Snorkeling with blue whaleS - BigAnimals.com

Page created by Shawn Williamson
 
CONTINUE READING
Snorkeling with blue whaleS - BigAnimals.com
BigAnimals Global Expeditions | CAliforniA’s BluE Whale J une 10 - 16, 2018

                        Snorkeling with
                          blue whaleS
You will be overcome with the excitement, anticipation, and joy that are the defining
qualities of true exploration, and the experience will deepen your understanding and
              appreciation of our ocean realm, the lifeblood of our planet.

BigAnimals.com | info@biganimals.com | 189 Evans Ave #A, Pacific Grove, CA 93950 | Phone 831.241.6657 | © Amos nAChoum PhotoGrAPhY
Snorkeling with blue whaleS - BigAnimals.com
BigAnimals Global Expeditions | CAliforniA’s BluE   Whale June 10 - 16, 2018

                                                                                                 the Blue Whale
                                                                                                 (Balaenoptera musculus)
                                                                                                 Known as the world’s largest animal, the
                                                                                                 approximately 80-foot blue whale has a
                                                                                                 long tapering body with a flat, u-shaped
                                                                                                 head, and a prominent ridge running from
                                                                                                 it’s blowhole to upper lip. Blue whales are
                                                                                                 rorqual whales, a family of baleen whales

 “    nature at its best. listen to Your heart Pound.
      Back rolling silently from a kayak into the deep blue water of the Pacific ocean
              to photograph a blue whale is simply a life altering experience.           ”       with pleated throat grooves that expand
                                                                                                 when the animal takes in water while feeding.
                                                                                                 About 800 baleen plates hang from the
                                                                                                 front of its upper jaw, helping it sieve
                                                                                                 massive amounts of plankton out of the
    they are the largest of the rorqual or
baleen whales weighing up to 150 tons,                                                           ocean. Blue whales are an overall blue-gray
averaging a length of 80 feet, and they                                                          color, mottled with light gray. Cold-water
are far more wonderful in person than                                                            diatoms adhere to their skin and some-
words could ever hope to describe. We                                                            times give their bellies a yellowish tinge,
could talk all day about the countless in-                                                       giving the blue whale its nickname of
credible facts and almost unbelievable                                                           “sulfur bottom.” Blues have twin blowholes
statistics that describe blue whales, but                                                        that spout as high as 30 feet.
no words could ever come close to                                                                     unlike humpbacks and other baleen
expressing the way you will feel when                                                            whales, blues do not swim in pods and
you’re in the water next to these most                                                           seldom fluke (“tail up”) like the humpback.
amazing of Earth’s creatures.                                                                    they are known to cruise at 12 mph (20
    We’ve taken some of the encounter                                                            km/h), but are capable of short speed
challenge out of the equation by following                                                       bursts of 31 mph (50 km/h) when interacting
the northern blue whale’s migration                                                              with other whales.
path along the Baja Peninsula from their           You will be overcome with the excite-              it is difficult to imagine just how huge
wintering grounds in the sea of Cortez.         ment, anticipation, and joy that are the         these whales are until you’re in the water
our expedition takes place during the           defining qualities of true exploration, and      with them. their hearts can weight as
peak of their migration season and you          the experience will deepen your under-           much as a car, their tongues may exceed
are certain to have the best chance of          standing and appreciation of our ocean           the weight of an elephant, and 2,500 gallons
interacting with Blues anywhere in the          realm, the lifeblood of our planet. making       of blood circulate constantly to keep this
world. Pre-scouting the trip along with         eye contact with the largest animal in the       whale alive. they feed almost exclusively
a spotter plane helps us pinpoint their         world will make you feel at once both in-        on krill and other plankton, and adult blue
exact location over a distance varying          significant and important. swimming in           can consume 8,000 pounds of krill daily in
between 15 to 25 miles. this “gentle            the presence of an animal incomprehensibly       order to power their massive bodies. they
giant” adventure involves a technique           more powerful than yourself will make            can reach record lengths of 100 feet and
of stealth, one that i have developed           you feel impossibly tiny, yet at the same        weights of 180 tons. Even newborn babies
over many years to keep the whales              time the rare connection you have just           are 25 feet long and drink over 100 gallons
comfortable in our presence while still         made with this intelligent ocean being           of their mother’s milk every day!
allowing for the most intimate of encounters.   will show you how critical of a part each        Blue whales inhabit the oceans of the world,
    their commanding presence in the water      one of us plays on this beautiful blue mar-      but our destination is the most productive
is undeniable and overwhelming and              ble we call home. if you’re ready to see life    along the west coast of the united states.
through this BigAnimals experience, you         in a new light, join us on this BigAnimals       on this expedition, we hope to get face to
will become one of a select group of people     Expedition that will enrich your life, make      face during the time frame when approxi-
lucky enough to share the sea with these        your heart skip a few beats, and take your       mately 2,500 whales, feasting on krill,
amazing animals in such close quarters.         breath away.                                     migrate through mexican waters along
                                                                                                 the shoreline of san Diego.

