Polaris World Property

 

As you get older there is a very real sensation of time flying. Some days pass us by leaving us to wonder what day of the week it is. Days become weeks, weeks become months. Months become years. One minute you’re singing Auld Langs Aign to bring in the New Year and a few Happy Birthdays later someone’s standing on your doorstep singing Silent night. But some days are simply unforgettable, grabbing you by the throat and shaking you to your core. An encounter with two large pods of Dolphins and one large group of Pilot Whales here just off the coast in La Azohia, Murcia, Spain was one of those days.

We set off early morning on the 2^nd of July from the small coastal port of Puerto de Mazarron on Spains south east hoping to encounter Dolphins but also with the hope that we might, just might, get lucky enough to get up close and personal to Whales. Bleary eyed through lack of sleep and lack of coffee we set off in search of marine life. To be honest I wasn’t that optimistic of seeing whales as I knew that Pilot whales in particular spend most of their time in deep water.

Forty five minutes later having taking a southern course towards Africa we spotted a large pod of Dolphins in the distance. Making sure to give them a with berth our Captain “Paco” reduced the throttle and to our delight up to 20 bottle nose dolphins joined us at our bow and began hitching a lift as we cut through the early morning waves. Our drowsiness was obliterated as we watched in amazement as these beautiful creatures took turns to criss cross and zig zag in front us us. Their propensity for playfulness is a joy to behold and you are always left a gasp at their speed and agility.

Heading south west we curved in an arc towards the large port of Cartagena. Here we once more encountered another large pod of Dolphins who took great delight at leaping out of the water and spinning on our bows stream clicking and squeaking as their bodies broke the glistening surface. Isn’t it any wonder that these beautiful creatures are used to stimulate communication among those to whom communication is an eternal struggle? As my Mother says “They’d do your heart good”.

So as we reached the highest point of our arc we changed direction and began to head back towards the barely visible land. Within 10 minutes off in the distance small fins could be seen breaking the waters surface. To our delight one fin became two became three as fine volcanoes of mist rose above them. The marine biologist who accompanied us couldn’t contain her delight as the size of the group ahead of us became apparent. There before us was a large family of Pilot Whales. There is something about an encounter with whales or dolphins that leaves you breathless. There is something in the way that they look at you, looking deep into your eyes as if they were the windows to your soul.

Cutting the engine, the only sound the gentle swash of the water lapping against our boat, our Captain informed us that we would keep a safe distance from the group and leave it to them to make the first move. And so one by one the larger members began to approach. Our smiles became huge grins as up to five Pilot Whales surfaced just below us. Clicking among one another the younger members of the clan approached in a less cautious manner and began to play amongst the adults. And there they stayed for upwards of 20 minutes spy hoping and rolling beneath us. It truly was a magical experience.

Having swam with Dolphins just off the coast of Kaikoura in New Zealand and been lucky enough to see Killer Whales off San Juan Island near Seattle on Americas North West Coast this wasn’t a first for me. Yet to know that these beautiful creatures are just kilometres off the coast here in La Azohia, Murcia is somewhat comforting. To those of you looking to relive adventures experienced on your year out in Australia or New Zealand look no further than Murcia Spain. The province boasts over 300 days of annual sunshine, a stunningly beautiful coastline and has its very own National Park in the Sierra Espuña just ten minutes from Polaris Worlds Condado de Alhama Resort. If you’re tired of the grey unyielding nine to six Monday to Friday lifestyle and you would like to go Whale Watching in Murcia why not take a break and come see the place for yourself. After all the Spanish philosophy is that “Life is for Living”. Isn’t it time you started?

 

 

Interesting Facts about Pilot Whales.

1. They are sometimes referred to as the cheetahs of the ocean.
2. Eat up to 30 pounds of squid a day.
3. Have 40 to 48 teeth.
4. Are jet black or a very dark grey colour.
5. Males measure up to 6.1 metres and weigh in at up to 3 tons.
6. Females measure up to 4.9 metres and can weigh up to 1.5 tons.
7. Newborn whale’s dorsal fin is flexible at birth so as to facilitate the birthing process.
8. Their life span is approximately 45 years for males and 60 years for females.
9. Have a distinct rounded head with a very slight beak and an up-curved mouth line.
10. There are likely to be almost a million long-finned pilot whales and at least 200,000 short-finned pilot whales worldwide.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008 at 4:32 pm and is filed under Articles, Buying Property in Spain, Condado del Alhama, Mazarron, Murcia, Polaris World, Useful Local Information. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.