Yesterday we moved to Isla contadora at the north end of the Perlas Islands chain, prior to going back to Panama city. During the morning we had commented that so far this was the first day without whales. We though in part it was because it was blowing pretty good causing steep choppy waves and white caps making it difficult to spot them at a distance.
Then Connie ever watchful for debris in the water says look at that!. There was a slick off the port bow of completely flat water in the choppy stuff. We knew that a whale had just dived causing the flat water. What to do?
Moments later a full size hump back whale surfaced and blew 5 feet from the port side cockpit!! The blow hole was so close it was all I could see for a second, then the black whale filling my vision "banked" showing his white under side and pectoral fin. He banked to avoid ramming us. The white underside only feet from the boat emphasized the clear ness of the water which suddenly appeared turquiose, in the slate grey ocean.... and he was gone. We were speechless, then grateful for seeing him and more grateful he missed hitting us. We thumped on the hull for the next several minutes to be sure he "heard" us.
The whale pix is of a previous day when a mom and calf played near the boat... naturally I didnt get a pix of the close encounter.