Tuesday, July 27, 2010

ALMOST A PORPOISE-LESS TRIP

There was some query as to where the ship started out, was it from Tilbury Docks, many miles East of London, or was it Southampton U.K. on the South coast of England. Whichever port this cruise liner came from, she was more than a delightful sight when I saw her.  The passenger I spoke to joined the cruise ship in Edinburgh!

  She has an elegant hull, a good old fashioned shape that makes this boat a real romantic cruise boat, in my opinion.  This beauty far outstrips the clinical-looking Cruise liners that pack people in container boxes piled high on a barge base.  The ship currently takes about 800 passengers, considerably fewer than the other monstrosities that sail the seas.

The main comment was that the passengers, thus far, had not been in a port for any length of time.  On the future itinerary, was a visit the Pharoes, Iceland and Poland.

As it was a relatively calm day, we motored around the bay.  Some small working boats were moving around,  one guy was stretched out on his open boat, having a rest.

 



A couple of intrepid canoeists wisely hugged the coast line.  Knowing their craft were not suitable for going out any further into exposed deep waters, they turned at the cliff head and set on their return to base.
I was hoping to glimpse some water life, including porpoises at play.  The first bird I saw  was a puffin, too far away to photograph.  I watched a Bonxie, (also known as the Great Skua) land on the sea like a skimming amphibious craft.  These birds have voracious appetites.   They are related to The Arctic Skua.






 It seemed it was going to be a 'porpoise-less' trip, then all of a sudden a pair of fins broke the surface of the sea, then arched dark shiny bodies appeared.  In the blink of an eye they disappeared, re-appearing moments later in a different spot.   Further over, I saw another pair of porpoises diving together.  The porpoises moved so fast, and because I had no real idea where they might re-appear from the deep dives they indulged in, (they were probably feeding) most of my photo shots are of disturbed whirls of water where the porpoises had showed up.  Just one picture shows a fin and a little of the body, in the far distance.  Hopefully, you will be able to make out the disappearing porpoise to the right of the picture.

8 comments:

keiko amano said...

ZACL,

The first two photos look unreal to me. I thought you copied them from somewhere. And the fourth photo, the intricate waves and light show a gorgeous scene.
Thank you for all the delicious pictures and sentences. I've been slowly reading your post here and there.

Also, I like your blog format. The font is large, and the length is just right, and the three photos at the bottom to click if I have time. It's very considerate and tempting.

ZACL said...

Goodness me, Keiko, I shall retire to my bed with a glow tonight because of all your compliments. Thank you so much.

I take all the photos in my posts. I don't upload photos very often, as you have probably noticed. Sometimes I describe an event without including any pictures I may have taken.

I choose my days and times to go out in a small boat. The seas can be deceptive and the weather patterns sometimes alter very quickly. The attractive cruise ship tempted me for this trip.

The skies are big here, to some visitors it can seem to be rather like a goldfish bowl. The skies affect and reflect so much of life here, in turn, the colouring of the day, the point in time, can also be seen in the waters. There are occasions when the sea can be so wild, dark and forbidding.

Anonymous said...

i'm quite envious of the wild location and also of anyone who's been lucky enough to witness a porpoise in the flesh.

and i agree about modern cruise liners, they're mostly floating monstrosities that have little to do with grace or beauty, unlike the older ones.

ZACL said...

It was my first sighting of porpoises; O.H was quite sanguine, he's seen them many times.

The elegant lady tempted me out on the high seas, it is such a rarity to see a beautiful design of yore.

Flighty said...

I'll hopefully comment properly over the weekend as I'm having problems using my Wordpress identity! Flighty xx

ZACL said...

My goodness Mr F, it must be like having half your personal communication system out of synch. I hope it all gets sorted soon. Thanks for getting in contact.

XXX

Flighty said...

Interesting post and photos! That cruise ship is still too big for my taste.
That's about all I've ever seen of porpoises in the sea! Flighty xx

ZACL said...

There are yachts that anchor in the harbour, Mr F, they seem to me to be a bit like squeezed up residential caravans with an aft and a bow and a wart on top. The occasional big one can be quite attractive and have a much more commanding presence.

The old sail boats that are used for training purposes are a sight to see, though not usually here where I live. The tall ships sometimes go to Edinburgh. When I lived on the South Coast of England, I was able to board one which was at anchor and explore it. If memory isn't playing tricks, I believe that ship had been used in the filming of The Onedin Line.

The other elegant yacht I used to see visiting, was The Royal Yacht Britannia. I have sailed around her a few times and got some pictures somewhere, rather like those of the Cruise ship depicted in this post.