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What A Day

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Good morning everyone. What a day we had yesterday. The sun was shining, the wind was perfect and the temperatures, although cool, were just right for a sweater and shorts. We left Castine's docks yesterday after a wonderful visit to Dice Head Light. All was calm so we pushed with the yawl boat up through my favorite eagle watching spot in Holbrook Harbor. We were not disappointed.

The bay seems to be teeming with wildlife this spring. We sighted two razor billed auks and a storm petrel the day before. And late yesterday afternoon we sighted a whale breeching, at least a half dozen leaps clear of the water. We are debating wether it was a very young humpback or an adult minke. The spout was not distinct enough for us to truly identify it. Some folks have told me that minkes do not spout although I have read that their spout is indistinct because they begin their exhale before reaching the surface. I found a photo of the spray from a minke spout but the mystery of yesterday's matinee is still with me. And that is OK! I would guess she was about 30 feet long. That was truly a spectacular show. Of course I was too slow with the camera to share it wth you. I think we were all so stunned that the moment was all we could think of.

The wind provided some great sailing as we raced up wind with 6 of the other windjammers. This shot of the Lewis R French is typical of how close we get to each other sometimes. We can see the whites of their eyes. We took a long tack from North Haven up to see the Indian I. Lighthouse before running down wind to Gilkeys. We chased the French the entire way anchoring up within just a few moments of each other. What an exciting day!

Have a great day. Be well. Do good.

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Dudley said…
Your eagle shot leaves me speechless! Great placement, good color and exposure. You sure that isn't a stuffed museum piece? The old rules: camera at ready, lens cap off paid off. Majestic!
June 13, 2010 at 11:00 AM
Anonymous said…
Wow. I hope we get to see whales and eagles next month too. Thanks for the great blog.
June 17, 2010 at 6:27 PM
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