Sunday 28 October 2007

SeaWorld California - 28th October 2007

Woo, so we went to SeaWorrrld!
Arrived about 10:30am. Headed straight to the orcas =]. Orkid was in the pool. At the close up I recognised Ruka (fellow orca lover). I was too scared to speak to her lol. She had her interaction stuff out abd was trying to interact with Orkid. Orkid did come over, but I fucked it up by getting out my pink dolphin lol! Ruka later went, and so I was at the glass. Orkid was just lapping, and I did manage to get her to come over, for like 2 seconds lol. She was looking at my orca stuffie =]. She resumed lapping, and I realized I wasn't likely to get another interaction, so I went to the skywalk. From then I watched individual training sessions in the show pool. I saw Ulises', Kalia's, Corky's, Nakai's and Sumar's training sessions. Very cool =].
They lasted a while, and then eventually the show's gates were open. I sat infront of the slide, then moced to the left side of it. The show was much better today. I mainly think because Ulises was in it this time =]. But there was alot more going on, and it was more exciting. In the show was Ulises, Sumar, Corky, Nakai and Orkid. So when the show was over, we had to leave straight away, to go to the airport.

Pics here: http://good-times.webshots.com/album/562797394hOuZRb

Wednesday 24 October 2007

Whale Watching - Monterey Bay - 24th October 2007

Place: Monterey Bay, USA
Date: 24th October 2007
Trip length: 3 hours
Who was on trip: Me, Mum, Dave
Wildlife seen: Californian Sea Lions, Humpback Whales, Seabirds

Wowie. Went Whale Watching. Saw 2 Humbacks =D. It was a 3 hour trip. About 1 hour was spent searching for them, 1 hour tracking and 1 hour going back.
It was really cool. Yeah we followed them. They'd come up to the surface, dive for about 4 mins, come up and it was repeated.
One time, they did this like lunge out of the water. Real cool. I guess they were feeding.

Pics here: http://good-times.webshots.com/album/562811370ooKmkk

Sunday 21 October 2007

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom - 21st October 2007


Went to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Vallejo - Shouka!
Went on most of the rollar coasters, saw the Shouka show - and I got splashed by her lool. I went on an elephant ride! And I fed some seals =]. Goood day.

Pics here: http://good-times.webshots.com/album/562796108SrgBiy

Friday 19 October 2007

SeaWorld California - 19th October 2007

Today we went to SeaWooorld. Well, I was kinda unimpressed :/. I was expecting it to be bigger.
When we got there, I headed straight for the orcas. In the Dine With Shamu pool was Orkid and Nakai. They were doing a Dine, so I didn't bother trying to get an interaction. I then went to the skywalk. Sumar was practising a slide and squirt. Ulises was alone in a back pool, and Corky, Kasatka and Kalia were together in the other.
The dolphin show was starting in 15 minutes, so after the orcas we went there. That show has not changed since the first time I went there, and that was 9 years ago haha! The kid tried to jump in which was actually pretty funny. It was about time someone tried to :P.
After the show we headed to the Penguin Exhibit and the Wild Arctic. Just did the walk through. Polar bears, belugas + walruses. All good.
The Atlantic ride was shut, but I went over there to see the Commersons. Those guys are so cute and diddie x3.
I got out my pink dolphin stuffie and waved it about the glass. They came over and looked at it - before, they were just lapping. It was cool, one guy went upside down to look at it =]. They then went into the other pool, and it was about then I decided to head back to the orcas, because of our DWS. Had to be there 30 mins prior.
Ulises was in close up. Gosh that guy is so big! Real bulky. I didnt bother trying to get an interaction.
Soo we were let into the DWS area. We had a great seat, right by the pool =]. So yeah, obviously we had Ulises for our Dine. The trainer spoke about each of the orcas, how to become a trainer and gave Ulises signals. He did a belly breach, side breach, a froggie, slide out and a few other things.
At about 2pm, I left DWS, to go take my place in the stadium. I swopped places about 4 times hehe. Finally fot a place infront of the slide out.
So the show - effects and background: great. Show itself: poor. I was expecting way more. It wasn't very upbeat or exciting - I'm used to the shows of MLF i guess!
Anway, the guys in the show were Nakai, Corky, Orkid and Sumar. After the show I went to Rocky Point Preserve. I didn't get any food, but I watied and touched a few dolphins =]. One kept butting its head a bit =S.
After the dolphins i went back to the orcas. Nakai was in the show pool, Kalia and Orkid in the med pool, Corky and Kasatka were in a back pool, and Sumar and Ulises were in the other back pool. Sumar and Ulises then got moved into Shamu close up.
They were doing a dine, so I waited til they were done. I got my dolphin stuffie out, but they took no notice. Very gutted about that. I was even standing next to some woman who had clealy been quite a few times, because she knew their names, and she was saying how weird it was that Sumar wasn't coming over.
So I gave up, and went to the stadium for the 4:30pm show. I was pretty much the same, except I noticed the Breakspin this time, and another behavious. In the show was Nakai, Corky, Kasatka, Kalia came in with Kasatka but didnt do anything, and I can't remember if Orkid was there or not :/.
Soo after the show we went and saw the Sea otters, and then went back to the Hotel.
Still very unimpressed though. No intereactions! Atleast I got one with the commies though.

