Chapter 21: C'mon in, the water's fine
but empty?
Before we get into today's events, I wish to acknowledge the passing of a Beluga Whale about whom I wrote in a past blog entry. In case you missed it, Hvaldimir passed away in Stavangar, Norway, a couple of days ago. My thanks to both Suzi Stoller and B for calling this news to my attention. If this reference confuses you, google Hvaldimir.
The nighttime weather this time was sublime so, when I awoke--still well before sunrise--all was well at Aitutaki. After a fine breakfast (coconut water anyone?) we boarded the shuttle boat to board the van to board the boat and head out through the cut in the reef seeking humpbacks. Today, we have an honored guest aboard, two-year-old Roman, son of Tui, grandson of Onu. He was a trooper, sleeping for more than half the time--on a lifejacket bed on very bouncy boat--and otherwise occupied by iPad offerings. I got to hear the symphonic sounds of Cocomelon on the open ocean--an experience I thought might never come my way. Olivia has a way with--and a special smile reserved just for--people of this age.
Within only minutes, we spotted a spout and made our way in that direction. Cutting the twin outboards, we lowered the hydrophone but it was strangely silent. After twenty minutes or so, we gave up on this whale--we don't know where it went, in what direction it went, how deep it dived...we just don't know.
And therein lies an under appreciated part of these kinds of treks. As one football coach--often quoted by me back in my early seminar days--said, "The thrill isn't in the winning. It's in the doing." Chuck Noll said that and, in many ways I agree. We are "doing" while we are on the hunt for humpbacks.
Josh assigns "clock" quadrants for us to survey--to keep watch for whales. Using the bow of Bubbles as twelve o'clock, one of us is assigned twelve to three, another three to six, another six to nine and another nine back to twelve. For some reason, he assigned quadrants to Josi, Martin, Olivia and Monika--but never to me. Whether it was charity for the old man or a lack of trust, I am uncertain. I decided to scan whatever portion of the horizon was comfortable for me and reveled in being accountable for nothing.
We spotted spouts at eleven o'clock. Captain Onu adjusted his heading and we made for that spot. Again, however, we arrived to a vacant spot.
Again, a spout in the distance. Again we got underway and again, nothing upon arrival.
Later, I spotted a pair of spouts and off we went. Cutting the motors, lowering the hydrophone we got faint singing but nothing remarkable. We kept scanning the nearby waters, waiting for these two humpbacks to surface. Without warning--as is always the case with humpback surfacing events--we heard the unmistakable sound of "POOF" immediately to our stern. Wheeling, we all saw at a distance of no more than thirty feet, a humpback. Seeing a fifty-foot long creature on your back porch step is a thrill. This was particularly true for Olivia and Monaica who had never witnessed such a thing at any nearby distance. The second whale surfaced immediately following the first.
We scrambled into our gear--masks and snorkels in place, fins on feet, cameras (if you had one) strapped to your wrist. Josh dropped into the water. But, amazingly, he saw nothing. Captain Onu swiveled us around. Nothing. Where could they have gone? They have to be right here. Surely they will surface again momentarily to breathe.
Nothing. They had vanished before we had even gotten into the water.
At one point, frustrated with our lack of success, we all jumped overboard to simply snorkel over the reef. Even that offered up mostly nothing.
We headed back to port and I spotted one final spout event. Two whales were out there. We changed course and went to that spot. Again. Nothing.
The thrill today, then, comes not from winning because we did not. Our thrill was in the doing. Winning will have to wait for tomorrow.Sadly, I missed the "Ukarere Lessons."
A group lunch at Pacific Resort Aitutaki, interrupted only briefly by a rain shower, was delightful as Josh, Monika, Olivia, Martin and I got to know each other even better still. Josi had departed for the hotel to enjoy a massage.
When one snorkels or scuba dives in salt water, there is mandatory equipment housekeeping that must be done. Masks, fins, snorkels, wetsuits, vests, shorties--all of that needs to be thoroughly rinsed of salt water residue. Here, that chore is completed in the outdoor shower and I performed the same post-ocean maintenance upon myself.
Dinner plans are to meet tonight at 6:30 and head out to a spot about which Josh and Martin have good things to say. Tomorrow is another day. The day to bring home a win? Only time and weather--and these bashful humpbacks--will tell.
