 Bob Cammarata |
A Whale of a Time! I'm heading back up to Maine next month and for something a little different, I've decided to book passage on one of those whale watching tours out of Bar Harbor. I'm curious to see if anyone has taken one of those trips in mid-September and if so,...how close to the "action" can I expect to get?
|
|
|
|
||
|
Irene Troy |
Geeeeee…Bob, my how you travel! And I thought that I did a lot of traveling! Maine is just up the road from me – about 25 minutes or so – and, yes, we have done whale watches in September. The last whale watch I went on was out of Portsmouth, NH and took place in mid-September, last year. We saw numerous whales and had a wonderful day. Bar Harbor is quite a bit further up the coast, but barring an early onset of fall, I would expect you to see at least several whales. Of-course, it is almost impossible to predict what can happen with Mother Nature in terms of storms and other issues. If you have a good day you may get so close to a whale that you can almost reach out and touch it, although that might not be such a good idea! LOL Have a great trip! Irene
|
|
|
|
||
|
Bob Cammarata |
Thanks for the information Irene. I knew that, given your travel experience, you've "been there-done that". I chose a Bar Harbor port for the tour so I can spend a day or so around Acadia. (I was there around the same time last year and it was beautiful.) Bob
|
|
|
|
||
|
Irene Troy |
If your whale watch is similar to the three that I have gone on – it pays to live in a town where some whale watches originate – a tripod won’t be practical. First: many of these trips are quite crowded and it can be difficult to set up a tripod and second: the movement of the ship makes a tripod almost useless. A long lens is useful for when the whales are a bit in the distance; however, on two of my trips I never used my long lens. I guess it is one of those things where if you have it and never use it, that’s better than not having it when needed. A short range telephoto might serve you just as well. Acadia will probably be really nice when you come; however, be advised that we have had an extremely dry summer and the “experts” predict a somewhat muted color season. Irene
|
|
|
|
||
|
Irene Troy |
If your whale watch is similar to the three that I have gone on – it pays to live in a town where some whale watches originate – a tripod won’t be practical. First: many of these trips are quite crowded and it can be difficult to set up a tripod and second: the movement of the ship makes a tripod almost useless. A long lens is useful for when the whales are a bit in the distance; however, on two of my trips I never used my long lens. I guess it is one of those things where if you have it and never use it, that’s better than not having it when needed. A short range telephoto might serve you just as well. Acadia will probably be really nice when you come; however, be advised that we have had an extremely dry summer and the “experts” predict a somewhat muted color season. Irene
|
|
|
|
||
|
Bob Cammarata |
I figured as much about the tripod. (I even searched the rules and FAQ's to see if maybe they were banned.) I was going to bring my 300 2.8 but anything shot hand-held would likely be marginal at best so I'll probably pack my 180 mm Nikkor and a 2X teleconverter. My own tests have proven that I can comfortably hand-hold that combination in good light (...and I can quickly shed the converter if Ahab's nemesis happens to appear and charges the boat). :) What I remember most from my last trip to Acadia is that fantastic picturesque coastline...and the way those vibrant foreground rocks contrast the blue sky and ubiquitous breakers. Bob
|
|
|
|
||
|
This old forum is now archived. Use improved Forum here
Report this Thread |
||