The added bonus of the SeaWorld choice was the option of a Combo ticket for not that much more which included entry to SeaWorld as well.
We went out on the morning tour on the Migaloo - named after the white whale calf spotted off the Coast here a few years back. (M was telling us that the first person to sight Migaloo was a family friend.) It was a glorious day for it - slightly overcast with a light sea breeze and a 1-metre swell. We chose to ignore the minor seasickness warning but did make a small concession to it by making sure S, already slightly queasy from her various Lurgy medications, had some Travacalm to give her the best possible chance of not succumbing to motion sickness. And boy - was it fun! Once we were out there the boat was bucking up and down - and in a moment I had an even greater appreciation of those who sail - and walk around in ships - in mountainous seas. And we were fortunate enough to see some whales and a pod of dolphins - and even luckier when they announced we would be staying out a little longer than planned to maximise our whale experience.
As we sat, drifting and waiting for the whales to surface, I found myself thinking of that hit movie of the mid-1970s and how the shark hunters of Jaws sat waiting for the great white to appear. And I thought of all those whalers, especially when there were only sailing ships and how much more of a chance whales had in those days and how it would be good if whales weren't hunted at all. Or that people could be more responsible and careful with their rubbish and old fishing tackle: so birds and other sea creatures don't get entangled. Luckily our tour crew spotted some birds in trouble and scooped them up for return to SeaWorld. In all, there were tour terns tangled in fishing line and hooks and hopefully the rescue folk will be able to save them.
Then it was back to SeaWorld for us as well for lunch and to spend some quality time with the polar bears, sharks and dolphins - and to catch the Pirate Show! They certainly provide a wonderful experience and we came home tired and happy knowing there are such dedicated wildlife professionals at work here. I was also very happy with the photographs I had managed to snap during the day including my favourite of six dolphins flying through the air - part of an excellent Dolphin show.
Meanwhile, back at Latimers ... Uncle R had arrived and worked throughout the day with M to trim and tidy and tractor and mow around the property. They also checked the bananas and gave the lemon tree a good trimming because it really was starting to be a bit ... bushy - but boy did it produce a lot of fantastic fruit this season.
