Technology, Books and Other Neat Stuff

A lucky shot of some whale flukes, taken from extreme long distance, as a small pod of what were probably grey whales made its way up the Big Sur coast.

I was looking over the balcony of a small restaurant when I saw them. They were making good speed, spouting as they moved north for summer. But as they passed us, they slowed, splashing and circling - time for their lunch too...

Taken from the viewpoint at Cafe Kevah - and then cropped out of a nine megapixel image...

Big Sur, California
March 2006

Elephant seal pup on the beach at Piedras Blancas, its silver fur gilded by the setting sun.

Over the next two months it'll lose half its body weight, learn to swim, and start braving the cold of the Pacific Ocean.

Less than a third survive to see their first birthday.

Big Sur
March 2006

A day or so into the Great San Francisco To Las Vegas road trip, and we're in the small town of Cambria, at the end of the Big Sur coast.

We spent a day slowly travelling down the spectacularly cliff hugging Highway One, stopping off at beaches, vista points and restaurants en route. The road twists and turns and rises and falls as it meanders south from Carmel. We stopped at various view points, marvelling at the wonderful land and seascapes, and watching for the distant spouts of migrating whales. A brief diversion took us down two miles of twisting road to the Pfeiffer State Beach, with its amazing purple sands (iron pyrites in the rocks). It has to be one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. Highly recommended, and well worth a quiet hour or two...

Then on down the coast to Rita Hayworth's old stomping grounds at Nepenthe, where we had brunch at Cafe Kevah. The cafe is a terrace high above the coast, where we could look down on the passing eagles, and enjoy the company of blue jays. A dot and a spray turned out to be the first of several whales heading north, shortly followed by a more photogenic pair. They may have been mere dots, but the combination of nine megapixels and a 300mm zoom lens showed us the curves of their backs and the raised salute of their tail flukes.

The road continued its switch back route on down the mountains, until we arrived at the relative flat of Piedras Blancas, and its famous elephant seal colony. The word of the day was "cute", as the month old seal pups played on the sands...

Then finally to Cambria and the glistening semi-precious pebbles of Moonstone Beach. No moonstones so far, but plenty of jade and agate.

Today it's on south to Santa Barbara and LA...