The weather is damp and misty. I think Tracey had this in mind when instead of fishing, he asked us if we wanted to accompany him on a trip to Hartley Bay to pick up a client. He says there will be lots of whales en route. This sounds great to me and we accept his invitation.

It is a short drive from the lodge to the marina where we pick up our boat. It turns out to be a very solidly built water taxi, which is functional, sturdy and well heated. Tracey takes the helm and we settle in beside him.

Tracey has impressive boat handling skills and he manoeuvres the boat out of the marina with ease. The sea is pretty calm so the trip is relatively comfortable but visibility is poor. Low cloud descends and it starts to rain. Spotting anything will be hard, but we do see several whales in the distance and a pod of porpoises although their presence was fleeting.

I do not hold out much hope for a quality whale encounter. However, as we approach our destination of Hartley Bay, a whale briefly surfaces directly in front of us. It dives but it was close and exciting. Shortly after that we spot what we think is a log floating on the surface.

It turns out to be a humpback whale in a pretty relaxed state. We manage to get fairly close and I stand on deck in the now persistent rain trying to capture the moment.

Given the conditions I am pleased with the results, but as we approach the harbour another “log” is floating on the surface. We move in closer – maybe only 20 yards away – and can determine that this is another whale. It is just casually lazing on the surface and it gives us the most incredible and privileged experience. It allows us to stay with it for several minutes, It calls, blows out water and as a grand finale gracefully lifts its tail before diving down. The air is misty, the light is poor and it is still raining, but given the conditions I am absolutely thrilled with the photos that I managed to capture.

What an exhilerating morning! When we get back to the lodge, the weather has improved, so we sit on our veranda and eat a late lunch before catching up on much needed sleep. We are still not over the jet lag so take the easy option and return to Rosario for supper. This time I make a good menu choice – sweet and sour chicken. It is delicious, really homemade tasting and not a deep-fried anything in sight!