DianaT
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The Photo that Got Away
Last week, we went whale watching at our favorite lagoon, San Ignacio and as always, it was great. Always different. This time water was quite
rough, lots a whales, a little more shy than at other times.
However, while we were enjoying the activity of one whale, suddenly another whale did a complete breach not far from the boat, but on the side where
we were not looking.
Quickly we turned, and quickly we aimed the cameras, but it was all too late. The sight was spectalular, but this is all we caught with the camera.
It was the photo that got away. We are sure others have pictures of their photos that got away. 
BTW- they have started paving the road out to the lagoon---a long ways to go, but the work has started.
John and Diane
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Kell-Baja
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I bet it was an awesome sight.
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Bob H
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NICE!
Boib H
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BMG
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| Quote: | Originally posted by jdtrotter
It was the photo that got away. We are sure others have pictures of their photos that got away.
John and Diane |
At least you got the great splash. Most of my "missed it" photos show the ripples of the splash! (Or maybe the back of someone's neck, the deck of the
boat or the hair up my nose.)
I think the world is run by C- students.
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Cypress
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jdtrotter, The best photos are in our minds, better known as memories.
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Paulina
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Cypress
jdtrotter, The best photos are in our minds, better known as memories.
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Very true. I have a "memory photo" of being in an inflatable boat with a couple others including Nomad Wiles in Bahia de Los Angeles when a whale did
the exact same thing right next to us. Did anyone take photos? No. I can't speak for anyone else on the zodiak, but my eyes were looking to the sky,
as that's where the whale was. My mouth was wide open as I was hoping it would come down in the spot it left the sea and not on top of us.
It is an amazing "photo" still.
P<*)))><
\"Well behaved women rarely make history.\" Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
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Barry A.
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Diane------------WOW, that is really close!!!! What an experience. You did good to even catch what you did on film.
congrats.
barry
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Ken Bondy
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It's still a helluva photo Diane!! Nice job.
++Ken++
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David K
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The splash was a great shot... whale not always needed! Thanks for posting it! 
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azvazquez
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I'll be down there the 11th of next month and was wondering how the road out to the lagoon is this year? Thanks
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DianaT
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Glad some of you enjoyed the photo---it really was a fantastic thing to see and yes, the memory is very vivid and wonderful. I am glad I caught the
splash because it was one heck of spash.
Paulina, did not even think about what would happen if she landed in a different spot----OUCH. It really happened quickly.
BMG---now that we have digital photos, maybe we should all save those pictures of the ground, sky, or my favorites, the grey blurred nothing, etc in a
collection. I have lots of them.
The road---only about 6 miles of the first part is paved and it is questionable as to using it yet. On our way out there, we drove on the
pavement---rocks had been removed by others and we could not access the side road from the normal entrance to the road.
But on the way back to town we stayed on the dirt side road by the pavement----there were workers on the road. However, we saw one of the tour vans
on the pavement. The side road takes you through the dump and enters the town in a little different place.
The dirt part of the road is not too bad, but washboardy in places.
San Ignacio is always beautiful.
Diane and John
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Wiles
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It's amazing how 35 tons can launch out of the water so silently.
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Wiles
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Stealthy
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Wiles
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They attend stealth school at an early age.
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Wiles
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One year during Thanksgiving week, I took a group down to LA Bay on a whaling and natural history trip. Bahia was quiet, we practically had the place
to ourselves. Weather was magnificent. I always used Pepe Smith as panga guide. He enjoyed sharing his local knowledge, whale and fish stories,
making ceviche, joking around and making friends. What a great guy. Anyway, one day we were out in the Bay searching for whales. It was a picture
perfect day, except no whales. We took pictures of sea lions, frigates, window rock, lunched at the reversing waterfalls, told stories, everything
but find whales. By late in the afternoon even Pepe was scratching his head in disbelief, for you see, Pepe and I had a rather impeccable reputation
for finding whales. It was getting late with the sun setting over Mike’s mountain and way past time for heading back in but I asked Pepe to kill the
motor and drift for 5 minutes. It was sooo beautiful, total FACWR and so quiet you could hear a gull’s poop plop into the water a mile away.
Definitely one of those special Sea of Cortez moments. Little did we know it was about to get even better. Out of nowhere a 40 ft. Bryde’s whale
surfaced no more than 10 feet off the starboard corner breaking the silence with the tremendous sound of forced air exiting through its’ blowholes and
then the whistling of air rushing back down to the lungs. Everyone screamed like little girls and most were in immediate need of a restroom. The
whale circled the panga surfacing twice more within 20-40 seconds and then disappeared only to surface a few minutes later about a ½ mile away
heading out in the channel. The ride back in was joyous to say the least. The group was in awe of their experience, Pepe and I relieved that our
reputation was still in tact. There were eight cameras on board……..not one picture of the encounter. I will always remember that afternoon.
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DianaT
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Wiles,
Thanks for the pictures and story---love the stealth training. Yes, it is amazing how quiet they can be----just appear out of nowhere.
Can't see too many whales.
Diane and John
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thebajarunner
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Nikon agrees
| Quote: | Originally posted by Cypress
jdtrotter, The best photos are in our minds, better known as memories.
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Some years back I took a three day photo class sponsored by Nikon.
That was their favorite line,
"Some of the best photos you take will only be iwith your mind"
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