 BigAnimals.com | info@biganimals.com | 189 Evans Ave #A, Pacific Grove, CA 93950 | Phone 831.241.6657 | © Amos nAChoum PhotoGrAPhY
Snorkeling with blue whaleS - BigAnimals.com
BigAnimals Global Expeditions | CAliforniA’s BLUE Whale June 10 - 16, 2018

                                                                                                here is an account of what you have to

the experience
                                                                                             look forward to. All five of us had been sit-
                                                                                             ting in our kayaks on top of a flat sea for at
                                                                                             least two hours and the whales were all
    While the scout plane lifts off from                                                     around us. We were all spread out about a
montgomery field to locate the exact                                                         mile apart from each other observing the
location of the whales, we depart from                                                       show of blows. the plane hovered around
Catalina Island on the Counter Shade                                                         us as the pilot was seeing the whales from
dive boat. Designed for divers, it has an                                                    above; the skipper was yelling to the left or
overall length of 40 feet with a 14-foot                                                     to the right, but we kept just missing them.
beam. Employing the use of a scouting                                                        We were getting warmer and warmer in
plane has proved time and again to be                                                        our wetsuits. i slid into the cool water every
the best way to locate Blues, and is the                                                     so often just to refresh myself. in the mean-
method we used when filming for both                                                         time, i took a few catnaps on the Kayak and
BBC and national Geographic. We have                                                         my paddler had to wake me up few times.
the very best pilot who has been working                                                        the sun started to go down as 4pm
with us for the last seven years, and he                                                     approached and visibility in the water began
knows exactly what to look for when                                                          to diminish, but the number of blows in
scouting for blue whales. Despite their         Each is paddled and maneuvered into          close proximity to the kayak started rising.
huge size, they are easy for an inexperi-    position by expert master kayakers. We
enced eye to miss, but our skilled pilot     wait topside in the warm air and inviting
spots them every time. he looks for red      west coast sunshine for just the right mo-
algae, a popular food for blue whales, as    ment to quietly slip into the cool, blue
well as their characteristic breathing       water. this perfect combination of tem-
blows.                                       peratures is a taste of the equally perfect
    our five snorkelers, each with their     blue whale encounter you are about to
own dedicated kayak and master paddler,      have in this most ultimate of wildlife pho-
plus the expedition leader, will have        tography opportunities. As the whale ap-        nick my kayaker counted four, five, and
plenty of space on a boat designed to        proaches, your heart will be pounding,          then six! he started paddling towards one,
carry 12 passengers. While the Counter       your camera clicking, and you will have         but i asked him to stop. “Just stay here,” i
Shade top speed is 24 mph, we cruise a       the experience of a lifetime. We primarily      told him. the less motion we make the better.
bit under that around a speedy 20 miles      snorkel with the Blues, but if you are a        Another few minutes passed and nick
per hour. the boat’s amenities include a     skilled free diver, this is a valid option as   started slowly paddling. Again, i told him
head plus a hot water shower. We’ll have     well. With less than 5m (15ft) of water sep-    to stop, and before i could finish my words
hot soup, a tasty lunch, and snacks on       arating you from these graceful and gi-         i saw the tip of the head of a Blue just two
board. You’ll want a swim jacket for that    gantic denizens of the sea, you are sure to     feet under the surface only a few feet in
out of water warmth.                         come away from the expedition with a            front of the Kayak bow. to jump or not to
    typically we encounter the shy blue      deeper understanding of and connection          jump…it was not a question. it was too
whales as they migrate north by Channel      to these amazing animals we are lucky           late to enter the water, but instead i low-
islands and all the San Miguel island        enough to share our water planet with.          ered my camera with a wide angle lens to
    At a distance of approximately 1000      our scouting pilot is fantastic, there is ab-   my left side just one foot underwater,
yards, the Counter Shade turns off her       solutely no better service to be had, and       aiming the heavy camera as best i could to
engine so as not to frighten the whales.     the superb caliber of this Big Animals ex-      face this incoming giant of the sea. And i
Blue whales may be the largest animals       pedition will be obvious in the quality of      got it. one of the rarest images of a blue
in the world, but they are also one of the   your encounters and images.                     whale, a frontal view from the tip of its jaw
shyest. they are extremely docile and                                                        back to its dreamy eye. these are the kinds
become startled easily, so we need to                                                        of precious wilderness moments we provide.
take the utmost care not to scare them                                                           it is critical to remember during any
with our boat noise. As soon as we have                                                      BigAnimals expedition that this is not sea
deter-mined that the whale is swimming                                                       World. the show is not at 10am or 2pm.
straight and not feeling threatened, we                                                      this is the wilderness. We are doing our
advance in sit on top double kayaks.                                                         best to inform you and share our research
    snorkelers are prepared to enter the                                                     and past years of experiences with you.
water with wetsuits on (66° to 72° f                                                         our previous encounters are an example of
water temp, air at 70°+ f), fins, mask and                                                   what has happened before, but are in no
snorkel ready, and camera in hand.                                                           way a guarantee for what you can expect
                                                                                             to see now. You are signing on for an
                                                                                             adventure and to truly enjoy it, you have
                                                                                             to fully respect mother nature for her
                                                                                             own unpredictable behavior.

