Fiji Gratitude #33

The countdown till we leave Fiji for home has commenced... One month left! In honor of the amazing experience of living here for one year, I'm going to post a daily countdown of gratitude...

Fiji Gratitude #33 - I am grateful for learning to let go. Everyday what I do & accomplish, when I come & go, what I eat, when (if!) I use electricity, where (if!) I shower, when I have clean clothes, when I rest & when I work are determined outside of me. I'm at the mercy of tides, sun, rain, wind, cultural etiquette, internet cafes, supply boats, & Fiji time. I truly control only 1 thing - whether I smile or whether or frown!
Sent via BlackBerry from Vorovoro Island, Fiji!

Whales spotted!

Last month we had a some amazing surprise visitors! One quiet morning, as we were all going about our morning duties, a tribe member who was exploring the far end of the island heard a massive splash. When he looked up toward the sea, he saw a whale breaching a small ways offshore. He quickly got the attention of everyone else on the island, and we gathered on the beach, sharing a pair of binoculars to get a better look.
What we saw was a massive whale accompanied by a much smaller baby whale. Several of us were eager to get a closer look, so with Pupu Epeli at the engine, we climbed into the boat and set off in the direction of the whales. I thought the Fijians would be nonchalant about it - I figured they had all probably seen many whales in their life and this was old news. But Kini and Sikipa were just excited as us "kai palagi", and piled in the boat with their little boys, Api and Ju.

As we got closer to the whales, Pupu slowed his speed. Periodically they would dive and then come up in a new place, so we all had to keep a sharp watch out for any sign. When they would surface, we would creep in that direction. They didn't seem bothered by us, but wanted to keep us at a cautious distance. Even so, we were able to come within about 30 feet or so. The most impressive sight was when the mother whale dove - her tail completely came up out of the water before she disappeared.

Pupu said we needed to chase her outside the reef - if she stayed inside, she could become trapped when the tide went out. So we slowly moved in her direction, prodding her to go toward the channel that would lead her back out to deep water.

We thought we had been successful, but later that afternoon they were spotted again, inside the reef. At that point, we figured maybe she was injured and taking refuge from sharks inside the reef. But come the next morning, there was no sign of them - they had moved on.

I'm not very good at estimating sizes, but other people have said the mother whale was about 60 feet long. We have no way of identifying them on the island, but my guess is a sperm whale.

When we started this year long adventure, I made a secret wish to see a sea turtle, dolphins, and a whale. And now I've seen all three! Feeling like a very lucky girl!
Sent via BlackBerry from Vorovoro Island, Fiji!