Pics here: http://good-times.webshots.com/album/562660210rQHngL

Sunday 19 August 2007

Dolphin Watching - Madeira - 19th August 2007

Place: Madeira
Date: 19th August 2007
Boat type: Dinghy boat
Who was on trip: Me, Mum
Wildlife seen: Bottlenose Dolphins, Sperm Whales, Seabirds, a strange fish

Woop yeah. So me and mum did the dolphin watch =]
We arrived at the meeting point, which was the shop. There was roughly 22 other people in there, all on the same trip as us. We were lead into a cinema like room, where we had a presentation about cetaceans. All the stuff I knew really =P
We were then lead into the Marina, and the group was split up, into groups of 12, to go on 2 dinghy-like boats. On the boats we had to wear orange life jackets.
So the 2 boats set off. The ride was pretty cool. Not too rough, and the waves were fun to ride.
It felt like ages, we were out at sea, seeing nothing but..sea. Saw the occasional sea bird.
The first dolphins I sighted were jumping out the water right alongside the other boat =o. It was not decided were Atlantic Spotted Dolphins or Bottlenose. I personally thought they were Bottlenose.
We saw alot of dolphins. I mean alot. The school was huge. They were all porpoising in and out of the water.
The company offered the chance to swim with the dolphins, which we paid for. It was a limit of 2 people a time. So me and a German woman were up to do it first. We stripped to our bikini's, shoved a mask and snorkel on, and sat on the boats side. Everytime we were given the signal to go in, we'd lose the dolphins. Has, one time we were moving off, and the German woman fell in! I almost fell backwards lol. So the boat was stopped to le ther back on lol. She was ok.
We found some dolphins again, and we got in, but we were only in the water for about a minute. The dolphins had disappeared, and neither of us got to see them underwater =(.
The dolphins clearly didnt want to come near us, which is why every time we were near they dived, so the dolphin swim was called off. Gutted =[. It was possible the group had calves. The group was huge though. There mustve been about 30! It was really amazing to see. Some were only like a few meters to my lift. Really cool. So we left the dolphins, and went in search of some Sperm Whales that had been sighted.
Our first sighting of the Sperm Whales, were of their blow, really far in the distance, which was then followed by their flukes. From where we were, they only lliked like pygmy ones lol.
We got a bit closer, and saw about 3. Then they dived down, and we saw their flukes go up =].
We rode about in the sea for ages, and we finally caught sight of them again. About 4 this time. We slowly approached. The other boat was closer to the whales which sucked for us lol. The whales were generally swimming at the surface, and we saw their blow/spout alot. When we got our closest yet, the whales dived. So we got to see their tails go up again =D. Superb, like the french said lol. It was very amazing. So when the final whale dived down, we headed back to the Marina. We caught some really cool waves =P.
Yeh so great trip. Gutted about the dolphin swim, but I did see them, and alot of them which was gute. And the Sperm Whales were a real bonus!

Pics here: http://good-times.webshots.com/album/562810729zTBLJk
Video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voJLuNnLnxY