They're back

[Lowell]

Yesterday I launched at the 10 street boat ramp in Everett and went around the south end of Jetty Island. We went out looking for Grey Whales and saw three between Hat Island and the North end of Jetty Island. If you never seen grey's upclose It can be a neat experience. You will find that they are in dire need of breath freshner and a good back scratching, they have barnacles growing on them, it makes me itch thinking about it.

If you do go out to look for them keep your distance as there are regulations--- I think it's 100 yards and don't get in their path of travel.

[westerner]

Lowell, last year (or so) I was fishing for salmon (surprise!) off Whidbey near Greenbank and three Greys that were feeding on Krill left the shallows and being the curious (and intelligent) creatures that they are, came out to check out our boat. They went right under it so close we could have touched them with a paddle. One of them brought up his massive tail just in front of the bow after passing underneath us, a humbling experience. Very bad breath when they spray on you. Awesome just doesn't begin to discribe them. We didn't have a camera.

[Helmar]

I think having one go under my boat would give me the heebee geebees. :shocked4:

Fact is, I have always kept a very sharp knife attached to the hard top support in case I had to pull it real fast to cut the anchor line or something fast.

I mean just the stories of net boats being towed backwards because something large gets hung in the net kind of heebee geebees..

[westerner]

Helmar, Yes it really did freak us out, we just stood there in silence as they slid underneath us. Fortunately we weren't anchored, just drifting with our motor shut off originally about 500 yds from them using binoculars. It's amazing they didn't touch us, it's like they had a presence about themselves as to every inch of where they were. We held on to the boat expecting to be hit or even flipped but nothing. The last one came within 10 ft of the bow with his tail when it came up as if to signal "all clear" or something. The width of its tail looked to be the length of the boat. One of boatings most memorable moments for me.

[Lowell]

Kent what a great experience many people live their whole lives with not even a blip on any radar screen that is even close to that much nature. I had a similar experience while kayaking near the north end of Vancouver Island but it was with orcas. They dove under the kayak with about 3 feet of clearance. It is an uplifting event to have whales acknowledge your presence, while taking pity on how frail and exposed we are to their power and strength. I'm just thankful they didn't seek revenge for all the evil we bestowed on their ancestors.