Today we still faced a southeasterly headwind to reach Bodega Bay. So we decided to sail south to Cordell Bank, a national marine sanctuary noted for its abundant sea life. And we were richly rewarded. We saw approximately 20 humpback whales, mostly in groups of 2 and 3, several pods of Pacific white-sided dolphins, and some black-footed albatrosses. We didn't get any great pictures with our point-and-shoot camera, but the sights and sounds were truly wonderful. With no engine to interfere, we could clearly hear every breath the whales took. We also heard several humpback songs through the hull. The whales' behavior was not extraordinary -- mostly lolling on the surface, waving their pectoral fins in the air, or showing their tail flukes as they dove deep. The dolphins played in front of our bow wave in groups of 2 and 3, and kept us company for 20 minutes or so.
As we left Cordell Bank, we decided to sail to Pt. Reyes instead of Bodega Bay, due to the direction of the wind. Drake's Bay, in the lee of Pt. Reyes, provided our most peaceful anchorage yet. At this point, we are only 25 miles from the Golden Gate. But we're not quite ready to leave the sea for the bay.
1 comment:
Oh my. What an experience. You took the good weather with you, BTW, today (Friday) is the first sunny day we've had since you left.
(Kathleen)
Post a Comment