Whales!

17 August 2023

Whales!

After our departure from Plymouth, we immediately set sail. The wind didn’t come up for a while, so we covered the first few miles with a little help from the engine. Soon a westerly wind came and we sailed all day long. We are now halfway through the Bay of Biscay. There is little wind and we are motoring in a southerly direction. In these two days we have already seen dozens of dolphins and many birds. A highlight was this morning when suddenly 4 or 5 huge whales appeared right next to the ship. Immediately all the photo cameras appeared and the drone of our film crew took to the air. We sailed quietly next to the whales for half an hour, after which they disappeared into the depths again.

The weather reports predict gale force southwesterlies for tomorrow afternoon and evening. To avoid this wind, we set course for the Spanish north coast. We will drop anchor in a suitable bay and wait overnight for the Low to pass before moving on.