You can not visit an island without seeing it by the sea. Ideally it should even get there by the sea, but we would not have had time …
So two goals today: take a step back to see the island from the sea and watch the whales that are coming to the warm waters of the tropics to give birth and raise their young before returning to the cold waters of Antarctica where they can find the food they need in abundance.
We chose a small sailing catamaran so as not to end up on a big tourist transport and to favor a slower and quieter approach. The calm of this early morning, however, will not allow us to establish the sails … Upon leaving Saint-Gilles we see a first whale and we will continue to spot new humpback whales usually moving with their calves until the end of the trip three hours later. Our boat participates with others in an observation mission to contribute to the preservation of whales on the island. Together they have identified about 200 different adults during the year 2017 and the current year seems to be of the same level. The whales watching has unfortunately become a lucrative business and many boats are found on the water with their contingent of tourists especially on a Sunday and practice a ‘hunt’ sometimes limited to the tranquility of cetaceans. In short, there are people on the water …
Our skipper seems to have a fairly respectful approach and does not try to get too close. What is good (a priori) for the whale is obviously less for the photographer especially if he is not equipped with powerful telephoto and a good sense of balance to stabilize his device on a sailboat sailing at engine on the swell of the Indian Ocean. So far enough shots that I was able to crop to focus a little on the animal. Moreover, this morning, unlike what we had observed from the coast a week ago, the calves are not in a playful mood and we will not be entitled to the slightest jump out of the water today . Pictures a little disappointing, that we complete with some views of the coast of Saint Gilles sea view. Finally a sunset on the lagoon of Saint Leu (in front of the house) celebrated by various sportsmen: kayaking, swimming, paddle , spectators on the sand …
Next week we change sides …
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