What it's Like...To Dive with a Blue Whale
The blue whale is as big as it gets; in fact, the biggest animal to ever live on this planet. You could practice trying to photograph one by taking pictures of boxcars — two or three boxcars in a row. because the blue whale is so big, you wonder why the whales are so hard to find. but they are, and that’s why we’ve created an elaborate blue whale tracking system, recruiting fishermen along the Pacific coast of Baja California, Mexico, to radio in the first sign of their northern migration. Departing from san Diego, our spotter plane finds them, and our dive boat comes within about one mile of the whales. Then our three professional kayakers take us closer, with two guests in each kayak.

We intercept the whale’s route as directed by our scout plane, and then, quickly and very quietly, we enter their space and let them get comfortable with us. It’s then that it hits you: you’re diving alongside a blue whale. It’s like swimming next to an 18-wheeler, cruising along at 12 mph. A few thoughts about the star of the show: The blue whale is shy. They are solitary animals, and there are only 12,000 or so left in the world — down from a population once numbering 250,000. I have swum with them so many times, I’m getting to know them all. because it’s so big and the krill are so small — only about a half- inch long — each blue whale consumes some 30 million krill or so just to get through the day. Good thing krill like to hang out together.

For details on this expedition, go to www.biganimals.com.