Vacation 2015, #15 - Whale Watching

On this fine day, only moments after trying, unsuccessfully, to experience some of the finest (according to the ratings) West coast clam chowder at Mo's West, we find our happy entourage back in Depot Bay Oregon getting ready to climb ourselves onto a fishing boat for some whale watching.  

This is where I would like to point out that EVERYBODY seems to be excited about this other than dear ol' Dad himself.  You see, every time I get on a boat, I have to set my resolve that I will soon be dead, and for better or worse, standing in front of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, facing judgement.  

I don't like boats.  I don't like water (other than for refreshment!).  I don't like swimming or other stuff that humans have to do in water like trying to survive!  It's just not my thing.

So we buy our tickets and all seems good.  The water looks fairly calm and people seem to be returning happily with all of their limbs intact, so, what could go wrong!?

I know that I will be queasy and hating life shortly after leaving the bay, but at this point, I am rejoicing over the poor service at Mo's West where we simply left after a while because of their utterly crappy service.  Otherwise, I, along with the rest of my party, would have eaten a large bowl of clam chowder and then found ourselves out on a boat with waves causing us to drop 10-12 feet per wave...  not a good combo.

This was crossing the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway and approaching the Depot Bay State Park OPRD Whale Watching Center.  If  you had not noticed, it's a beautiful day!!!

Skeletal remains of a harbor seal in the building that appears in the above photo.

Skeletal remains a sea lion.

Cool stuff.

Outside of the visitors center.  We will pass under this bridge in short time on our whale watching boat.

At water edge, preparing to board!

yep...

Two of my beloveds shortly after boarding our vessel.

Out at sea...

Shortly after hitting the "sea waves",  Caleb grabbed the front of my shirt with unbridled intensity and yelled, "WHY ARE WE DOING THIS!?!?".    He was not fond of the waves and was pretty determined that we were going to perish.  This photo was taken after he had settled down and decided to sit at the comfort of daddy's feet.

There's a whale out there somewhere...  Seriously.  It's hard to catch the buggers on camera because of the delay of digital camera's but we did see quite a few.

You see that light spot right near the middle of the picture?  That's a whale blowing mist up thru his/her blow hole!  Caught that one!

This was heading back to the bay when the waves were "in our favor"!   I spotted what I first thought was a snake but as we approached and eventually passed, determined was an octopus!  Very cool stuff.

Once we returned to the bay, to the happiness of all of the boats sea-sick city-slickers, we saw this happy little guy swimming around for our enjoyment.