in the sea like the marine animals do. 10,000 shearwaters, several albatross and numerous auklets and murrelets later the excitement was waning. The albatross is a sight - an enormous bird which glides effortlessly over the waves. The next few hours gave new meaning to the words mindnumbingly dull - grey sky, grey ocean nothing else no bird, no whale nothing. Once again I am so glad I am not a sailor by profession. We encountered a few more whales, Blue and Minke, on the way in along with the same old birds and we were finally done. Eight hours and no vomiting, not that bad of a trip.
Monday started out bleak as ever so we ventured off to the aquarium. Many of the exhibits have been renovated and it is stunning. Monday morning there were no crowds so I was able to touch the starfish, limpets, sea urchins and rays in the touch pools - very cool. I could have spent all day there but the parking meter was running so we only stayed two hours. The drive back was uneventful, quick and curvy perfect for the ultimate driving machine. The Bay Area welcomed us with 70 degrees and some sunshine.
I returned like one who has adventured,
Satisfied yet weary worn:
A happier and a wiser woman,
I rose the morrow morn.
*with apologies to Samuel Taylor Coleridge
With my dad in town there's sure to be a lot of birding going on and this year I agreed to a Pelagic Briding trip on Monterey Bay. I had some reservations owing to memories of last year's seafaring adventure involve vomiting for five hours straight and every few minutes someone yelling - look a rhinoceros auklet. The allure of seeing whales and wanting to make my dad happy prompted me to agree. So Saturday we packed our loads of baggage into the car, filled the tank with gas, put air in the tires and were on our way. I was pleasantly driving down Route 1 with surf crashing to the side when water started falling on my windshield. This is August in California it DOES NOT RAIN, what was this stuff. Apparently it does rain, along the coast, drizzle would probably be a more apt description but nevertheless there was water falling from the sky.
Dad and I awoke promptly at 6:00 on Sunday, downed some coffee, breakfast and sea sickness pills. Stepping outside I realized the jacket, hat, sweater and various pieces of fleece were not going to be enough but there was nothing to be done about it. The trip started out well enough, a few birds, sea lions, seals, otter in the harbor. An hour out and we came upon whales. The biggest, closest humpback whale I've ever seen, as big as the boat and not 10 yards away. He even flipped his tale for us. It's quite a thrill to see an enormous beast emerge from the ocean, blow water form its head then disappear and have an enormous tail appear. I'm amazed by all the marine mammals, they seem to enjoy life and put on quite a show. I rather like the idea the old seafarers had of mermaids and mermen, it's such a nice thought people enjoying life in the sea like the marine animals do. 10,000 shearwaters, several albatross and numerous auklets and murrelets later the excitement was waning. The albatross is a sight - an enormous bird which glides effortlessly over the waves. The next few hours gave new meaning to the words mindnumbingly dull - grey sky, grey ocean nothing else no bird, no whale nothing. Once again I am so glad I am not a sailor by profession. We encountered a few more whales, Blue and Minke, on the way in along with the same old birds and we were finally done. Eight hours and no vomiting, not that bad of a trip.
Monday started out bleak as ever so we ventured off to the aquarium. Many of the exhibits have been renovated and it is stunning. Monday morning there were no crowds so I was able to touch the starfish, limpets, sea urchins and rays in the touch pools - very cool. I could have spent all day there but the parking meter was running so we only stayed two hours. The drive back was uneventful, quick and curvy perfect for the ultimate driving machine. The Bay Area welcomed us with 70 degrees and some sunshine.
I returned like one who has adventured,
Satisfied yet weary worn:
A happier and a wiser woman,
I rose the morrow morn.
*with apologies to Samuel Taylor Coleridge
| 19:36
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