This is the first of a couple of “beach posts”. We had the opportunity to go to the Oregon coast with friends and with leisure time came observation opportunities. One is always eager to look immediately at the ocean on arrival day and the balcony of our apartment right by the cliff provided the perfect setup to step out and look. In fact, already while approaching the balcony door I spotted a whale through the window not far from the shore blowing up water and air and showing his hump before diving – doing justice to his name. We were standing there excitedly and tried to follow its course and the infrequent re-emergences and along the way we spotted additional animals closer to and further from the shore. After watching them for quite a while we turned to go back inside when I noticed a lady on the balcony next door. With excitement I asked her “Did you see the whales?”.
She looked up from her phone and said “No”.
(Note: later we saw her out on the balcony again with binoculars and my friend went out to direct her gazing at whales until she was also successful!)