See a Blue Whale (20/40)

A couple of years ago I saw a newscast discussing the blue whales that were migrating off the coast of California. It made mention of the fact that these aquatic creatures were not only endangered but also the largest animals that have ever existed on our planet.

Did I hear that right? I thought to myself. The largest animal EVER?  

What about the African Elephant? 

                    Ummm, no. (35 feet long)

The Whale Shark? 

                    Not even close. (40 feet long)

Colossal Squid? 

                    Shrimpy. (45 feet)

Oooh, oooh: the Megalodon? 

                    B*tch, please. (60 feet)

C'mon, Diplodocus, don't fail me now... 

                    Who, him? (80 feet) Probably best to stick to the day job.

The longest blue whale on record measures in at over one-hundred and ten feet long! That's roughly equivalent to one Boeing 737 or three double-decker buses! 

Now this I had to see! I immediately reserved three spot on a whale watching tour and the kids and I headed to Long Beach for the chance to see one in the wild.

I had been on one other whale watching trip before. It was off the coast of Cape Cod and I made the mistake of taking a Dramamine at the start of the trip. I was really worried about getting seasick and puking all over the boat and possibly the poor, unfortunate souls who found themselves within spraying distance. 

Fortunately for me (and them!) I did not get sick. Unfortunately for me (but probably not them) I promptly fell asleep and slept through the entirety of the voyage. I was told that the boat couldn't locate the whales anyway, so I guess I wasn't the only loser that day. 

Thankfully, history did not repeat itself, and on Mother's Day 2019, the kids and I got to see not one, but two real, live blue whales!

So few things in life ever go exactly the way you hope, but this was one of those rare and wonderful occasions when it did.