Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Whale Watching Tour in San Diego

Saturday, December 19 was a most beautiful day in San Diego, California. The sun was shining over the glassy, blue Pacific ocean and the sky was so clear that one could see all the way to the Islas Coronados just over the border in Mexican waters.

I set out with Adventure Rib Rides (www.adventureribrides.com), a whale watching tour company that utilizes US Navy SEAL Rigid Inflatable Boats (R.I.B), to share their wonders of the sea with men, women and children from all over the world. Unlike typical whale watching excursions that take place in large yachts that hold 60-200 people and allow whale watchers to view the sights from 25 feet off of the water, Adventure Rib Rides seat six passengers max. and sit an arms length distance from the water.

The tour was conducted Captains Ken and Sean who offered a wealth of information on the sights within the San Diego Harbor, whale behavior, oceanography and more.




Once we got out of port, we were amazed at the calmness of the ocean and quickly found ourselves in the middle of a huge pod of dolphins. Our new friends decided to follow us and play within our wake. I was able to brace myself near the front end of the boat and look into their eyes as they turned on their sides to get a better glimpse of us human beings.



















My favorite dolphin decided to turn on his back and swim upside down! It amazed me how fast he could move in such a precarious position. The connection I experienced with the personality-rich creatures was so very powerful...I'll never forget the moment as long as I live!

For 3 hours, we enjoyed the ocean and the refreshing sun shining above us. Since it is early in the season, we didn't see any whales...but I will take my friends and family again soon to experience the adventure of being on the ocean in a R.I.B boat.

For more information on Adventure R.I.B Rides, visit www.adventureribrides.com or call (619) 808-2822.

Post by Jen of CWIC

1 comment:

  1. Great post on whale watching. My favorite time of year. When traveling and selecting a whale watching tour company, I always try to pick one that states they are responsible in how they approach whales. Being as close to a whale may be fun for us, but not necessarily to the whales according to research.

    I just took a whale watching tour in Costa Rica and liked the professionalism this operator demonstrated. This page on their website explains how they approach whales and why.

    http://costaricawhalewatching.com/Responsible_Whale_Watching.html

    ReplyDelete