Have you seen last Tuesday's (Nov. 28) report from the Polaris? If not, please look it up before you keep on reading. Have you seen it now? What an amazing animal, isn't it? Last week's picture gives you an idea of the size of this creature, this week's shows you how beautiful it is close up.

What a day! We started sailing around Roca Redonda and saw many birds and bottlenose dolphins, bow-riding the ship for a while. We sailed by Volcan Ecuador and had a sighting of a Bryde's whale close by the ship. Then we lowered the Zodiacs either for a ride or for snorkeling along Punta Vicente Roca.

Just as last week, we were lucky again to get very close to a Mola mola, or oceanic sunfish. Every single Zodiac stayed around it for a long time, watching this huge fish cruise smoothly on the surface, turning gently and we also turning and turning after it. Some of us took advantage of the opportunity to get in the water with it (not really being dressed for it!). What a feeling to be swimming very close (it seemed I could have touched it) to this strange but graceful fish, looking it in the eye as we swam alongside it. I finally also managed to see the mouth, which it keeps open while swimming. Some guests jumped in, others took the mask and saw it by leaning over the Zodiac, while fellow travelers held them by the ankles so as not to go overboard! Of course those out snorkeling had an advantage: they were wearing wetsuits and had fins!

As if an experience like that wasn't enough, some saw a blue marlin and then a Bryde's whale was spotted again so we all had a close look at it from the Zodiacs.

We returned to the ship after a wonderful morning and were barely halfway through lunch when several whale spouts were announced. Polaris got closer and we suddenly started seeing them everywhere. The Zodiacs were quickly lowered down and we took off, some with snorkeling gear to get closer. As if we hadn't had enough excitement for the day we were surrounded by dozens of Bryde's whales, spouts everywhere, we heard the blows all around us, we didn't know where to look first! Several came close enough to have a good look at them. In the 15 years I have been here I never have seen so many whales together, there must have been 50 at least. What excitement! We were out there for more than an hour, returning just in time for the afternoon excursion.