Lunamania

Like many queer women, I have tested positive for that affliction known as whalewatcheritis. I don't know what it is about us, but there's is a disturbingly high number of people who are just really into sea mammals. Dolphins, otters, whales...

This weekend, the Non-Sea Monkey planned a surprise nature observation "cruise" out to the Farrallon Islands.

This sign on the Huli Cat, our prison, I mean boat for the day should have made me pause before finishing my coffee and munching on a croissant.

I should have really thought twice before deciding not to wear a sweater, opting for the light jacket, and forgetting a hat, gloves, heating pads, wool socks, scarf, and ear muffs because the weather looked like this.

This was even before we hit the choppy breakwaters.

All in all, the poor Sea Monkey turned green and passed out for about 7.5 of the 8 hour ride. I fared slightly better, but was glued to one spot on the deck for about 6 hours. We both managed crawled around to see some nature action, but it was all kind of surreal.

A low budget re-enactment of the experience can be had if you:
1. proceed to the washing machine
2. set it to the cold cycle
3. tune into the Discovery Channel and make sure the volume is at 11
4. jump in the washing machine and tumble around for the full cycle and strain all muscles to hear the TV.
5. repeat 10 times

I'm a little bummed out that I didn't have all my wits because it was really a once in a lifetime experience. Before we saw any whales, we were privy to the rare sight of a Great White Shark mauling some poor seal. To re-create this scene:
1. imagine a Hummer
2. put some big ass fins on it
3. paste a mess of chainsaws all over the grill
4. toss it in the ocean
5. have it pounce on something warm and bloody
6. watch 10 foot radius of blood form at each pouncing.
It was absolutely frightening. The makers of Jaws were definitely on to something.

While my stomach continued to churn, it was a much tamer nature scene after the shark attack. We saw about 10 whales and hundreds of porpoises and dolphins. There are no pictures of any of this because I was too ill to hold anything more than my head up.

Although the Monkey did not recover until we landed, I grew novice sea legs and was able to register this lovely sight...the weather had turned.

But this was the prize...land is my friend.