I had a great time Connie, thanks. We only saw one whale - a 30ft fin whale - but we saw lots of dolphins and a few porpoise. The hotel was small but splendid with wonderful seafood. The weather was glorious, the sea calm and the small group of 'outdoor' people were very pleasant to be with. South West Ireland is still very rural and quiet so it was a good place for a getaway. Baltimore, where I stayed, faces the 'thousand islands' which lie off the coast of the south west and it is very reminiscent of both Cornwall and Brittany, to which it was once joined. There are some nice photos here. It is much more prosperous than when I saw it last, 60 years ago, just after the war. Euro money has provided a great injection of capital and there is more industry in Eire overall than before their entry into the EEC.
I am off to Wales this weekend to attend my eldest daughter's MSc graduation ceremony! If the weather is good I shall take the cable car up to Snowdon, Wales highest mountain at 3,500ft - which I once used to climb!
ConnieK wrote:Choisya--
You haven't told us yet about your whale watch excusion off the coast of Ireland. How did it go?
~ConnieK
Thanks for the report, Choisya! I've been to Ireland more than once and have seen the "Ring of Kerry," so I know the area in general terms. Most of Ireland is rural and quiet! Beautiful country, and the home of my ancestors in a big way! 
You need to come to the USA sometime and do a whale watch off Cape Cod to see more whales! Have fun in "Wales" this weekend--where I don't expect you'll see them. 
~ConnieK
Choisya wrote:I had a great time Connie, thanks. We only saw one whale - a 30ft fin whale - but we saw lots of dolphins and a few porpoise. The hotel was small but splendid with wonderful seafood. The weather was glorious, the sea calm and the small group of 'outdoor' people were very pleasant to be with. South West Ireland is still very rural and quiet so it was a good place for a getaway. Baltimore, where I stayed, faces the 'thousand islands' which lie off the coast of the south west and it is very reminiscent of both Cornwall and Brittany, to which it was once joined. There are some nice photos here. It is much more prosperous than when I saw it last, 60 years ago, just after the war. Euro money has provided a great injection of capital and there is more industry in Eire overall than before their entry into the EEC.
I am off to Wales this weekend to attend my eldest daughter's MSc graduation ceremony! If the weather is good I shall take the cable car up to Snowdon, Wales highest mountain at 3,500ft - which I once used to climb!
ConnieK wrote:Choisya--
You haven't told us yet about your whale watch excusion off the coast of Ireland. How did it go?
~ConnieK
I got my dates wrong - I go to Wales from the 11-13th!
If I go whale watching again I think I will go into Scandinavian waters, Iceland perhaps but I will have to buy some more woollies first!
Have you been to Ireland recently - since the injection of Euro-money? The Irish banks are currently seeing a great inflow of money from other countries because, in the current financial crisis, the government is guaranteeing all savings.
ConnieK wrote:Thanks for the report, Choisya! I've been to Ireland more than once and have seen the "Ring of Kerry," so I know the area in general terms. Most of Ireland is rural and quiet! Beautiful country, and the home of my ancestors in a big way!
You need to come to the USA sometime and do a whale watch off Cape Cod to see more whales! Have fun in "Wales" this weekend--where I don't expect you'll see them.
~ConnieK
Choisya wrote:I had a great time Connie, thanks. We only saw one whale - a 30ft fin whale - but we saw lots of dolphins and a few porpoise. The hotel was small but splendid with wonderful seafood. The weather was glorious, the sea calm and the small group of 'outdoor' people were very pleasant to be with. South West Ireland is still very rural and quiet so it was a good place for a getaway. Baltimore, where I stayed, faces the 'thousand islands' which lie off the coast of the south west and it is very reminiscent of both Cornwall and Brittany, to which it was once joined. There are some nice photos here. It is much more prosperous than when I saw it last, 60 years ago, just after the war. Euro money has provided a great injection of capital and there is more industry in Eire overall than before their entry into the EEC.
I am off to Wales this weekend to attend my eldest daughter's MSc graduation ceremony! If the weather is good I shall take the cable car up to Snowdon, Wales highest mountain at 3,500ft - which I once used to climb!
ConnieK wrote:Choisya--
You haven't told us yet about your whale watch excusion off the coast of Ireland. How did it go?
~ConnieK
ConnieK wrote:You need to come to the USA sometime and do a whale watch off Cape Cod to see more whales! Have fun in "Wales" this weekend--where I don't expect you'll see them.
~ConnieK
I've done a whale watch out of Cape Code, and it was fun! We saw lots of whales, humpback and minke (I think that's the name). Including a mother and baby humpback who seemed curious about our boat and came quite close for a while.