 BigAnimals.com | info@biganimals.com | 189 Evans Ave #A, Pacific Grove, CA 93950 | Phone 831.241.6657 | © Amos nAChoum PhotoGrAPhY
Snorkeling with blue whaleS - BigAnimals.com
BigAnimals Global Expeditions | CAliforniA’s BLUE Whale June 10 - 16, 2018

the Destination                                                                                   What to Bring
    following your arrival and hotel                                                                   Catalina Island is a trendy and bustling
check-in, we will discuss camera gear                                                             city, but clothing attire is casual.
and settings, logistics and whale viewing                                                              in the water, a 5mm wetsuit and a 3mm
strategy during the evening briefing                                                              hooded vest is recommended. Water temps
and dinner.                                                                                       range from 66 to 70f (or 18 to 21C). You will
the next five days we will operate out of                                                         also need to bring mask, fins and snorkel.
mission Bay. Weather permitting (there is                                                         it is always advisable to bring an extra mask,
an occasional wait for the marine layer to                                                        strap and fins.
lift) the spotter plane will leave as early as                                                         While we are aboard the boat and following
possible in the morning. our pilot will              While accommodations are your                each dive, wearing a windbreaker or fleece
scan a radius of 15 to 25 miles between          responsibility, this BigAnimal Expedition        jacket will provide warmth. You might also
san Diego and mexico searching for blue          operates at the height of Catalina Island        consider bringing lightweight gloves and a
whales for up to four hours.                     tourist season. We suggest that as soon as       wool hat, sun block, polarized sunglasses, a
    Already headed in the same direction         you sign on to this trip, your book your         towel, and dry (waterproof ) camera bag. if
as the scout plane, the humboldt will            airline and hotel reservations. Here are         you carry multiple cameras you may want to
stop if we site any bait balls, mola molas,      three hotels suggestions:                        bring a small hard-shell Pelican case for the
whales, sharks, sea lions, or other marine           1 - Aurora - 4 stars                         boat plus a soft dry bag for use in the kayak.
animals. the Blues are of course the main            2 - Pavilion Hotel - 3 stars
attraction, but we often have the oppor-             3 - Hotel Metropole - 3 stars
tunity to get in the water and photo-
graph a variety of other amazing sea
creatures. there is also the option for you
to spend a day flying in the scout plane.
in constant communication with the
pilot, our boat skipper is an additional
observer.
    having enjoyed six days in san Diego
enthralled with the most incredible blue
whale experience, it will be time to ex-
change emails and say goodbye—until
Amos’ next adventure. our evenings on
land together in san Diego, one of southern
California’s most beautiful cities, will be as
entertaining as our days spent in the Pacific.

