A Day on the Deep - Kathleen's Reflections

We were obviously at sea level--but struck a new high in life experiences today with the two whale watches--soaring over the surface of the sea in Zodiacs (rubber rafts on steroids!)--one boat this morning and one this afternoon. Ginny and I would both like to note that the pictures posted on this blog have not been Photo-Shopped or otherwise enhanced in any way. We saw 30 to 35 pilot whales and several Minkes (pronounced min-keys, with the accent on the first syllable). Initially I thought we might come away with no photos because we set out in the rain and it was too wet to risk getting out cameras. But eventually the weather cleared enough to safely take pictures--which hardly do justice to the experience of having whales and dolphins come up from the depths right next to the watercraft--close enough to have reached out and touched them. Tomorrow we're off to see the Cabot Trail and Cape Breton Highlands National Park of which we had the merest taste today on the drive between Cheticamp and Pleasant Bay.