Concentrating on framing a shot of a sand diver I heard a faint yet familiar sound off in the distance. Looking around somewhat bewildered about where it was coming from I looked over at Mary but she was busy searching for a critter with the beam of her light. Then I heard it again, louder yet still distant. I got Mary’s attention and pointed my finger to my ear and she looked at me with a puzzled look. I swam over to her and wrote on my slate “whale song”. She beamed a smile and began searching the abyss for any sign of the behemoths.
For over twenty minutes we were serenaded by the beautiful but forlorn singing of whales. They were obviously getting closer because the sound grew louder and you could just feel their presence. Someone asked me what it sounded like and I tried to describe it but it is nearly impossible. It is at once the screech of a moose, the bellow of an elephant and the blast of a horn.
As I listened to the whales I closed my eyes to fully enjoy the moment. At one point the sound reminded me of a sinking ship; the steel groaning and screeching as it is twisted and rent in the last throe of its violent descent.
Opening my eyes I realized that our dive guide, Laury, had moved ahead and out of our site so we continued our dive. We found Laury a short distance away and he pointed at me and circled his palm as if writing with an invisible pen. Understanding that he wanted my slate I handed it to him and he wrote “whale” on it; I smiled and turned it over where I had written “whale song” and Laury beamed a smile back at me through his regulator.
This was the start of our dive on the “Back Side of Middle Cay” in Bequia.
We didn’t see the whales this day. Their song can carry for many miles but we felt privileged to have the opportunity to enjoy, what was to us beautiful music, on this wonderful dive.
At 70 feet a small school of tarpons approached possibly attracted by my bubbles. They circled and allowed me to get close to them but they were wary and I wasn’t able to get close enough for a good photograph. But I did get a nice video of tarpons on the Back Side of Middle Cay.
We watched the tarpon for a while and then began our ascent over the coral reef where Mary found a magnificent urchin. If you have seen one of this you will realize why it is called magnificent.
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