Cruising down the Canadian Coast - August 30
This morning we heard first mate Katie’s voice over the loudspeaker. “Well folks, if you’re not looking out your window or on deck. . . you should be! This boat is blessed with some amazing wildlife karma.” We pulled on coats and shoes to race out our cabin door onto the deck and discover humpback whales cruising along the coastline beside us. We continue to watch from a safe distance until the whale's curiosity grew and they swam in tandem over to the SS Legacy.
This was one of the most awe-inspiring moments of my life was watching the whales as they examined our ship. The entire crew came on deck, including the cook and housekeeping staff that we had not seen yet. So we knew this was something special. The giant beautiful beasts glided and swam alongside us, turning their eyes up to the surface to examine the strange creatures looking down on them. We were close enough to see every barnacle and line on their bodies. It brought tears to my eyes when one surfaced, tipped to her side, and stared directly at me on the deck. What magnificent creatures! They spent about five minutes diving under and around our ship as we raced from side to side, trying to capture that elusive photo of the moment that cannot be put into words.
Then the pair dove under the ship and swam away to the shores beside us. In the distance, we heard a great slap! on the water. We turned to discover another humpback who was breaching the water in great grandeur. Our naturalist explained that this behavior is as of yet unexplained completely by scientists. Some think that it is for fun, some say it is to clean barnacles from the whale's sides, others say it is to send signals up and down the coast from group to group. We simply enjoyed the spectacle from nature and applauded her beauty.
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.