Spyhopping- Remarque #7/10

Spyhopping- Remarque #7/10Edition Date: 2005 Artist: Roy Henry Vickers Medium: Serigraph Image Size: 5. 5" x 18. 5" Story We were crossing the Catface Bar at sunset on a return trip from Hotsprings Cove when the sun had set, leaving us in the afterglow. The sea was calm, and I thought I saw some unusual movement off to the port side, so I stopped to have a look. In the silence with the motors shut down, there was a loud blow from a whale very close to us. We looked to the

Story

We were crossing the Catface Bar at sunset on a return trip from Hotsprings Cove when the sun had set, leaving us in the afterglow. The sea was calm, and I thought I saw some unusual movement off to the port side, so I stopped to have a look.

In the silence with the motors shut down, there was a loud blow from a whale very close to us. We looked to the sound and saw a whale with its head raised straight up and far enough out of the water that its eye was above the waterline.

This peculiar action is called spyhopping by whale watchers. I could not help but imagine that it was standing on the ocean floor and holding itself up to have a look at the world above the sea surface.

In those early days, it was uncommon to see humpback whales inside the surf line. Today they are a common sight and can be seen breaching and, if you are fortunate, spyhopping.