Eight in the morning, that was my intended wake up time but like many attempts to wake up early, it failed.
I intended on waking up early so that I could walk down to the Fisherman’s Wharf to catch the 10 am Whale watching tour. Again like every other day, it was calling for rain in Monterey and I did not get much sleep the night before, so when eight o’clock came around I just rolled back over.
Nine o’clock came and I was ready to hit the streets of Monterey once again. I had noticed a sign on one of the restaurants when I first arrived in Monterey, advertising early breakfast specials. I decided to give it a try, so I headed over; got myself a nice b
reakfast at an amazing price and my day had begun.
At this point in time I thought it would be fun to explore all the interesting stores in the area. The idea of going whale watching was still rolling in my mind.
Another tour was scheduled to leave at 1:30pm. I decided it would be a good idea to weave my way through Monterey, slowly making my way to the Wharf.
As I mingled my way through Monterey I drifted in and out of some unique shops and places. One of these places was a small little beach between two hotels built on the oceanfront. Much like the cove the Harbour Seals were relaxing in this cove had rocks on both sides causing the waves to come crashing in. Some skin boarders were riding the waves, which presented the opportunity for so
me great photos. Keeping true to my personality, I got side tracked photographing the skin boarder and time slipped by. I realized if I wanted to try and make my way onto the whale watching tour I had to move on.
The Fisherman’s Wharf was my next destination, which is a really neat place. It is a structure (Wharf) sticking out into the water lined with restaurants and other various tourist trap area but neat non-the less.
I found my way to the end of the pier where all the whale watching tour groups were located. At this point-in-time the idea of going whale watching was still an undecided idea because just a week before I was whale watching of the coast of Balboa in LA.
I went into the tour company and asked what the conditions were like, as soon as I heard the word Orca come out of the guys mouth, I signed up. The morning group had spotted three orcas along the coast. There was no guarantee that they would be spotted again but that was good enough for me.
As soon as we set sail, the trip was already worth it to me. Leaving the wharf the photos that I was able to get of ships in the bay, seals and the sea otters was awesome but the best was still yet to come.
I have watched movies such as the Perfect Storm and shows like the Deadliest Catch, you see these large swells and rough conditions the fishermen head out into but you never truly understand something until you experience it. I have to say it was breath-taking being out in the ocean in a 100-foot boat with some swells reaching 20 feet high.
I was talking to another passenger on board who tried to book a tour with another company but the company had shut down business for the day because of the water conditions. It is spectacular when the boat goes up a swell at a 50 degree angle, comes down the other side and is confronted by yet another swell higher then the boat itself.
At this point in time I was more then thrilled just to experience the power of the ocean but then, in the distance the captain notice a spray. To the west of the boat along the shoreline we had meet up a pod of Orcas. For the next thirty minutes we followed along side, watching these majestically animals make their way in and out of the water. At one point four of them simultaneously came out of the water. The whales started moving further and further into the ocean.
The Orcas were swimming out of reach. Sadly it was time turn back but I had gained two unforgettable experiences.
In the end I am not sure what I was more impressed with, the spectacular display of the ocean’s power or the beauty and grace the Orcas displayed.
The day was going well, the weather kept clear and it didn’t rain. I didn’t think the day could get any better. I had it in my mind that I was going to go back to the restaurant that I had breakfast at and get a shrimp salad, although I had received a free appetizer coupon to a restaurant off Cannery Row, The Fish Hopper, Seafood and Steaks. I decided since it was on my way back towards the hostel I would check it out.
I arrived at the restaurant around 5 pm and they had these early bird specials. One special caught my attention, beef tenderloin with shrimp. All I can say was it was amazing, such rich flavours. There was beef tenderloin, shrimp in a nice butter sauce, a sweet potato, vegetables and papaya. The meal came with a Caesar salad and as an appetizer I had a m
arinated artichoke. What a way to end the day and it only cost $19.
To make the day seem even better I had made my way back to the hostel and a block from the hostel it started to sprinkle, as I walked my way in, it started to poor.
I don’t know were luck begins and ends but I enjoyed an amazing day.
Thank you for reading.
Corey Lablans
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