The odds are good but the goods are odd. So far that has proven to be somewhat correct. I haven't met anyone well enough to really know, but everyone does have an amazing life story...so different from anything I had expected. So here is the story. I met Captain Larry today. If you want to see a pic of him, check this out: http://www.orcaenterprises.com/1-Our%20Tour.htm
I went into Orca Enterprises for my interview and after chatting with the owner, I was bussed away for the second part of my interview on a big purple bus out to Auke Bay where they keep their whale watching boats. I join in on the Orca Odysea with only about 8 other people and set out into the Bay for some whale watching. The two guides, Captain Larry, and Sean both have some amazing beardage. I have never seen a beard/goatee/mustache that resembled sort of a cross shape from just under the nose down to the tip of the chin and from the middle of one cheek to the other. But that aside, Sean was one of the nicest and most knowledgable (in terms of Southeast Alaska and its wildlife) people I have met so far aside from probably Captain Larry. Sean's previous jobs include, Bear guide (which seems completely ridiculous to me...what does he do? find bears?), charter boat captain, fishing tour captain, and now whale watching captain. I'm sure he had more on the list, but I don't remember. I was in shock with the bear guide when he described one experience where he had to help a researcher by crawling into a hibernating bear's den to get some footage. But luckily he is still here to tell the story.
So as we are motoring out into the bay, on either side of us the land juts out of the water and rises dramatically as either a pine-tree covered or spectacular snowcapped mountain. And thats just the scenery. We aren't on the tour for that. After gazing around the 360 view of these mountains, someone squeals and jumps out of their seat pointing out of the front boat. Apparently a juvenile humpback whale is playing around breaching the water. Meaning, for fun, the juveniles literally jump out of the water and smack back down. They smack their pectoral fins on the water and also swim vertically and smack their tails on the water. Apparently this is like a once a week sight and we got to see it! So if I had any reservations about taking this job, they were entirely brushed away in my awe of this glorious animal. I soaked in all the information Sean and Captain Larry so generously shared with us. There were many more humpback sightings but none quite as good as the first juvenile. I'm pretty sure that I will be working with these people as a videographer and photographer on a few trips a week to work on a DVD. I cannot think of a more amazing job than that. Its like national geographic status!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
(I'm pissed because I just wrote a great post and then I screwed something up and now I'm writing again.) FIRST of all, I want to say I'm honored to be the first to post on your blog. Very proud indeed. Second, I want to say how impressed I am that you even made a blog. I mean who knows how to make a blog. Honestly. But more importantly, I'm impressed I figured out how to respond on the blog without asking anyone. Seriously a huge accomplishment. I'm still beaming. It's embarrassing. Lastly, I wanted to say how proud I am of you and excited for you that your new job is literally just as you had dreamed of your new job being as we sat on the couch watching the discovery channel and I closed my eyes because it was scary and you and Juliette watched in wonderment. That is seriously so amazing. I love you so much. Please keep posting because I want to keep reading. And posting back. Because I know how.
Post a Comment