Whale of a Time - Ducati.ms

Bill_Anderson · Mar 20th, 2010, 1:16 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by John

Keep up the creative work with that new 7D and post up anything you find interesting.

How about some visiting gray whales? I took these photos of one on Sunday off Sunset Ave., where I have taken many shots of my motorcycles against a backdrop of the sunset or a passing train.

We believe there are 2-3 whales. They have been hanging around all week, so hopefully these will not be my last shots.

Bill_Anderson · Mar 20th, 2010, 1:18 am

A few more. Note the barnacles on the fins. Sorry, but these whales don't jump clear out of the water like the ones on the Pacific Life TV commercials.

**John** · Mar 20th, 2010, 3:43 pm

Thats great Bill. We had a pair of Humpbacks, a mother and calf come up the Sacramento river a couple years ago (again). The first one to do so was some years back and he was nicknamed "Humphrey". He went up river quite a ways and one day made a U turn and went back out with the help of a bunch of boats following making noise. The latest pair went all the way to where the Sacramento deep water channel dead ends at a dock (the kind for raising and lowering water). At that time I had the opportunity to go out there with hundreds of others to watch them. The concern was the amount of time they had been spending in fresh water and they were showing signs of deterioration. The authorities tried everything to turn them around and get them heading back down river, but without success. Then suddenly on their own they did as Humphrey did, they turned around and started back to the ocean. What was strange was the fact they didn't stop or linger enroute, they made steady progress all the way back out and under the Golden Gate Bridge. It was an uplifting experience for many in Northern California.

**Chuckracer** · Mar 20th, 2010, 4:03 pm

That's just awesome Bill!

wazhazhe · Mar 20th, 2010, 10:32 pm

Cool photos.

Here is the only whale I've se in this part of the county. Not nearly as impressive as the gray whales. I guess this is a blue whale.

**John** · Mar 21st, 2010, 12:56 am

Reminds me of the entrance to the alligator farm in Orlando, Fl. My Dad knew the original owner - Owen Goodwin.

Bill_Anderson · Mar 21st, 2010, 1:38 am

I remember Humphrey. I think I had moved away from Sacramento by then, but I followed the story in the news.

MTScott2 · Mar 21st, 2010, 9:50 am

Amazing creatures.
A thought provoking experience to be able to see them in their natural habitat.
I really believe it is a sin to hunt them .
There has to be an alternative to whale meat..
Makes you think to support green peace...
Good to have the Great photos to go with the memory..
Do you get the urge to get a longer lens ? Kinda like the urge to get a bigger diffreent bike..
You can spend sooo much cash on photography....

**John** · Mar 22nd, 2010, 1:45 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott2

Amazing creatures.
A thought provoking experience to be able to see them in their natural habitat.
I really believe it is a sin to hunt them .
There has to be an alternative to whale meat..
Makes you think to support green peace...
Good to have the Great photos to go with the memory..
Do you get the urge to get a longer lens ? Kinda like the urge to get a bigger diffreent bike..
You can spend sooo much cash on photography....

+1 We almost drove them to extinction and some species are not out of the woods yet. Then you have the Japanese hunting them under the guise of "research". I believe the Japanese and Chinese would hunt creatures like that to extinction without a care in the world. One for exotic food and the other for thinking the resource will give them a hard-on. Recently the Australian Prime Minister hammered on the Japanese over whale hunting, I mean he was pissed and threatened them. Another Nordic country practices whale hunting too, I forget which one.