Disclaimer: Back in November 2005, when I was posting about our trip up the coast, we were severely limited regarding photos I could post on the blog due to bandwidth limitations. Here in 2022, I’m updating these posts using the original image and text, but I’m adding the rest of the photos I would have liked to share 16 years ago if bandwidth and storage had not been an issue.
That’s right, we’re boarding the rusty old Big Dee (pun intended) for our adventure today, as this looks way more thrilling than those regular boats that hit the open sea for whale watching.
Why are people compelled to look right into the lens when they see others taking selfies? I could have cut him out, but I kind of like the creepy factor.
With unexpected cloudy skies that were not afraid to let off some rain, the whale watching with Sanctuary Cruises on the Monterey Bay almost failed to deliver results, and then, at the last moment – a Humpback whale.
Then another.
I suppose that’s what you get when you are on one of those fancy modern expensive boats; you enjoy spotting a whale right off the bow while we over here on the Big Dee just suck it.
Oh well, we got this buoy with a pelican perched atop it and a number of seals riding shotgun off our bow, so there was that. Seriously though, this was another fantastic experience in the unfolding bizarre reality that is our good fortune.
Cold and wet, we returned to the motel to dry off before heading over to Tillie Gort’s for a great vegetarian lunch.
Nothing left to do but visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium again.
Yellow and orange pulsing lights with orange bubbles on translucent flesh, what could be more interesting?
I have no idea how I snagged this photo of a shark; they’ve proven difficult time and again to capture.
Somehow, I missed in my biology lessons (did I even have any?) that rays and not only sharks have these pores on their heads that signify their ampullae of Lorenzini.
Fun facts, jellyfish are some of the oldest animals on earth. There are species that grow tentacles longer than 100 feet, while others can grow as large as 400 pounds.
How do you see your world living down on the bottom of the sea, half-embedded in the sand with those peculiar eyes watching things overhead?
I guess we can assume that this is a filter feeder with the hairs capturing food flowing by.
I could have made my life easier with this post by limiting the number of photos, but then I’d have just left many of those that struck me languishing on my hard drive, never to be seen.
Prior to updating this post, it was this fish in a bottle that represented the day for more than 15 years. Looking at it now, I’d still say it’s my favorite from the day if I could only choose one.
No matter what we humans think we know, no matter the invention, we will never know what the life of an anemone is like. I know that some might argue they do not have a life per se and simply exist, but those arms are grown as a response to food availability, and while I can almost understand the genetics behind that, I cannot fathom what it might be like to have dozens of physical sensors that can work in concert to direct food to where it needs to go if the thing is 100% mindless.
If we could genetically engineer a new and improved self, I’d opt for anemone hair.
And with this, the aquarium was closing, but no worries! Since we are new members, we’ll be right back again tomorrow.