I decided to try my luck. I launched out of Dana Point Harbor at 6:15 a.m., and paddled out until 7:15 a.m. At that point I was about 2-3 miles and 190 degrees magnetic off Dana Point. Within about 30 seconds after I stopped to listen and look for the whales, I heard and sighted them. There was a few of them about 100 yards away. They surfaced a few times and were gone.

After staying there and just listening and looking for about 15 minutes, I faintly saw spray from about 4 to 5 blow holes about a half mile away. Just when I was about to paddle in that direction, I heard a loud exhale from a blow hole and turned to see a couple of whales just a couple hundred yards away. As I headed towards them, two other whales surfaced to my left about 50 yards away.

Almost like clock work, every 15 minutes, I saw two whales (probably the same ones) surface about a half dozen times over a minute or two, dive, and then resurface a few hundred yards away. The first exhales were loud and I saw the spray from the blow hole. Also, the inhales where long and loud. About a half dozen times I saw the tail fin go up before the dive. This 15 minute cycle continued until 10:45 a.m., when I had seen enough and began my paddle back.

I was able to get 15 photographs of the whales, but it was really hard to get close enough to them for a good shot, and using a disposable camera didn't help either. The best shot I was able to get is on my website at www.rollordrown.com/news.html. Here's some more info on the recent blue whale sightings sent in by Ron Kilgore.

    Duane Strosaker
    www.rollordrown.com