Baja California, now part of the Pacific Plate, is tearing away from North America. The resultant gash, what we call the Sea of Cortez, is exceptionally deep. Here deep-water whales can be sought just a short distance from land. Sperm whales are deep-water specialists; they plunge thousands of feet to dine on squid and fish. Regularly beneath the surface for an hour at a time, they are easy to miss, and always a lucky find.
Today we spent the morning in the company of a group of sperm whale bulls. These huge creatures can be fifty feet long, and can weigh as many tons. As the ship maneuvered slowly, whales passed by many times, often within a few dozen yards of us. Superb viewing conditions allowed us to see their odd off-center blowholes, their understated dorsal fins, and their wrinkly bodies. While peculiar in detail, as a whole they are creatures of extraordinary power and grace. Cameras clicked like echolocating cetaceans and tears filled many an eye as whales lifted their flukes and dropped to their abyssal wanderings.
