Anthea here.
I've never been struck so speechless as I have on this trip, and this morning's expedition was no exception. We were supposed to be watching the whales, but at one point, we were the ones being watched. A small group of humpback whales slicked through the water straight at our boat. Was it frightening? Not a bit, and then the lead whale seemed to roll just before the boat and I found myself (braced at the prow) looking into the benign eye of a gentle giant. My camera's battery was dead but I had my camera phone at the ready. Reviewing the pictures there is no record of that startlingly expressive face: the camera phone often needs to be manually operated onto the next frame, but I'm not too disappointed. It was a privilege to see those great creatures, to see them, and to hear their wild calls, and the swoosh as they spouted, and to watch the choreography of flukes arcing down as they began their dive downwards. Although I mumble and moan about the cold on a cool day in Louisiana, the damp spray and slicing wind didn't register when whales breached right in front of us. A diverse group, we would all quietly murmur our wonder when that happened.
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