51 ‘ticked’ Bold & Beautiful swimmers.
Yes it’s true – WE SWAM WITH HUMPBACK WHALES !!! There were three of them including a mum and a calf, and oh my goodness it was MAGNIFICENT !!! They were soooo close and right underneath us, and I mean right underneath us, in fact they were so close you could have touched them. They rolled oer to get a better look at us too ! WOW WOW WOW !!!
See there is a reason you swim everyday of the year, it makes it all worth while for a magical swim like today. You can’t buy that experience.
Check out the very happy faces at brekkie…
It’s two years, 1 month and 1 week since the Southern Right Whale swam with us. A few of us were lucky enough to swim on Southern Right and Humpback Whale day. WOW WOW WOW we are soooo lucky !!
PLEASE COME AND JOIN B&B ON CHANNEL 9’s TODAY SHOW TOMORROW MORNING !!
The producer of the weather for Channel 9’s Today Show would like to do a live cross to B&B in their caps and cossies
WHEN: 6.30am THIS FRIDAY MORNING
WHERE: On the Beach just in front of The Steyne Hotel
This is perfect timing for us we can meet there, be part of their live cross, then stroll down the beach ready for our 7am swim to Shelly and back – perfecto. Lauchie, the producer would love as many of you as humanly possible to come down, so…. PLEASE COME DOWN AND BE PART OF THE LIVE CROSS ON THE BEACH IN FRONT OF THE STEYNE HOTEL THIS FRIDAY AT 6.30am IN YOUR CAPS AND COSSIES !!!!
Tim’s fact of the day: “Octopus have three hearts and their blood is light blue !”
Deb and Michelle on the top of the volcano in Thira along with a little donkey that kindly stood still long enough for the girls to put a pink cap on him 😉
Plus our pink hats on the boat at the hot springs with two Israeli girls that took their photo at the top of the volcano and then asked to have their picture taken with them on the boat!! Pink hats are famous!! Good works girls, keep spreading the love… although I must say I would hate to have been anywhere else but swimming at Manly Beach this morning… 🙂
Water Temperature 17.2 degrees.
Air Temperature 12 degrees.
Sunrise 5.55am.
Sunset 5.46pm.
High Tide: 9.42am.
Low Tide: 3.51pm.
35 comments
Enviuos Nick
September 15, 2011 at 8:22 am
Oh , you lucky things !!!
fifi
September 15, 2011 at 9:11 am
oh, I feel like weeping.
Had a 7.20 am appointment with chiro to fix my migraine.
🙁
Charlie
September 15, 2011 at 9:13 am
i also feel like weeping…… dam you carlton draught! i blame you for the sleep in!
Linda
September 15, 2011 at 9:18 am
oh what an amazing morning, Thank you to Iain for sharing his goggles so I could see those most majestic creatures under water aswell, in fact they scared the shit out of me by swimming a little closer than I expected!!
What an amazing place we live in and it makes all that freezing winter swimming worth while for those few precious seconds.
WOW WOW WOW (sorry Iain I only use that amount of WOW’s for very special occasions and your channel swim will now have to share them with the whales!).
Anna Alvsdotter
September 15, 2011 at 9:29 am
Spot on Linda, we’re so privileged to live here, to have this wonderful swim group, the camaraderie and the glorious ocean and all its godly creatures. What an experience!!
Bowes
September 15, 2011 at 9:41 am
I can’t seem to do anything this morning, I just keep sitting here thinking about those whales and smiling. Seeing the mother right along side the calf was very special, as well as when at one point, they swam straight toward, and underneath us.
So unexpected, so beautiful.
So very very lucky.
Brendan Maher
September 15, 2011 at 9:56 am
The posts above say it all…what a morning!
Anna Alvsdotter
September 15, 2011 at 10:06 am
Btw, Michelle Harris, you can breathe out now 😀
Iain
September 15, 2011 at 10:13 am
Good times!
julie taylor mills
September 15, 2011 at 10:15 am
Fortune favours the brave!!!!
But the brave of you deserve the experience…slackers like me don’t.
However,
I wish I was there!
Had already planned to be there tomorrow morning – that clinches it. See you there.
Julie
julie taylor mills
September 15, 2011 at 10:30 am
Check out what happened to the Guy Leech kayaking group which my husband usually paddles with this morning…same group of whales I reckon….
The Paddlers passed over the top of them on their way up to Curl Curl. On the warm down back to Shelley the pod of whales were still there.
By chance the paddlers ended up in the middle of 4 whales – 3 adults & a baby.
They realized the mother might get anxious and started to get away and then the adult mum lifted her dorsal fin up & raised one of the paddlers & ski all out of the water.
One badly damaged carbon fibre ski and a chastened paddler as a result.
Glad they were feeling friendly by the time they found you swimmers!
