I have been trying to capture a still image from the video to post but the camera is new and my software is old so the file type is incompatible. So eventually but not today.
Meanwhile, off we went in the zodiac boat on what was, mercifully, a relatively windfree and calm day. We stopped twice for small schools of bottlenose dolphins and I made the mistake of dropping into the water twice to try to see them and twice they ran away leaving me to have to haul myself (with help) back into the stupid boat.
Then we found the whale shark. So 16 people slide off the boat in front of it only to find that they have positioned us 'perfectly' in as much as the shark is running right at us. I scrambled just to get out of its way and then rushed to keep up with it. And just for the record they do NOT swim all that slowly. I was paddling my little heart out while trying all the while to keep my left wrist (with attached video camera) pointed at him.
I kept up as long as I could and then had to stop and wait for the boat to pick me up, gather other folks, and then drop us in again.
The second time I was not one of the first in the water so once I entered I started swimming to where they all were. It turn out the shark was by then ahead of them coming towards the boat so the guide hollered at me to look down. Crap! He was right under me. So more panic, more flailing and then I had to catch up to him again where he started swimming in circles so that everyone was trying to keep away from him and ended up running into each other instead.
So you are probably wondering where Michael was during all of this. Well for the most part I had absolutely no idea. In spite of my initial good intentions to stick with him, it was pretty much every man for himself down there. Miraculously, though, I did end up with video of Michael swimming towards me with the whale shark behind him. (Hence the need to be able to edit the video)
So when it was all over (including seeing two lazy humpback whales who ought not to still be around these parts) we were exhausted, nauseous, and absolutely covered with jellyfish stings (including one that smacked a tentacle across my upper lip); but we were victorious.
Pretty amazing.
Michael, Robin and Faye are content to check that experience off of their bucket lists. I may go again tomorrow just to see if I could relax and enjoy 'being in the moment' with a second pass. We'll see.
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Monday, October 31, 2011
Today we hunt for whale sharks
Yesterday we traveled from the Reserve to the airport and then flew to Mozambique. Why is it that the rest of the world feeds you on a 70 minute flight while in America you could starve going from NY to SF?
The immigration process in Inhambane was crazy, however. The forms were not handed out on the plane so suddenly 75 people are jammed into one small room filling them out and then trying to form ONE line through the crowd to get to the ONE guy working the desk with three different groups of people: those who didn't need Visas, those who got them ahead of time and the 10 or so of us who had to get them upon arrival.
Anyway, made it here to the resort. This is a simple, modest place but high-end for the area.
The beach is huge and the sand is so soft that it compresses under your feet with a squeaky crunchy feeling like walking in cornstarch.
Our first ocean safari is at 10:30. (Which is a nice change from 6a game drives) so 2 hours out in a zodiac in search of whale sharks (and dolphin and mantas and humpbacks but really whale sharks).
Fingers crossed.
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile
The immigration process in Inhambane was crazy, however. The forms were not handed out on the plane so suddenly 75 people are jammed into one small room filling them out and then trying to form ONE line through the crowd to get to the ONE guy working the desk with three different groups of people: those who didn't need Visas, those who got them ahead of time and the 10 or so of us who had to get them upon arrival.
Anyway, made it here to the resort. This is a simple, modest place but high-end for the area.
The beach is huge and the sand is so soft that it compresses under your feet with a squeaky crunchy feeling like walking in cornstarch.
Our first ocean safari is at 10:30. (Which is a nice change from 6a game drives) so 2 hours out in a zodiac in search of whale sharks (and dolphin and mantas and humpbacks but really whale sharks).
Fingers crossed.
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Last day in South Africa
Tomorrow morning we leave bright and early to head to Mozambique in search of the whale sharks.
Only one game drive today with the usual suspects. We will leave this time not having seen a leopard in the wild. We are obviously getting jaded because we've always had multiple sightings in shorter stays in the past. Then again we were flush with cheetahs sightings this time. And we had a great time hanging here with friends in Welgevonden.
Plus we can now attest to the fact that when it rains and the frogs come out on the road and the vehicle rolls over them in the dark it sounds rather like bubble wrap popping.
There's always something to learn.
Only one game drive today with the usual suspects. We will leave this time not having seen a leopard in the wild. We are obviously getting jaded because we've always had multiple sightings in shorter stays in the past. Then again we were flush with cheetahs sightings this time. And we had a great time hanging here with friends in Welgevonden.
Plus we can now attest to the fact that when it rains and the frogs come out on the road and the vehicle rolls over them in the dark it sounds rather like bubble wrap popping.
There's always something to learn.
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And a story
First thing yesterday we headed back to the lions assuming they would still be finishing off their wildebeest kill. The night before I had asked Jarine, the ranger, whether - looking rather full already - the lions would wait until they were really hungry again to kill again. She said that for now they would just stay with this kill and would only kill again if something was stupid enough to walk right in front of them.
Imagine our surprise then when we arrived at the site to find the wildebeest carcass abandoned and the lioness with one of the cubs gnawing away at a new carcass under a bush not 15 yards away from the first while the rest of the pride were nearly comatose under another tree!
Apparently, said second wildebeest had been stupid enough to walk right in front of them!
So there the lions slept all maximally engorged and stuporous like a bunch or Americans on Thanksgiving. I went through the pictures looking for comparison shots but they never stood up to show off their waistlines.
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Imagine our surprise then when we arrived at the site to find the wildebeest carcass abandoned and the lioness with one of the cubs gnawing away at a new carcass under a bush not 15 yards away from the first while the rest of the pride were nearly comatose under another tree!
Apparently, said second wildebeest had been stupid enough to walk right in front of them!
So there the lions slept all maximally engorged and stuporous like a bunch or Americans on Thanksgiving. I went through the pictures looking for comparison shots but they never stood up to show off their waistlines.
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile
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