We had a real treat the other day when a Right whale came into a nearby bay with her calf. We had just had several days of rain and she was in really close - an elderly seaman we met said that they come in close for the fresh water which they use to remove barnacles and cure ear infections ...(whales have ears??)

Anyway it as a rare event and we spent an hour or so watching to catch a glimpse of them. They spouted and waved their tails and exposed their humpy backs enough for us to see how HUGE the mother was - about 15 metres long. It was difficult to see very much at all. Just knowing they were there was enough.

And apparently they are called a Right whale because they were considered to be the "right" whale to hunt for whalebone used for things like corsets and riding crops. They also produced more oil than other species, hence they were hunted nearly to extinction. So we were especially lucky to see them. You can't see much in the photo but if you follow my gaze, somewhere out there is a rare whale and her baby!