We left at 8 a.m. from the marina in a panga (small open boat) with 3 others and our captain, Rodrigo. The sea was smooth and glassy as we headed south. Up ahead we could see small dolphins, so slowed right down to watch them. Some were right beside the boat, the rest were just ahead, and sometimes 2 or 3 would surface together.
Then we headed over towards Isla Carmen, and soon noticed whales blowing. They were two Fin whales, big and black, with a small dorsal fin. They're the second biggest whale, and can grow to be almost 80 feet long. We would watch them surfacing, then they would dive down and we would wait to see where they'd come up next.
Photo by loretobay (Flickr Creative Commons)
