Our Bike Ride Was Cut Short...

[Clark]

… couple of Sundays ago.



Christine and I often peddle the bikes down to the South Amboy Waterfront Park on the weekends. Sport fields, oval track, walkway along the beach, you get the idea.
Normal family activities for a city park. Weather – cloudy, light breeze, comfortable temps.

But when we arrived at the parking lot, all the visitors abnormally were doing the same thing. Everybody was huddled together, gazing at the water. We had trouble picking out the attraction. Her and I slowed down and coasted through the crowd. Luckily, I heard someone say it!

So we are both like HOLY CRAP! And decide to go home and get the camera, and drive back to the waterfront.

Half hour later, the crowd is breaking up. My father is on his way out, and says that we missed it by about 10 minutes. But I noticed one policeman was still watching with his binoculars. Then it happens again!








This Minke whale gets stuck again!
The bay is extremely shallow at this location during low tide.














The whale is able to float itself free. Three inches of water, from the incoming tide, made the difference.

 

[Ruth]

Wow!! What a treat!!

 

[nikv]

Great pics and an even greater story!

 

[Lanmark]

Cool! I'm glad you were able to get these awesome photos, and I'm glad to hear the whale eventually got free.

 

[Yoyo_Jo]

Wow! That is so cool! :clap: What an experience.

 

[Hera]

Awesome, thanks.

 

[Bob in Albany N.Y.]

Thanks for the photos. We really love them.

 

[Shiva]

Great photos, as usual, Clark. Thanks!

 

[tomkalina]

What a great experience! Thanks for sharing....

 

[SlipperFan]

I'm glad you stayed!

 

[NYEric]

MMMMMM.. whale steaks, great w/ sauted onions! :evil:

 

[cnycharles]

if you see any tomorrow morning, give me a call. i'll be in town (west orange, nj) until 11:30am when our flight leaves for wyoming

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

MMMMMM.. whale steaks, great w/ sauted onions! :evil:

Hey Eric, are you turning Japanese or what?? Yes, unfortunately, whale is still on the menu here...:sob:

Fantastic luck Clark! Your photos are just fabulous. You have a great eye for wildlife.

 

[Clark]

Thank you very much

It took a while to sink in, but I realize now, other folks don't have the internet speed that is available to high density areas.


The saga continues...



After the incoming tide floats this whale free, it swims away from the open water.
About 1000 ft. away, the twenty foot mammal heads for shore.
And beaches itself.



















I know. Should of shot this in video mode, as my camera allows it.

 

[NYEric]

Is that blood!!??

 

[SlipperFan]

Is that blood!!??

I'm wondering that, too! What is the rest of the saga?

 

[Clark]

Before I had drivers license, my friends and I would wade out, till the water was up to our elbows, to cast for bluefish at this location. Did not matter if the water was clear or not.
There is so much debris in the water, every step could of been trouble.

That is blood. Lots of it.
Poor thing tore itself up on something that is submerged/unseen, during this violent act.

Out of town now, will post when I get back.
Pics look washed out on my wife's laptop...

 

[biothanasis]

Nice experince. Quite rare....! Too bad the mammal got injured...

 

[cnycharles]

where are you clark? we saw well over 100 pronghorn antelope with their young from hoback junction over to bondurant, wyoming and over to pinedale, along the road. males, plus females with their young. clark, if you want to have accessible antelope, this is the time as they like to go in the fields right after the grass has been bales, and they have their young. if you are in your car and they are not far away, it's easy to get good pictures even with a 105 mm lens

 

[Clark]

What do they smell like?