Whales
Marita3
Mark & Helen Syrett
Mon 1 Jul 2013 16:22
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We went from Cadiz to Lagos and en route we crossed
our track. We had left Portimao next to Lagos at 0800 UTC on the 10 September
2011 and we crossed our track and thus completed the circuit at 0230
UTC on Friday 28 June 2013.
 We spent one day in Lagos with our memories of
Helen's 60th birthday and had a plate of sardines from Bar Lota (the fish
'shack')----still just as good!
The next morning we sailed for Cascais which was as
far as we could go north before the weather was due to break. We rounded
Cape St Vincent in ideal conditions
 and motored north to Cascais. As we approached the
Rio Tejo (Lisbon) at about 0700 (local time---UTC +1) two or three enormous
whales came to see what we were doing and escort us for about 15 minutes. It was
a wonderful sight, if not a little unnerving, as they swam close to the side of
the boat and just off the stern.
Here comes the first one
 getting closer
 gliding up alongside
 playing off the stern
 speeding by
 they were big!
 we think they were Finn whales which can grow up to
80 feet long which is twice the length of Marita. They swam off and about twenty
minutes later some dolphins appeared and played off the bow---they looked like
goldfish in size compared to the whales!
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