Whale Watching

'Twas the day before Christmas and in our rental house, we marveled at the weather and resolved to go out.

A gorgeous day in Monterey

A whale-watching tour in Monterey Bay was just what we needed on this beautiful day.

Randy's Whale Watching tours

Fisherman's Wharf had a festive air...

Festive boat

Even Santa Claus was there...

Santa goes for a sail

The birds and beasts were all out on the water.  We saw pelicans,

Pelicans

Sea lions,

Sea lions

A pile of sea lions

and an adorable sea otter!

The water was calm heading out of the bay. We passed the aquarium along the way.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Once out at sea, the swells rose and fall.  Some of us did not feel well at all.
I lost my lunch -- fed to the fish -- but a few minutes later, we all got our wish.
A tell-tale spout from a grey whale,

Thar she blows!

And a fleeting glimpse of the great creature's tail.

Just a fluke

We followed the whale for nearly an hour, rewarded with more sightings and a sea spray shower.
Despite the fine weather and a hope to see more, our stomachs were relieved to head back to shore.

We're on a boat!

It was well worth the trip to see my first whale, a day I shall remember without fail.

Here in California our Christmas won't be white, but I'd much rather see the sun shining bright.
Whether whale-watching, skiing, or visiting family far and near,
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

[Apologies for writing this blog post in verse.  It's hard to imagine anything worse!]