More than just fish

I went down to my favourite rock at Muriwai yesterday afternoon, and as it was persisting down, no camera. Quite calm, unlike the previous 2 days when B- all was caught.
Ended up at near dark with 7 Kahawai and 1 small silver trevally. all on anchovies.
Just after I arrived I saw 2 whales nearly a km away by the Island, they were traveling very slowly, one "spy hopping" sticking it's head vertically out of the water for about 10 seconds, then it's tail. They headed north, then turned back south and disappeared.
An hour later a mother and calf appeared only 300m or so out, and slowly passed us to the north. I think they were humpbacks, I will see if the local press report them. I called the Muriwai park rangers who said one whale was just outside the surf line the day before.
Considering I have spent thousands of hours on this rock, these are the first true whales I have seen in 42 years. Orca I have seen twice, one lot very close up chasing a stingray against the rock at my feet, one of the 10 in the pod caught my line on its back fin.
Also yesterday 5 NZ fur seals asleep on a ledge beneath the gannet colony, and one pup swimming around.
Even with the camera I carry it would not have captured anything of the whales.

Great stuff Rhod!
In the unlikely event that Orca show up at Splashpoint I will be standing well back! But you never know-

A whale came right in at Pensarn a few months ago just 15 feet out and had to be ushered out to sea and another one was washed up at Prestatyn and another went sight seeing up the Dee.

Thanks for that report you are so luck to be able to see thing like that on your doorstep.

Nice trip Rhod!

Went down to the beach to get some mussels to feed my shannys with the other day and came across a tiny seal which Rhys was quite taken with.

We kept back and watched it shuffle its way the couple of hundred yards to catch up with the ebbing tide.

Have seen Porpoise and Dolphins around here but no Whales, although there was one that tried beaching itself at Pensarn last year, and reports of sightings of a humpback near the Liverpool bar recently. The first sighting of one in the Irish sea for many years!

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/stranded-whale-set-free-pensarn-6387523

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-33148863

Sounds great Rhod

Sounds like a great experience well done

It's a shame you didn't take your camera mate
Would have loved to have seen them