Today, 1-24-10, the wind was light to non existent kona wind and there were some nice clean swells coming in with long spells between sets. The water was quite clear over the reef and I rode the wave ski for about an hour and a half with tie break to myself. I could see whales out in the channel now and then with some good breaches.

I had finished surfing and just showered off and rinsed the wave ski when I noticed a whale surface to the south and not that far from the beach. I decided it was such a still and beautiful day that I would grab my camera and paddle out per chance that this whale might head north and swim by me. I had been out for about 10 minutes when I saw a calf and then mother to the south of me a few hundred yards and seemingly headed in my direction, at a leisurely pace. I put my mask on and camera around my neck and got in the water tethered to the wave ski and waited. I immediately realized that there was abundant red bio balls (for lack of any real idea what they are) in the water and looking south to where the whales might appear, it looked like a snow storm with flare from these round jellies. Aside from the visibility bein impaired by this bio jelly stuff, the water was a beautiful blue and silt free. In not too much time, I was certain I could make out some shadow, backlit in my view, and getting larger. I could also see some reef and mostly sand below me.

At some point I could make out that it was a mother and calf and they indeed were going to pass by me in view if not in great lighting for photos.

In the shot below which I think is the best of this series, you can see the white underside of the calf. I spent some time in PhotoShop removing some of the red flares from the bio balls in these images. (at least the ones that were close to the camera and quite distracting in their bright blurs)

Shortly after taking the photo above and with the mother and calf obviously gone from decent view, I looke below and saw the escort crusing by just off the bottom. You can barely make out his shadow on the sand below him.