Encounters with the Giant Blue

Mexico

It is a windless day. Not a single breeze dares to disturb this enchanted late afternoon. Like a mercurial liquid, the glare of a lower sun blinds me when I glance over the water's surface. It is one of our first journeys in the Sea of Cortez, and we are nervous, anxious to see and discover.  

Rudder tighten up, engines off, we stop to listen. Only the pure quietness of a still day raises the possibility of us finding a whale if it happens to be in the vicinity. We’ve searched with the binoculars, but haven’t found anything yet.

We’ve been here for a while,  awaiting patiently. I am taken by the stillness of the place, hypnotised by the infinite blue of these waters and my imagination telling me what might be hidden beneath. Every slight movement over the water is carefully studied by the corner of my eyes.

And then, unexpectedly, like a volcanic eruption ripping the water apart, an immeasurable amount of air awakens me violently. Florian is nervous, and we jump out of our place, excited and shaky. It is a blue whale, and she is a few feet from the boat. Stepping into each other’s feet and hesitant about what to do, we stop for a moment to realise what we are truly contemplating. After a few seconds of shock, Florian is finally able to find his camera. 

The sun is setting faster than we are used to. Here in the south, the sun sets faster than in Nordic lands, where we have spent more time. Running out of light and a few minutes to enjoy the sight of a Blue, Florian needs to make fast decisions. A close-up of the fluke is a most, but that is the last you will see of a whale before it disappears again.

Florian loves combining the subject within the landscape: the blow from the distance, with the mountains in the background, would make a beautiful composition.

When the Blue Whale comes up to the surface to breathe, they don’t stay very long, and when they disappear, it is for at least 20 to 30 minutes. We are here because we have seen blues before from the air traveling this waters. Only from that far one can truly appreciate their sheer size. Her body is three or four times longer than our boat. Yet, she gently swims by our boat like if we weren’t there.

I hear the rushing train of the camera, trying to capture this moment that escapes our eyes by the second. After this we will be anchoring at night, but been with a blue whale is worth everything.

I have seen the giant, I could not be happier with such a wonderful end of the day.