Hi, I’m Andrea from Switzerland !
I’d like to share my whale watching experience with you.
I looked through my binoculars and scanned the sea. I focused on certain areas in the water, looked at the same area for a few moments and then swung the binoculars a little further east. The weather was very warm for October and the sea was quite calm.
Suddenly Davide’s loud voice reached my ear and drew my gaze in the direction of his gesticulating fingers. Shortly afterwards we accelerated towards the blow of the animal – a sperm whale swimming on the surface, blowing air out of its blowhole. As I watched the whale’s back, I spotted striped dolphins merrily surfing the waves nearby.
We immediately organised data collection. Videos and photos were taken, the GPS device was used to record the exact location and time, and the number of blows from the sperm whale were counted. Time flew as I watched the sperm whale and before I knew it, it showed its fluke and disappeared into the depths. My two colleagues and I decided to go for a swim and I went under the surface countless times to listen to the whale’s clicks. Sometimes the clicks would get faster and louder and then fade.
All too soon it was time to dry off, get dressed and scan the ocean in anticipation of the sperm whale’s reappearance within minutes. Our wait was rewarded when the mammal resurfaced, but to our surprise it was another individual.
We were incredibly lucky to have seen two different sperm whales, especially as only one had been spotted before this year.
Andrea