Breaching humpback whale

Yesterday I went whale watching for the first time in ages and couldn’t believe I had let so many months slip by since the last time. There’s just nothing like it, the anticipation of what you might see, the fresh ocean air and the wind on your face all makes for a magical combination.

My husband and I boarded the Christopher with Harbor Breeze Cruises in Long Beach and gazed at the harbor as we headed towards the open ocean. I wasn’t sure if we would actually see whales because I knew the timing of our trip wasn’t great. Early October is on the late side for blue whales off Los Angeles, but then again whale watching is Vegas style…you never know what you’re going to get and you might just get lucky.

Thankfully on this trip, luck was on our side. We saw two humpback whales! Not only that, they granted us a show with four breaches and one did a couple head lunges, which is when a whale raises it’s head out of the water and lunges forward, hence the name. I managed to get a few good shots of one of the breaches after the whales had prepared us to expect the unexpected. Yet, the first breaches were the best and the most spectacular and I only have a photo of a giant splash to prove it.

But if there’s one thing I’m learning when it comes to whale watching it’s this, sometimes it’s better not to get the shot and actually see and experience the act of breaching in all of its glory. People are so busy looking at small screens and running around with selfie sticks that they’re not truly experiencing the world and the beauty it has to offer. Without my camera in front of my face, I saw the full awesomeness of that humpback whale’s breach – 40 plus tons of whale propelled up out of the water landing on the water’s surface with a crash. It’s a sight that never gets old and is hard to top as far as the spectacle, uniqueness and amazement factor.

After the trip I felt rejuvenated. Watching humpback whales breach is thrilling and you carry some of that excitement and wonder with you. Now I just have to make sure that I don’t let months pass before I head out in search of whales again.

Humpback whale head lunge