I love the ocean.  But I’m reaaaallllyyy lazy when it comes to actually getting into the water.

Today it was hot and sunny and absolutely beautiful outside.  But I had no motivation to get in the ocean.

My mom probably asked me 7 times to go paddle-boarding with her.  I think I just took a nap instead, I can’t actually remember.

But when I finally stopped being so sluggish, I agreed and we got in the water.

We paddled out and I absent-mindedly started singing “Starlight” by Muse.

All of the sudden, I heard a strange whooshing noise to my left.  I turned and saw a baby gray whale, staring at me. I freaked out and almost fell off my board into a kelp bed I was so excited.

“MMMMMMMOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!” I screamed, I yelled so loud some of the surfers nearby gave me a sideways look.

“Loookkkeeeyyy!” I exclaimed, pointing frantically at the foamy white water where the whale has just disappeared.

She turned just in time to see the whale poke his head up at us.  He seemed to wink, one large eye closing just before he went back under.

“Follow that whale!”

We tailed him long enough to see there were two adults with him.   They each let out a happy spout as they traveled up the coast.

No doubt they were heading for the food-rich waters of Alaska.  They gray whales pass up the California coast each year, an annual migration from Baja, Mexico up where they breed to Alaska, where the feed.

After a while, we lost them in the blinding reflection of the late afternoon sun.

We waved goodbye and started paddling back home.  But after about 5 minutes, I saw a shining black flash peeking out from within a cresting wave.

“MMMMOOOOOOOMMMMM!” I yelled again, pointing and bouncing up and down on my board.

She looked, only to see the bubbles of its disappearing shape, as it dove deep beneath the surface.

We started back again, seeing another pair of whales as we got closer to the beach.  They were far out in the distance, surfacing and playing in the middle of a swarm of seabirds, their dark backs glistening in the sun.

We got so excited about seeing them that we watched a documentary on gray whales after dinner. It was truly an amazing day.

I LOVE WHALES!