 BigAnimals.com | info@biganimals.com | 189 Evans Ave #A, Pacific Grove, CA 93950 | Phone 831.241.6657 | © Amos nAChoum PhotoGrAPhY
Snorkeling with blue whaleS - BigAnimals.com
BigAnimals Global Expeditions | CAliforniA’s BLUE Whale June 10 - 16, 2018

                                                                                               California’s
                                                                                               Blue
                                                                                                June 10 - 16, 2018

                                                                                               BluE WhAlE ExPEriEnCE: 14 years

                                                                                               WhErE: Catalina Island

                                                                                               DAtEs: June 10 - 16, 2018
                                                                                               DurAtion: 7 days
                                                                                               mAx no. of GuEsts: 5
                                                                                               PriCinG: $9,800 per person

                                                                                               rEGistrAtion: Deposit of $3,300
                                                                                               VEssEl: Counter Shade
                                                  BigAnimals’ unique services –
niCK lEBEouf                                  raising the bar of services in every
                                                                                               ACtiVitiEs: free Diving & snorkeling

Expedition leader                             adventure we operate around the                  tEmPErAturE: Water 66°-72° f
                                              world is our policy.                             (19-22° C) Air 70°+ f (21+° C)
   With over a decade of experience
                                                  We lead by example with immaculate           triP PriCE inCluDEs:
leading California & Baja expeditions,
                                              safety record. Each wildlife expedition is       • five days of blue whale free diving
nick leBeouf specializes in safely getting
you close to the world’s biggest animals.
                                              carefully scouted before offered to the             aboard the Counter Shade
                                              public and we schedule departures only           • only five guests per trip
nick has worked with the BBC, Discovery
                                              during peak animal presence and behavior         • spotter plane assistance for 5 days,
Channel, outside magazine, mAx,
                                              displays, led by nick leBeouf and based            up to 4 hours per day
national newspapers, and founded a
                                              on Amos nachoum’s 35 years of diving             • five two-person Kayaks each with
scuba company in san Diego where he
                                              and photographing ocean Giants.                    an expert Kayaker to take us quickly
holds 20 specialty diver certifications.
                                                  our California Blue Whale Expedition           and quietly out to the whales
                                              is strictly limited to only 5 privileged         • lunch and snacks on board
                                              guests. this is with consideration of the        • nick lebeouf Expedition leader
                                              shark’s welfare and behavior, your safety
                                              and provides you with room to move               triP PriCE ExCluDEs:
                                                                                               • 6 nights hotel
                                              freely, ample space in which to photo-
                                                                                               • meals which aren’t specified above,
                                              graph and film, with personalized
                                                                                                 soft drinks or alcohol
                                              attention and advice.
                                                                                               • Cab fare, car rental
                                                                                               • Activities outside of the itinerary
                                                                                               • items of a personal nature
                                                                                                 (phone calls, tips, drinks)
                                                                                               • scuba gear (this is a snorkeling
                                                                                                 expedition only)
                                                                                               • overweight luggage
                                                                                               • items not specifically mentioned
                                                                                                 under “tour Price includes”
                                                                                               • insurance – it is mandatory you buy
                                                                                                 your own travel, health, and diving
                                                                                                 insurance
                                                                                               • Additional costs incurred due to
                                                                                                 independent travel arrangements
                                                                                               • Gratuities
                                                                                               • Airfare to and from Los Angeles

 BigAnimals.com | info@biganimals.com | 189 Evans Ave #A, Pacific Grove, CA 93950 | Phone 831.241.6657 | © Amos nAChoum PhotoGrAPhY
Snorkeling with blue whaleS - BigAnimals.com
BigAnimals Global Expeditions | CAliforniA’s BLUE Whale June 10 - 16, 2018

   California’S blue whaleS itinerarY > June 10 - 16, 2018
daY 1 - June 10
– ArriVE Los Angeles. Take the Shuttle bus
to Santa Barbra, Ferry to Catalina Island.
Check into your hotel and let us know which
hotel you are booked in. We will inform you
on meeting place for briefing

