Is Theo Really Whale Watching?

 Everyone knows that whales are not birds. Theo, our gangster cat, (affectionately called) loves birds. He loves to watch them, chase them, cackle at them and well . . . who knows what else? But whales?

We love whales. I've even gone on whale watching cruises, hoping to see one. 

"They're super big. And they're the nicest animals, Theo. They hang out with their family."

And then we point. When you're on a cruise in Resurrection Bay, with hundreds of other tourists, you almost have to knock down and drag people out of the way to see into the bay--to actually see the whales. You have to be ready to rush from one side of the boat to the other. Someone shouts out a sighting, and everyone rushes to the spot. Then someone else spots a whale and everyone rushes to the next spot. It is a miracle if you're standing in the exact right place and can actually see the whales. 

We are dying to get a good photo. But it's hard. We click and click and all we end up with are whale tails. The whales leap up but by the time we click, they are submerged with just their tails as evidence that they were ever there.

Whales do not pose for photos.

I am determined, though, to catch a full bodied whale. I take a video:

Imagine--whales are swimming along--under the water and then they pop up like jack in the boxes, water spouts up and then they dive under the water again. You learn to look for clues so you can see one of those magic moments.

 You look for seabirds--the gulls, the shearwaters, the gannets and the petrels who gather near a whale family to partake of the buffet of fish the whales create. Whales herd fish and krill to the surface, which the seabirds love. You see the birds, you see the whales.

We realize part of the way through our whale watching (with Theo in our arms, equally captivated) or so we think that he isn't looking at the whales at all. No, by gosh, he's enamored with the seabirds that are madly flying around, hoping for a snack.

That's how Dan puts it. "See those birds, Theo. They want a snack."

It all makes perfect sense to Theo, whose view of the world is much simpler than ours. Much more pragmatic than ours. 

"Are you noticing the whales at all?" I want to know.

Theo looks up at me. Then goes back to watching the whales . . . no, correction please--I now know the truth. He's watching those darn birds. Even as we see the most magnificent sight of all, more than tails. We see the whales leaping up out of the water. Yes.

As we eventually sail back to dock (after spending hours chasing a whale family in the bay) we pass another amazing sight. Seals are sunbathing on the rocks. And you can actually see the entire seal. We imagine they've already put on their suntan lotion and will be there for hours, hoping for a tan.

Does Theo even notice or is he looking backwards, hoping to see more birds.