I appreciate your concern Everyman
. We were told about this problem by our Irish 'skipper' and the waters are very well policed over there. Only certain types of boats are used and their engines are switched off as soon as they are within a certain acceptable radius (although dolphins frequently swam up to the catamaran to 'bow ride'). I did not see any aeroplanes or helicopters. All the people on our trip carried excellent cameras and binoculars with long range lenses etc. so there was no necessity to get too near.
Everyman wrote:I guess there's some debate over whether this is good for the whales, something about propellers, or something.
Whale watching is big business where I live, and big controversy. We have a very active local whale research organization (actually several), and they are convinced that the whales are significantly and negatively impacted by the number of whale watching boats (on some summer weekends we can see as many as thirty out in the channel chasing a single pod of whales). There are some fairly strict guidelines, but they are routinely ignored because the tourists who are paying significant prices for a view of the whales want to get as close to them as possible, and there is no money for enforcement. The Canadians in particular are a problem because they use very fast Zodiac style boats that try sometimes to get close enough for their tourists to touch the whales as they surface. The laws are American, I don't think there are any Canadian laws protecting the whales from aggressive whale watching, and the border goes up the rough middle of the channel, so if they see the occasional (very occasional) coast guard or sheriff's boat coming they just duck across the border and cock a snook at them.
The whale watching organizations hire airplanes to go out and spot where the whales are, then rush their boats there, so since they're in a fairly confined space in the strait, not out in the open sea, on busy summer days ther is nowhere for them to get away from the boats, who harass them for most of the day.
As you have probably guessed by now, it's a sore point for those of us who appreciate watching them from land but think the poor things should be left in peace and not hounded all summer for the sake of the almighty dollar.
I'll calm back down now. Rainy fall and winter days are coming when it's not so much fun to go out chasing whales, so for the time being they will get a bit of peace.
ConnieK wrote:dulcinea3 wrote:
I've done a whale watch out of Cape Code, and it was fun! We saw lots of whales, humpback and minke (I think that's the name). Including a mother and baby humpback who seemed curious about our boat and came quite close for a while.
We saw so many humpback whales on our watch, dulcinea! It was a thrill! Yes; ours were right by the boat as well. I guess there's some debate over whether this is good for the whales, something about propellers, or something. I think our boat was of a type that wasn't supposed to be as risky for them, but I might be remembering all of that wrong. It was a lovely trip, though, and seeing so many whales so close-up was a spectacular experience one doesn't forget.
~ConnieK
On the trip I was in on the waters of Everyman's Island a couple of years ago, the naturalist who spoke throughout the day seemed to go overboard on environmentalism. We saw dozens of Orcas, including several wee ones. It would surprise me very much to find out that the Canadians are less careful of the environment than the country below them. I listen to CBC almost every day, and they seem to me to be even more extreme than people of the United States about protecting the whales and polar bears.
Choisya wrote:I appreciate your concern Everyman
Everyman wrote:I guess there's some debate over whether this is good for the whales, something about propellers, or something.
Whale watching is big business where I live, and big controversy. We have a very active local whale research organization (actually several), and they are convinced that the whales are significantly and negatively impacted by the number of whale watching boats (on some summer weekends we can see as many as thirty out in the channel chasing a single pod of whales). There are some fairly strict guidelines, but they are routinely ignored because the tourists who are paying significant prices for a view of the whales want to get as close to them as possible, and there is no money for enforcement. The Canadians in particular are a problem because they use very fast Zodiac style boats that try sometimes to get close enough for their tourists to touch the whales as they surface. The laws are American, I don't think there are any Canadian laws protecting the whales from aggressive whale watching, and the border goes up the rough middle of the channel, so if they see the occasional (very occasional) coast guard or sheriff's boat coming they just duck across the border and cock a snook at them.
The whale watching organizations hire airplanes to go out and spot where the whales are, then rush their boats there, so since they're in a fairly confined space in the strait, not out in the open sea, on busy summer days ther is nowhere for them to get away from the boats, who harass them for most of the day.
As you have probably guessed by now, it's a sore point for those of us who appreciate watching them from land but think the poor things should be left in peace and not hounded all summer for the sake of the almighty dollar.
I'll calm back down now. Rainy fall and winter days are coming when it's not so much fun to go out chasing whales, so for the time being they will get a bit of peace.
ConnieK wrote:dulcinea3 wrote:
I've done a whale watch out of Cape Code, and it was fun! We saw lots of whales, humpback and minke (I think that's the name). Including a mother and baby humpback who seemed curious about our boat and came quite close for a while.
We saw so many humpback whales on our watch, dulcinea! It was a thrill! Yes; ours were right by the boat as well. I guess there's some debate over whether this is good for the whales, something about propellers, or something. I think our boat was of a type that wasn't supposed to be as risky for them, but I might be remembering all of that wrong. It was a lovely trip, though, and seeing so many whales so close-up was a spectacular experience one doesn't forget.
