Mike Humfreville
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Registered: 8-26-2003
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Paddles and Pedals
Paddles and Pedals
Last October we were in Bahia de Los Angeles and the whale sharks were there. One morning we hauled our 14-foot aluminum boat into the water and
fired up the outboard and powered to the south end. There were numerous others there and many were in kayaks. I thought about the whale sharks
basking on the surface there and the commotion caused by the several motors versus the tranquility of the kayaks. The sharks are reportedly injured
by the props of outboards occasionally. I shut my engine off and mellowed. Small waves slapped the aluminum sides of our boat and we could now join
in conversation with others, grew closer to the beasts without the din of my motor.
I remember another moment, paddling out into the sea at Gonzaga, in front of Alfonsinas, just my pal and I and two simple plastic kayaks and our
paddles digging soundlessly into the calm water on a quiet day. We went all the way to the north point before heading back. It was wonderfully
peaceful with just a slosh of water and a few gulls and pelicans working the bait and all within earshot. My friend and I seldom spoke on that
multiple-hour voyage, just absorbed sounds of nature and became one with the scene.
In the States I live on a rural country road not far from Los Angeles. City folks drive here, unload their bicycles and run down our road as far as
they are fit to go and then come back again. There is little traffic here, maybe a car every 15 minutes and the bicyclists can hear them coming for a
good distance. At the right times of the year there will be water in the riverbed. The riders can cool themselves under the branches of trees in an
orchard or swim in the river if they have a mind to.
As our old road nears the small village where we shop there is a place where buzzards congregate on the high tension wires, looking for road kill on
our north-facing slope. Crows have become so numerous that they are driving the buzzards back into what has become unwelcome territory for them in
the last few years: a condor sanctuary. But the bicyclists can hear the calls of the birds from above, the small sounds of water in the river, the
rush of air across eardrums. Except when a car or small truck passes by.
Maybe the next time I go out to visit and possibly swim with the whale sharks at Bahia de Los Angeles, I?ll just leave the motor behind and find a
paddle. It seems it must be more difficult to commune with nature with an engine rattling your cage.
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LarryK
Junior Nomad
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Thanks Mike, Your stories always put us all right there with you.
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David K
Honored Nomad
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Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Whale Shark and the Frenchman
Mike, how about retelling the story of when you and Paulina swam out to greet the whale shark at La Gringa, and that French kayaker tried to kill you
both... "F#@*(ing) Americans, thez iz naht Sea World!" is what I recall he said to you. July, 2001.
[Edited on 1-28-2004 by David K]
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Punta Final
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whale sharks
one summer i worked as an assistant tracking sea turtles (see: http://www.earthwatch.org/expeditions/seminoff/meetthescient...). we were on the water in an inflatable with an outboard every day for 3 months.
one day we spied a small whale shark on the surface (it was a calm day) so we went close to it and cut the motor. after only a few moments the whale
shark came along side of us and began to gently nudge the inflatable. we were even able to touch it. this went on for 10 minutes or so and some of
us were able to get in the water with it. quite an experience!
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Mike Humfreville
Super Nomad
Posts: 1148
Registered: 8-26-2003
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Per David's Suggestion, an excerpt
"...We are clustered, sweating in the sun at La Gringa and I want to swim so strip off my shirt and dive in as Mary Ann and Michael and others are
sharing time on the beach. Soon I am a number or yards off-shore and floating face-up or down, regaining sensibility and independence from The
California Connection, when Paulina is beside me and telling me there is a whale shark further out in the bay. Will I swim out with her? This
information comes from the same lady that takes her boat several miles off-shore when it?s too hot at 4 in the morning and jumps into the deep blue in
pitch-black, no-moon weather.
Friends on the beach encourage us and we find ourselves swimming toward the fifteen-foot long by four-foot wide monster from the sea, in its own
element, while we are out of ours.
As we swim toward the beast we notice and discuss the two kayaks that seem to be working the shark away from us, bumping against him and trying,
unsuccessfully, to move him in another direction. It becomes apparent, from our low angle of observation that the shark wants to investigate us but
the kayakers want to prevent that from happening.
Regardless, the shark swims passively to us, between the kayaks. Paulina pumps adrenaline, swimming for the shark, reaches it and makes a pass for
its dorsal fin; she just misses it. Now the Kayaker passes between us and the shark and he says this (with a heavy French accent):
?Thees iss not Seajworld, jyou know.?
"Paulina has some words for him.
"I listen to and observe the situation, trying to understand the ethics and morals of the two sides. Then the kayaker gets belligerent.
"He says ?Ah, you Americans are all F?ing AHs
"I try to tone him down with:
?You?re attitude sucks, pal.? Which he doesn?t like.
"He moves his dual-paddle for his kayak, held in both hands, just so, to what I interpret as an offensive position. I note that I have two choices if
the AH gets more aggressive. I can turn his kayak over perhaps creating even greater aggression and risk, or I can bend his rudder (never seen one of
these on a kayak but there it is) and leave him floundering at sea and Paulina and me unmolested by Frenchie.
But when push came to shove I watched the light go out of his eyes and he sank his paddle into the sea and faded from the scene.
"The shark is now upon us. We swim directly up to him and he turns, yaws at a 30-degree angle. His mid-body dorsal fin is available as a handle to
hang onto, which Paulina does, climbing aboard his back as he pulls slowly forward in the water. She rides a few feet and the shark yaws a bit more
and Paulina slips gently off his back. He circles for another pass. Paulina tries again and misses and the big guy is off for other waters, his
mouth open and baleening the sea surface for plankton.
What an absolute trip. It takes us twenty minutes to get back to shore where the Amigos gang is ready to head back to camp. We get some laughs about
Frenchie and discuss the issues of manhandling wild sea life. We gradually wind our way back over the afternoon. Mary Ann and I stop in the
village..."
So there you go. But this piece is really in opposition to my original point of the relative peacefulness of those folks who go about their
adventures without using engines to do their work. There are always a few jerks on both sides of the coin. In locating and copying the above
excerpt, I began to remember just what a wonderful time we all had. Looking forward to Matomi II.
[Edited on 1-29-2004 by Mike Humfreville]
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MICK
Nomad
Posts: 499
Registered: 11-12-2003
Location: Rio Hardy
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Mood: livin the good life on the river
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Both good stories Mike thanks
Mick
Getting there is ALL the fun!
Ok being here is fun to
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