Cinco de What the heck?!

[Jimmyz123]

So I launched my FeelFree Moken 14 Kayak today at La Jolla Shores to try and find some fin friends to play with.

http://s26.photobucket.com/user/Jimm...a00ff.mp4.html
I paddled out and made bait, and trolled around for a couple of hours. Seeing some marks on the bottom I stopped and dropped some bait down. Off in the distance I heard what sounded like something blowing some air. I turned and saw some gray whales about 50 yards to the West and thought, "wow those look pretty cool." Little did I know about a minute later they were literally 5 feet from me and diving under my Kayak. I could have touched them they were so close, but I chose to hold on and brace for impact because I thought that was about to happen.



This image is basically what I saw, I wasn't fast enough with my camera to get the real shots.
Yes, I was freaking out. As cool as it was, I kept thinking about a fellow kayaker who got flipped over about 2 years ago, I didn't want that to happen to me. In the video below you will see the water displacement that was caused by the whales.
http://s26.photobucket.com/user/Jimm...51fac.mp4.html

No fish were caught today, but it was rather exciting. The weather turned ugly so I called it a day and went home to enjoy the rain while being inside.

[keepitreel]

That's pretty insane! I've been about a hundred yards from some gray whales in Newport while I was on my kayak but definitely not that close. I thought I had a story!

[Jimmyz123]

Originally Posted by keepitreel

That's pretty insane! I've been about a hundred yards from some gray whales in Newport while I was on my kayak but definitely not that close. I thought I had a story!

I was holding on to the Kayak with one hand while I was trying to get the camera powered on so I could video as they dove under me. I was literally waiting for the back, tail or whatever to bump the kayak. Then I remembered I had lines out and was worried those would get hung up on the whales. It all worked out though and no damage done, but what a great experience.

[mtnbykr2]

Congrats o that close enconter Jimmy,I had one simila in Refugio at year, something I will never forget...

[easyday]

Deff a cool story had some come close in dana point but not that close

[Big Wave Dave]

Wow! Up close and personal.

[Jimmyz123]

I'm so mad that I didn't have my camera on the ready. That was so amazing to see them that close, and as they went under the Kayak. Reminded me of the Jaws scene when the shark swims by.

[SorryCharlie]

Very Coool.

I had an almost identical experience in Dana out in the kelp by the point about 3 weeks ago.

I was fishing tied off to some kelp and saw a mom and calf gray about 150 yards away and thought to myself "Very cool, but please stay over there." I was also very surprised to see them swimming in among the kelp, next thing I know I hear something, look up and all I can see is a big swirl where something very large had just surfaced.

Next thing I know less then 5 feed under the kayak out from behind the kelp appears the big mom whale she rolled over a bit, looking at me with those massive eyes, and suddenly the calf comes rolling up to..... Both surfaced and I was within touching distance of the calf. I was too busy crapping my pants to worry about my camera. Just as you said I was scared the wake from them surfacing would rock me, but they were so graceful, gone without a single splash.

That experience was the entire reason I went out and bought a gopro, I would have loved to have got that moment on camera.

[Jimmyz123]

There are people that pay tons of money to go on those trips in Baja where they go out and get to pet the whales. Man we got that shot for free. I really felt like the whales understood the situation. The didn't surface again for about 2 minutes later and it was up on the edge of the kelp. Now that I'm thinking, I wonder if it was a baby and it's mom. I did think it was strange that two whales would travel so close together.

Originally Posted by SorryCharlie

Very Coool.

I had an almost identical experience in Dana out in the kelp by the point about 3 weeks ago.

I was fishing tied off to some kelp and saw a mom and calf gray about 150 yards away and thought to myself "Very cool, but please stay over there." I was also very surprised to see them swimming in among the kelp, next thing I know I hear something, look up and all I can see is a big swirl where something very large had just surfaced.

Next thing I know less then 5 feed under the kayak out from behind the kelp appears the big mom whale she rolled over a bit, looking at me with those massive eyes, and suddenly the calf comes rolling up to..... Both surfaced and I was within touching distance of the calf. I was too busy crapping my pants to worry about my camera. Just as you said I was scared the wake from them surfacing would rock me, but they were so graceful, gone without a single splash.

That experience was the entire reason I went out and bought a gopro, I would have loved to have got that moment on camera.