SUP and a Whale!

[SteamboatBORN]

I am sure this has been on here already but still kinda wild. I dont agree with getting this close to a whale and its super dangerous.

[Strand Leper]

Wow, that was close.

When I did a distance paddle yesterday after my surf session, I had a strange encounter. Not as cool as the Fourth of July when I saw a black jelly the size of a car hood, though.  I did a bit of a triangle. Up the coast past three arch, out into the ocean (to try to get the correct angle to ride the slight wind bumps back to the pad.)

I was focusing on stroke, and breathing, and balance (my "new to me" 14er is a bit tippy) out of the corner of my eye is a large breach and ensuing splash. Not a dolphin, not sure if it was a whale because it seemed like an object that cleared the water, then splashed.  Not sure enough to email the shark research guys. But sure enough to paddle a little faster, keep my center of gravity a little lower... And perhaps get thyself home.

Every time I go out for a distance run, I see something amazing. I am not going out with a GPS or timing myself, just cruising, working on form, and taking in the sights.

SL

[SteamboatBORN]

Yeah i bet that got your heart pumping. I think that is what is so scary and beautiful about the ocean, its the unknown! Crazy to think they have more knowledge about the surface of Mars then our oceans. The movie Abyss always gets my imagination going when thinking about the deep.

[Menlo SUPr]

Just sea terns and a lot of snowy egrets around the SF bay this weekend, but a nice paddle anyway. The terns love to dive and plunge for fish just feet from our boards.

[KiwiSupGreg]

You think that was close.....

Check this out from Sunday over the Ditch from me in Oz

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2013/jul/07/whale-knocks-surfer-unconscious-bondi-beach-video

[SteamboatBORN]

You think that was close.....

Check this out from Sunday over the Ditch from me in Oz

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2013/jul/07/whale-knocks-surfer-unconscious-bondi-beach-video

Thats like having an 18-wheeler hit you. WOW scary!

[JeanG]

Have been that close myself. Mommy whale and baby swam right into the lineup at Cardiff one day. They hung out for a few minutes then strolled away. Closest she got to me was probably eight feet. They were just floating right next to us, very still. Pretty cool.

[SteamboatBORN]

You think that was close.....

Check this out from Sunday over the Ditch from me in Oz

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2013/jul/07/whale-knocks-surfer-unconscious-bondi-beach-video

I think this is from that video.

[SaMoSUP]

Same thing would happen if you stand behind a horse's ass. Even a domesticated one. So why go there with a whale?

[KiwiSupGreg]

Same thing would happen if you stand behind a horse's ass. Even a domesticated one. So why go there with a whale?

Agree totally...its a giant wild animal...we get lots of Orca's in the water here, they feed on stingrays so come in close into the surf zone and shallow harbour water...the amount of people I see trying to get close amazes me.

I tend to paddle to the middle of the pack. 

[Celeste]

The water is always full of surprises.  Wednesday evening on the paddle back in from watching fireworks, I heard a thump and some flopping.  I thought what is going on with my flip flops as they were on my leash.  All was explained when I turned to find a 14" fish on my board.  Now I have always heard that "any fish will bite if you have good bait", so I showed it off to my friends and thanked it profusely for the validation before brushing it off back to the water.   I hope it was not to offended by the brush off.

[Subber]

Wow, that was close.

When I did a distance paddle yesterday after my surf session, I had a strange encounter. Not as cool as the Fourth of July when I saw a black jelly the size of a car hood, though.  I did a bit of a triangle. Up the coast past three arch, out into the ocean (to try to get the correct angle to ride the slight wind bumps back to the pad.)

I was focusing on stroke, and breathing, and balance (my "new to me" 14er is a bit tippy) out of the corner of my eye is a large breach and ensuing splash. Not a dolphin, not sure if it was a whale because it seemed like an object that cleared the water, then splashed.  Not sure enough to email the shark research guys. But sure enough to paddle a little faster, keep my center of gravity a little lower... And perhaps get thyself home.

Every time I go out for a distance run, I see something amazing. I am not going out with a GPS or timing myself, just cruising, working on form, and taking in the sights.

SL

Whoa...." rare Black Jellies:"

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. (AP) -- A rare jellyfish might have made a stinging debut at a Southern California beach.

The Orange County Register (http://bit.ly/13zfYFb ) reports some people suffered stings all over their bodies last week at Thousand Steps Beach in south Laguna Beach.

Some Fourth of July swimmers came ashore with dark membranes clinging to their bodies as the jellyfish broke up in the surf.

From the color, the jellyfish might be rare black jellies.

Nigela Hillgarth of Birch Aquarium says the species was only identified in 1999 and it has only recently appeared in Southern California.

Black jelly tentacles can grow to 30 feet long. Hillgarth says warmer ocean temperatures may have brought the jellyfish closer to shore in search of prey where they were caught by the current and thrown ashore.

Very cool that you saw it....just don't touch...ouch.