daY 2-6 - June 11-15
–We operate out of Catalina and for the
next five days we’ll be engaged in blue
whale spotting. We plan to leave early in
the morning, weather permitting. The
marine layer can sometimes make it difficult
for the pilot to safely search for whales.
The pilot searches for the whales in an area
15 to 25 miles offshore between San Diego
and Mexico. We leave by boat each morning
towards the area being scouted. While
waiting for the scouting report, if we come
across an encounter with other marine life
along the way, we will free dive in the lovely    daY 7 - June 16                                PAYmEnt PoliCY AnD DEPosit:
                                                                                                 When we receive your deposit, we will
blue Pacific. (There are many diffrent marine
                                                                                                 send you a comprehensive and detailed
animals arriving in Southern California           – Depart Catalina by the Ferry to
                                                                                                 trip Preparation Bulletin about the
waters at this time of year to feed and           Santa Barbara and by shuttle bus to            experience and the destination.
breed.) What makes this expedition so             Los Angeles airport. Use travel                All trip costs are subject to change
unique is that, in addition to having a scout     time to plan your next BigAnimals              without prior notice until your reservation
plane with us every day, we also employ five
                                                  Global Expedition.                             is confirmed.
master kayakers to paddle you as quietly as
                                                                                                 A deposit of 33% of the total trip price
possible to the shy blue whales. Each sea
                                                                                                 is required to secure space on the trip.
kayak has two seats. The quest seat is at the
                                                                                                 full payment is due no later than 90
front of the kayak, where you’ll have mask,
                                                                                                 days before departure.
fins and camera ready to go at any time. The
                                                                                                 We reserve the right to sell any space
kayaker sits in the back to paddle you as fast
as humanly possible to the approximate                                                           that is not paid in full by 60 days before
location of the incoming blue whales. Since                                                      departure.
we are in constant communication with the                                                        CAnCEllAtion PoliCY
pilot, and the skipper can observe from the                                                        -must be made in writing.
dive boat, The kaykayak will be able to reach                                                      -more than 90 days before trip:
your whale quickly and silently.                                                                   Deposit will be refunded in full.
All five kayaks go out at one time – all guests                                                    -90 days or less before trip:
go out on the kayaks to the open sea and                                                           Deposit will be refunded if space is
remain at sea for as long as there’s                                                               sold, less unrecoverable costs of sales,
opportunity for blue whale free diving. In                                                         and administration fee.
the event we have good contact with the                                                            -no refund is made for unused part of
blue whales we will stay out until evening.                                                        the itinerary.
At the end of the day we return to shore.                                                        the following are subject to change:
                                                                                                   -Cost of services which are not
These are the hotel we recommend you                                                               included in the expedition price
make your reservation ...                                                                          -flight time and schedule
I - Aurora - 4 stars,                                                                              -Weather, water temperature, and
II - Pavilion Hotel - 3 stars,                                                                     animal behavior
III - Hotel Metropole - 3 stars
                                                                                                 Dates and prices are subject to change
                                                                                                 without prior notice.

     BigAnimals.com | info@biganimals.com | 189 Evans Ave #A, Pacific Grove, CA 93950 | Phone 831.241.6657 | © Amos nAChoum PhotoGrAPhY
Snorkeling with blue whaleS - BigAnimals.com
BigAnimals Global Expeditions | CAliforniA’s BLUE Whale June 10 - 16, 2018

                                                ApplicAtion Form
        Expedition snorkeling with Blue Whales | Expeditions Dates: June 10 - 16, 2018

PErsonAl informAtion

first name                                               last name

Date of Birth                                                       Gender:           female             male

Address

City                                                               state                             Zip

Work Phone                                             home Phone

Email

Citizen of                               Passport #                             Place issued & Date

trip price $9,800 per person. Deposit of 1/3 of trip price is required to secure space = $3,300 non-refundable.

final payment due 90 days before departure.
Please make your check payment to BigAnimals Expeditions, 189 Evans Ave #A, Pacific Grove, CA 93950. overseas
payment can be done via bank wire, instructions will be sent to you upon receipt of this application.

travel insurance:         yEs          no Provider                              Policy #
travel insurance is prerequisite and mandatory on BigAnimals adventures. We need to have your policy number.the
activity on this expedition is free diving/snorkeling. no scuba Diving Experience required and no scuba diving is offered.

Do you carry diving insurance?           yEs       no Provider                                    Policy #

Diving Experience/years in Diving

                                                                                                                3
Where & When last 3 Dive Experiences? 1                                        2
how do you rate your Diving skills?             Beginner            inter           Advanced                  Expert

how do you rate your Photography and/or Video skills?

          no interest             Beginner                 inter                Advanced                     Expert

 BigAnimals.com | info@biganimals.com | 189 Evans Ave #A, Pacific Grove, CA 93950 | Phone 831.241.6657 | © Amos nAChoum PhotoGrAPhy
Snorkeling with blue whaleS - BigAnimals.com Snorkeling with blue whaleS - BigAnimals.com Snorkeling with blue whaleS - BigAnimals.com
You can also read