Blue Whale Watching

Location: Les Escoumins, Quebec, Canada
Address:  37 Rue des Pilotes
Date: Aug 2017
Website: www.croisierebaleine.ca

  Since writing a grade school speech about blue whales, one of us has been waiting for a real world encounter with the largest animal on earth.  We planned a trip to Tadoussac, Quebec where the Saguenay River meets the St. Lawrence to try and make this dream come true.  This region is known to attract many of the world's whales, including the blue whale.

  We arrived in Quebec City and drove north to Tadoussac where we were staying at a bed and breakfast.  At the advice of the rental car guy, the next day we drove a bit further north to Les Escoumins.  He said that our chances of a blue whale encounter would be higher in this region.  We booked a zodiac tour with Croisières Escoumins and headed out into the St. Lawrence River to try our luck.

  It wasn't very long at all before we spotted a burst of water rise into the air.  Our guide reported that it was a blue whale.  At last, a dream come true.  Great advice, rental car guy.  Above is our first photo of our first blue whale encounter.  You can see that the whale is more grey than blue and blends in with the waves of the river.  The whale went back under the surface.

  We were thrilled that we had chosen the right place for a blue whale to come and visit us.  Another plume of water and the whale surfaced once again.  We could see its giant blowholes. We were very lucky that because of the way the whale was feeding, that it came to the surface several times during our boat tour.  Blue whales typically dive while feeding for up to 10 minutes but can sometimes be 30 minutes or more.  When the whales surface they could also be quite a distance from where they were last spotted.

  The whale surfaced for us one last time.  This time it was very close.  We were treated to another rare display by this gentle giant.  The blue whale dove again, but on the way down it raised its tail as if to wave goodbye.  Bye-bye Blue.   You have given us an experience we will never forget.

 

 

 

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Map of Our World
Croisières Escoumins

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Post # 195

Feline Frenzy At Toronto Zoo

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Address:  2000 Meadowvale Road
Date: Sept 2017
Website: www.torontozoo.com

  The Toronto Zoo has seen another baby boom.  This time it is of the furry, feline variety.   There are 9 little cubs from 3 different species.  After a few months of being off display, the cubs now have daily viewing times.  

  The first to arrive were a handful of African cheetah cubs born at the end of April, 2017.  These 5 cubs consist of 3 boys and 2 girls.  Through the years there have been 53 cheetahs born at the Toronto Zoo.
 

  The cubs are always under mother's watchful eye.  Whether they are lazing around together under a tree (top photo of blog) or heading out during feeding time, she is on the alert.

  During feeding time the cubs cautiously headed towards the front of their enclosure.

  A few moments later they became more comfortable and lounged around on the rocks.

 

  A goose flew overhead and almost made the fatal mistake of landing into the enclosure.  Usually the Canada Geese at the zoo walk around like they own the place, but they wouldn't last very long against the fastest land animal on earth.  Especially if outnumbered six to one.

  The next babies to arrive at the zoo were two clouded leopard sisters born in May, 2017.  Their mother was a first time mother and was not caring for the cubs properly so zoo staff had to take over.

 

  The clouded leopards are only on display for a brief playtime each day.  As soon as they get outside they are ready to jump or climb on anything they can.

  Their parents are inside the Malayan Woods Pavilion while the zoo keepers have the task of raising and feeding the babies.  The babies are in the lion-tailed macaque exhibit and the macaques have been temporarily displaced.  We noticed the macaques on a pole while riding the zoomobile through Eurasia.

  Another pair of babies is also located in Eurasia.  A few days after the clouded leopards were born, a trio of snow leopards were also born.  Sadly, one of the cubs did not survive.  

  The remaining brother and sister are on display with their mother.

  They are still a little shy and the brother likes to climb as high as he can and then hide behind the rocks.  In the wild, snow leopards are found at high altitudes on mountain ranges such as the Himalayas.  That shyness will soon disappear as they continue to grow.  Like all wild animals, it won't be long until they are just as big and strong as their parents. Visit them soon if you can.

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Click here to take a virtual tour and see our collection of Toronto Zoo animal photos.

Map of Our World
Toronto Zoo (Cheetahs) , Toronto Zoo (Malayan Woods Pavilion) , Toronto Zoo (Eurasia)

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Post # 194

Invictus Games Toronto

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Address: 1 Dundas Street East
Date: Oct 2016
Website: www.invictusgames2017.com

  The Invictus Games are designed for war veterans to participate in sport and help them overcome their PTSD or deal with their physical injuries.  Prince Harry helped start the event and the first games were held in London, England.  This year they are being held in Toronto, Canada until September 30th.  The annual Nuit Blanche festival is also being held in Toronto on September 30th.

  It seemed fitting that we received a sneak peak of the games during the 2016 Nuit Blanche festival in Toronto.  The I AM logo above is taken from the center of  the words Invictus Games.

  In Dundas Square we were able to add blocks to help form a big I AM on the ground and show our support for the games.

  The Canadian Armed Forces were also in the square, offering a unique opportunity to see some of their equipment.

  We were able to go inside an armoured transport vehicle.

  The highlight was a tank that had been driven into the square.  They were offering the opportunity to climb onto the tank.  Nuit Blanche is an all night event which runs from dusk until 7 AM the next morning.  Even though it was close to 4 AM we still had to line up for our turn on the tank.

   While standing on the tank we had a nice view of the Hard Rock Cafe.  Sadly, this location closed earlier this year.

 

  We were also able to take a look down into the tank and see where the crew is jammed in while on active duty.

  Lastly, we had the chance to stand next to the cannon which was pointed towards the Eaton Centre.  It was fun to see this equipment up close.  We can only imagine the experiences inside this equipment for the men and women taking part in the Invictus Games.  We wish them well in their competition.

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This location is near Dundas subway. Visit other Toronto TTC stations.

Map of Our World
Yonge-Dundas Square

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Post # 193