~ConnieK
Unfortuantely, the announcers at CBC don't run the little whale watch boats that we see so many of.
Laurel wrote:On the trip I was in on the waters of Everyman's Island a couple of years ago, the naturalist who spoke throughout the day seemed to go overboard on environmentalism. We saw dozens of Orcas, including several wee ones. It would surprise me very much to find out that the Canadians are less careful of the environment than the country below them. I listen to CBC almost every day, and they seem to me to be even more extreme than people of the United States about protecting the whales and polar bears.
Choisya wrote:I appreciate your concern Everyman
Everyman wrote:I guess there's some debate over whether this is good for the whales, something about propellers, or something.
Whale watching is big business where I live, and big controversy. We have a very active local whale research organization (actually several), and they are convinced that the whales are significantly and negatively impacted by the number of whale watching boats (on some summer weekends we can see as many as thirty out in the channel chasing a single pod of whales). There are some fairly strict guidelines, but they are routinely ignored because the tourists who are paying significant prices for a view of the whales want to get as close to them as possible, and there is no money for enforcement. The Canadians in particular are a problem because they use very fast Zodiac style boats that try sometimes to get close enough for their tourists to touch the whales as they surface. The laws are American, I don't think there are any Canadian laws protecting the whales from aggressive whale watching, and the border goes up the rough middle of the channel, so if they see the occasional (very occasional) coast guard or sheriff's boat coming they just duck across the border and cock a snook at them.
The whale watching organizations hire airplanes to go out and spot where the whales are, then rush their boats there, so since they're in a fairly confined space in the strait, not out in the open sea, on busy summer days ther is nowhere for them to get away from the boats, who harass them for most of the day.
As you have probably guessed by now, it's a sore point for those of us who appreciate watching them from land but think the poor things should be left in peace and not hounded all summer for the sake of the almighty dollar.
I'll calm back down now. Rainy fall and winter days are coming when it's not so much fun to go out chasing whales, so for the time being they will get a bit of peace.
ConnieK wrote:dulcinea3 wrote:
I've done a whale watch out of Cape Code, and it was fun! We saw lots of whales, humpback and minke (I think that's the name). Including a mother and baby humpback who seemed curious about our boat and came quite close for a while.
We saw so many humpback whales on our watch, dulcinea! It was a thrill! Yes; ours were right by the boat as well. I guess there's some debate over whether this is good for the whales, something about propellers, or something. I think our boat was of a type that wasn't supposed to be as risky for them, but I might be remembering all of that wrong. It was a lovely trip, though, and seeing so many whales so close-up was a spectacular experience one doesn't forget.
~ConnieK
Shakespeare mentions whales a few times in his plays. Here's one example, from Troilus and Cressida (Act V, scene 5):
NESTOR
Go, bear Patroclus' body to Achilles;
And bid the snail-paced Ajax arm for shame.
There is a thousand Hectors in the field:
Now here he fights on Galathe his horse,
And there lacks work; anon he's there afoot,
And there they fly or die, like scaled sculls
Before the belching whale; then is he yonder,
And there the strawy Greeks, ripe for his edge,
Fall down before him, like the mower's swath:
Here, there, and every where, he leaves and takes,
Dexterity so obeying appetite
That what he will he does, and does so much
That proof is call'd impossibility.
dulcinea3 wrote:
ConnieK wrote:You need to come to the USA sometime and do a whale watch off Cape Cod to see more whales! Have fun in "Wales" this weekend--where I don't expect you'll see them.
~ConnieK
I've done a whale watch out of Cape Code, and it was fun! We saw lots of whales, humpback and minke (I think that's the name). Including a mother and baby humpback who seemed curious about our boat and came quite close for a while.
Thanks fiery - great ref. I will look for more
friery wrote:
Shakespeare mentions whales a few times in his plays. Here's one example, from Troilus and Cressida (Act V, scene 5):
NESTOR
Go, bear Patroclus' body to Achilles;
And bid the snail-paced Ajax arm for shame.
There is a thousand Hectors in the field:
Now here he fights on Galathe his horse,
And there lacks work; anon he's there afoot,
And there they fly or die, like scaled sculls
Before the belching whale; then is he yonder,
And there the strawy Greeks, ripe for his edge,
Fall down before him, like the mower's swath:
Here, there, and every where, he leaves and takes,
Dexterity so obeying appetite
That what he will he does, and does so much
That proof is call'd impossibility.
dulcinea3 wrote:
ConnieK wrote:You need to come to the USA sometime and do a whale watch off Cape Cod to see more whales! Have fun in "Wales" this weekend--where I don't expect you'll see them.
~ConnieK
I've done a whale watch out of Cape Code, and it was fun! We saw lots of whales, humpback and minke (I think that's the name). Including a mother and baby humpback who seemed curious about our boat and came quite close for a while.