Lesley
September 15, 2011 at 11:00 am
I reckon they came to check US out… One minute they were at north steyne, the next right under us, I truly believe they came to see us. It was surreal seeing them under the water like that…
John
September 15, 2011 at 11:13 am
It’s all been said above,but what an incredible experience to have these majestic creatures swim right below us – glad I swam today – WOW again.
Tim ' only swims with whales ' Ettle
September 15, 2011 at 11:59 am
Im not sure this is how it happened but according to linda this pic says it all: http://limepic.com/img/whale.jpg
Pacific Jules
September 15, 2011 at 12:21 pm
Yep, that’s definitely how I recall it too 🙂
rrob@ireland.com
September 15, 2011 at 12:24 pm
bugger! so envious
Michael [EX CI]
September 15, 2011 at 12:32 pm
Everyone has said it all in the comments above. What can I add except to say that’s THE SECOND TIME FOR ME. I thought it was a once in a lifetime experience. Now I think its a twice in a lifetime experience. FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!
Tim ' only swims with whales ' Ettle
September 15, 2011 at 12:59 pm
I got so close that in some countries me and that whale are now officially married.
Just call me whale rider from now on please. i will no longer answer to the name Tim.
Yeh, thanks for the quick loan of the goggles Iain.
Amazing
Gaetan
September 15, 2011 at 1:05 pm
WOW this sounds so cool, how i wish i has been there! Any photos guys?
Pacific Jules
September 15, 2011 at 1:09 pm
No photos, my camera died in Turkey. I got it fixed this morning though 😉 and am so tempted to get another so I not without one again. We have the memories though 😉
WOW – did I mention we swam with whales ?? Gosh it was amazing 🙂
Linda
September 15, 2011 at 1:54 pm
Oh dear if that’s the case stay further away from me!!! :-))
Michael [EX CI]
September 15, 2011 at 2:41 pm
Took me a while but I get it now!
Gaetan
September 15, 2011 at 2:46 pm
ahahahahaha excellent! And I was watching “Ocean Giants” last night on channel 9 thinking “wow i wish one day i can swim with those”… and i missed out this morning 🙂
I hear they wilbe around for the next few days though 🙂
Anna Alvsdotter
September 15, 2011 at 3:41 pm
Ah Gaetan, what an excellent tie-in with channel 9’s visit of the B&B at the beach tomorrow morning – the B&B swimmers are like a promo for the channel 9 program “Ocean Giants”. Eh? Good?
Stephen "I always count my strokes" Coulter
September 15, 2011 at 3:57 pm
Whale Swimmers, please answer this 60 second survey…https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dFBSb3lvLThIU2xsYzMtNENrTGpkMlE6MQ
Iain
September 15, 2011 at 4:46 pm
On another note who is up for a 6:00 swim from Manly to the Steyne or there about?
I think it would be quite nice for our early hour TV watching friends to see us rising from the water like Neptunes children.
For those of you still unconvinced I’m pretty sure the whales will be there prior to 6:30 just like today so best you get there early eh.
Anna Alvsdotter
September 15, 2011 at 5:08 pm
Great idea Iain, no promises from me, but I’ll try.
Neptune’s children, ha ha ha.
Tacomajim
September 15, 2011 at 5:13 pm
Iain –
Heading down early for the double. Leaving club at 6:20 (with camera) and heading round Whale Point to Shelley with Fiona N and possibly Dave Adams. TV crews can scan for the little pinkies already in the water over yonder. Iain, your proposal sounds like the makings of the first BOLDERDASH of the season. How about doing exactly that on Saturday morning 5:50? See you AM
Tim 'the whale whisperer' Ettle
September 15, 2011 at 6:24 pm
For all those that missed the fun.
This is what is was like this morning.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEsdQegy3mQ
(without the music or voiceover)
Its a youtube video but what it shows was pretty similar
Iain
September 15, 2011 at 6:38 pm
Cool
Little Tiger
September 15, 2011 at 6:47 pm
Hey Whale-rider, why did you & Linda borrow Iains goggles? Do we need special goggles to see whales?
Been sad all day, had every intention of swimming this morning. I was watching those whales from Nth Curly headland yesterday afternoon. Drats, Drats & double Drats !!!!!
Gaetan
September 15, 2011 at 8:47 pm
Anna is famous 🙂
http://manly-daily.whereilive.com.au/news/story/whales-venture-to-northern-beaches-coastline/
Pacific Jules
September 15, 2011 at 9:12 pm
Awesome video Tim, thanks for sharing it. I agree with her summary, it certainly is an honour to swim with them. Just magic. Gosh I hope we are privileged again tomorrow 🙂
Bella (at least I swam with the dolphins) Wakes-Miller
September 15, 2011 at 9:35 pm
Totally amazing and utterly envious guys. Your whale wish came true Julie – you deserve it. Please will them to stick around for the next few days. Bella x
Pacific Jules
September 15, 2011 at 9:39 pm
Will do Bella… We all need to enjoy the experience, its the best thing, just so remarkably amazing and beautiful 🙂