Whale Watching

Steve Warren

Snorkelling on the open ocean, you become very aware that there's nowhere to hide. There's no cover, no refuge. But if you are searching out that special encounter, the vastness of the sea provides the perfect hiding place for your quarry. And so, as I strain my eyes against the Atlantic haze, finger poised on 'Record', I really expect to see nothing at all. Then, ahead of me, Andrew (AJ) Pugsley, swiftly duck dives. Five metres down, he pauses. A nugget of blue water darkens, then takes on form. Even though I think I've planned for this moment, I'm taken by surprise the apparition that materialises on my monitor is bigger than a man and slender bodied. Its head is blocky, with pouting lips and inquisitive eyes. The baby pilot whale hangs level with AJ. For a few moments the breathholders consider each other with a mixture of intrigue and caution. Then, seemingly from nowhere a protective adult emerges and chaperones the fascinated and reluctant calf into the depths...

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