Watching Whales from Wylies

I've spent some glorious winter afternoons at Wylies Baths recently. After swimming my lengths with the fishes in the cool clear pool, I usually stand on the high decking with a cup of tea and my binoculars. I'm looking for whales, and, most days, I see lots. Humpback whales travel up the NSW coast from the Antarctic Ocean to the Coral Sea at this time of year. Usually, the spray from the blowholes tell you where the whales are, and, then, you can look through the binoculars to see them at the surface. Often you can see some tail slapping. One day, I was lucky enough to see one breach. On the odd day that I couldn't spot a whale, I watched dolphins in the bay, or gannets soaring above the sea and suddenly diving into the water to feed.

They're out there.

A Little Night Swimming (at Coogee)

A great place to be on a hot, humid night in Sydney. The beach pool under the Surf Lifesavers Club is lit by street lights and a floodlight.

Okay. Not the best photos. Just from the mobile phone.

Bit of seaweed in the pool. From a recent storm.

The water looks cool.

And it is cool. Exactly what I needed.

Bay Of Fires, Tasmania

Binalong Bay on The Bay Of Fires

I had a quick swim (that super cold water again) from the beach at Binalong Bay at the southern end of the Bay Of Fires. Clean, salty water and squeaky, white sand.

Coles Bay, Tasmania

A sunny day at Coles Bay on the east coast of Tasmania. The water was very clear and clean, but cold. I swam for about half an hour, then sat in the sun to warm up.

Wineglass Bay, Freycinet National Park

The beach at Wineglass Bay

Unfortunately we couldn't get a sunny day for the view over Wineglass Bay (see below for what it can look like). It was still gorgeous though. We walked down a steep track to the beach, and sat for a while watching small waves on the clear saltwater. I went for a swim even though it was a cold morning with a strong wind. The water was very cold indeed, and really salty. Ten minutes was enough for me. 

Wineglass Bay from the lookout

(Creative commons: J J Harrison)