In my persona as helper to tribal libraries, I was back out at La Push on Thursday, working in the Quileute school library again. Before heading home, I sat out on the point and looked for whales. After a bit, saw them.
Last year I started too early, was looking and looking in February and early March when they weren't there to be seen; and I get it that I need to be upslope a little, up on a log, or at an overlook; but the crucial difference is the thing I learned from the couple on the beach on Tuesday: watch for five minutes. Not walking along watching, just stand still and watch. They're there.
The weather was better, sky bluer, no glare. There were a number of spyhops, and once I was even pointing the binoculars where a whale just slowly stuck his barnacled head straight up and then sank down again. Another moment there were three different blows within a couple of seconds at three different spots: three whales.
I couldn't stay, was leaving for Tucson at impossible AM the next morning and not packed yet. But had a happy half hour. When they're there, they're there. Watch for five minutes and you will see them blow.
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