"But you've already DONE whales, Jen", my frustrated mother pointed out while I explained why exactly it was I'd spent the day throwing my savings at another exotic whale watching trip.
Yes, I have 'done' whales - I saw them in Santa Barbara last month and a couple in Reykjavik last year. But I haven't DONE whales; in the sense that I haven't had my fill of watching these incredible marine mammals in their natural environment.
I responded with a smile and the fact that Hermanus is the whale watching capital of the world. Okay, 'fact' is debatable, on the grounds that it's the self-proclaimed whale watching capital of the world, but after some extensive research I'm thoroughly convinced. Where else can you see whales so close to shore? The pictures and reviews speak for themselves - I had to book this trip.
Whereas I've had the joy of watching humpback whales in the wild before, Hermanus - just down the road from Cape Town, South Africa - is the stomping ground for the southern right whale between mid-June and October, and September (which is when I've booked to go) is supposedly peak time. Word has it you don't even have to take a boat trip out to sea to get a glimpse - you can simply sit by the shore and wait for them to make an appearance. There's even a restaurant where you can watch while you chow down on South African cuisine. I will literally be in my element.
I don't know what it is about whales. It's just a magical experience that has me so enraptured I can't seem to tear myself away. I can't even begin to describe the feeling of simmering excitement that bubbles over the instant I see one breaking the surface of the water, or a long-awaited tail fluke. I think I felt like I cheated myself out of further encounters by choosing to board my flight home instead of going to Canada - so hopefully this will more than make up for it.
I won't even be done with whales after this - I'm hoping my next whale watching trip will be in Norway where you can swim with killer whales (which sounds simultaneously exhilarating and terrifying) and I'm still chasing my dream of seeing a blue whale, potentially in Tadoussac, Canada...but this is something for the future.
So that's 2 weeks. But of course, you can't go to Africa and not go on safari, so I booked a 10 day tour with G Adventures as well (didn't fancy Kenya and Tanzania on my own) to explore the Masai Mara and the Serengeti. I've effectively booked myself a month long wildlife safari and I'M SO EXCITED.
Knowing that the whale watching is meant to be amazing out there was one of the key reasons behind booking this trip. But it wasn't just that; since being home, I've found myself in real danger of settling back into life in England - I even started looking for permanent jobs even though I've booked Asia and Australia! I feel pressure here to get a 9-5 job, buy a house, settle down - things I happily escaped while I was away. Plus, I can feel myself slipping back into old habits and struggling to suppress past feelings that I wanted to leave behind. Much as I love my friends and family (despite my grumblings, it's been lovely seeing everyone again!), life in England isn't what I need right now. I need adventure; I need new experiences; I need to carry on finding my muchness. And that, my friends, is what I shall do.
