I have this dream of capturing perfect photos of wildlife, using my less than perfect camera and lens. Since my current trip to Perth coincided with whale watching tours in Busselton, I decided to try shooting whales again. My last attempt in Fremantle produced less than ideal photos and I was determined to do better.
After 2 wet and windy days, we had sunshine and blue skies again in Busselton. I decided it was the right time to go on a whale watching tour. We booked for the following day. The morning looked promising enough, but soon the skies turned a little grey. The ride out was a little choppy to say the least.We were hitting waves and the boat was rocking a bit more than I would have liked. Luckily, we had taken our sea sickness pills. In addition, I had also purchased one of those wristbands that was supposed to help with sea sickness. I have fairly good sea legs, mind you, but decided a little precaution wouldnt hurt anyone, least of all myself.
After about 30 minutes, the Captain pointed out a whale breaching. My camera decided it was not going to focus immediately. So I got this :
A few moments later , I got lucky :
I was still not happy. This wasn't what I was after. So I continued to sit out at the front of the boat. Then, the Captain announced that there was a turn in the weather. No sooner had he said that, the sea started getting rougher, and it started to rain. What started as a light drizzle soon became heavy. My jeans got wet. So did my camera. I continued to sit outside until the winds grew stronger, and my husband suggested we returned to the covered part of the boat. Not before i got this photo though :
Inside the cabin, other passengers were visibly seasick. A child was crying miserably. Can't blame her, really. Around 1115 am, about 1.5 hours after leaving the harbour, the sun shone again, and the sea became calm, and was bright blue, almost as though the bad patch never happened.
Like a perfect symphony, the trip covered 3 movements, ending on a happy note, with juvenile whales frolicking around under the watchful eyes of their mother. As for me, the quest for perfection continues. Will I go on another whale watching tour, after this bad encounter with the weather ? Of course ! When ? not tomorrow, that's for sure
