Walkhighlands

Halfway between North-East Scotland, and South-West Norway. Northern Bottlenose Whale came up beside my vessel. I got a good look straight down at it, but only got the camera out as it went on its way. I was too slow with the harpoon too...

Lovely. And very exciting, although anyone who'd never seen a little bit of whale poking out of the sea surface would never think so.

When I was in Aus a few years ago, I nearly didn't take a boat trip to see the migrating humpbacks for exactly this reason. But how wrong can one be?? Yes, they were 100 metres or so away from the boat, but was it thrilling or...??? The difference between a pic/video and real life is - I suppose, like the difference between a live concert or live sport, and something you view on the box.

I went on boat trips to see the humpbacks in Aus too, out of Sydney harbour. Very impressive beasties. Very stinky too, something Sir Dave of Attenborough neglects to mention!

On a memorable wet/windy non hillwalking day on Skye some 21 years ago (if my memory serves me right) in the days before the smoking ban was introduced, my walking companion insisted that we go for a cup of coffee in the Broadford Hotel so she could have a fag with it (the tea room was no smoking). We sat looking at the rain pouring down as we drank our coffee. I was watching gannets dive in Broadford Bay when there was a large splash which gave me a shock as it definitely wasn't a gannet. It turned out to be a northern bottlenose whale, one of a pair that spent that August in the Bay and made the front page of The Times. Never before had I been grateful for being in the conmpany of a smoker and I've never forgotten the experience. It made up for not getting much hill walking done. I frequently see dolphins from my own living room but have yet to spot a whale passing ( although I feel a bit like the kit kat advert)