Vimeo hosted video embedded with native JCE Media tool

This video was our encounter with a pod of whales during the AZAB race in 2003.

Early in the evening, after days of beating to windward, spirits were a bit low. Richard was on watch and I had just gone down to get some rest when Richard spotted what looked like a whale crossing ahead from port to starboard. He shouted for me to come up and see, and we tracked the whale wash as it came around and down our starboard side to investigate us, crossing astern, then back up on our port side.

Shortly after it was joined by some friends who swam majestically alongside us for a while. Eventually bored by our comparitively pedestrian pace the whole pod sped up, pulled away in front, then turned right, and passed back across ahead of us to resume their passage to wherever they were going.

Spirits duly lifted!