Saturday, January 16

Today was pretty quiet, due to the fact that a couple of us have contracted bad colds (many thanks to one of our flight attendants.) I decided to visit the local urgent care clinic to be sure I didn’t have the flu or anything else viral. Yay! Pharyngitis and sinusitis only. Got some meds and cough medicine, and I’m already on the road to recovery. Never, ever fly with a sinus infection if you can help it – very painful!

We took it easy, spent some time at the pool and on our deck, saw a beautiful sunset, and ate leftovers.

Sunday, January 17

Sally got us set up with a whale watching tour at noon today, with Blue Water Rafting. We were on a small boat so the crew could respond very quickly to any sightings – and there were plenty.

The humpback whale (kohola) population migrates about 3,000 miles from Alaska each winter to mate and calve in the waters around Hawaii. They remain here for about six weeks, not eating, until returning to Alaska to feed.

The humpback weighs about one ton per foot of length, and can grow up to 60 feet. Newborns are about 15 feet The average life expectancy is about 50 years. Humpbacks were put on the endangered list in 1966 when their worldwide population was estimated to be only 1,500. Now, their population is estimated to be between 18,000-20,000, and there has been discussion about removing them from endangered status.

The tail markings are unique to each individual whale, allowing researchers to identify them as they move back and forth between Alaska and Hawaii.

Lunch afterwards at Café O’Lei, where Mark continued his quest to sample as many mai tais as possible, but only if they have real juice (he is such a health nut.) This one was made with Passionfruit juice.

Dinner at the local Tommy Bahama. Good as usual. It will be easy to fall asleep tonight.