Law of the Jungle

It has been a sobering realization for me. Of all of the days I have spent on the ocean it always has been relaxing, awe inspiring or just plain amazing.   As Skipper Bob of Trinity Eco-Tours, I have enjoyed my time on the ocean as much as the guests.  I always pictured the whales as the gentle giants that were kings of a domain that did not follow the rules of our world, no stress, no deadlines, and no struggles. It is not hard to understand that train of thought when you see Humpbacks tailfinning, pectoral slapping, breaching or Atlantic Dolphins at play jumping across the heads of Fin Whales. Those are scenes that guests and I have shared.   So to see Killer Whales attack and eat a Minke Whale last year was shocking to our guests as well as me.

Orcas are a rare treat in these waters. They are a beautiful, intelligent, vibrant mammal. I’ve always thought of them eating Herring, Squid, Capelin, the lower rungs in the food chain. It is not right to minimalise the role that all species play or their individual worth but whales, dolphins, porpoises and all air breathing ocean dwellers are dear to our hearts. It could be that they survive based upon the birth and nurturing of their young rather than the concept of survival of some based upon sheer numbers. Or it could be because we all were land dwellers at one time maybe. Many of us seek out encounters with our air breathing water borne cousins to restore our faith in the beauty of nature thus restoring ourselves.  

So it was a shock to realise that we all struggle including whales. I often say it is the Law of the Jungle: Eat or Be Eaten. Top rungs of the food chain ladder like whales do have to fear Orcas as well as the ultimate predator, ourselves. We are getting better at recognising where we stand in the overall Big Picture by protecting whales and intervening like Greenpeace has done in the Antarctic whaling campaigns. Those whales are killed by the Japanese under the guise of scientific research. Hopefully Greenpeace has completely stopped them. We should all strive to be better humanitarians like the individuals of that organisation. Check Greenpeace out on their website.

Also whales have to struggle to find enough to eat to survive to get through the lean times, feed their young which also include killer whales feeding their young in the way that they know how. I saw that display on that same fateful day as a baby Orca also fed off the same Minke Whale. A few days later I watched as the infant mimicked its mother breaching along side of our boat, a magical scene. It belied the fact that they were both killers capable of doing what they needed to do to survive but in that moment they were the most awesome/beautiful experience I have ever had at sea.  

Cheers,

Skipper Bob Bartlett
Trinity Eco-tours

Trinity Newfoundland -- Best Whale Watching Place on Planet?

Trinity -  Best Natural Whale Watching Place on the Planet?

After the past summers events, Killer Whales attacking other whales, those same whales breaching for public views and our abundance of Humpbacks, Fin Whales, Porpoises and Dolphins, I have to question where could you go to see the abundance of Marine Wildlife above and below the surface that Newfoundland (and in particular Trinity) has to offer?

I keep looking back at the videos and photographs that I and the guests have taken and the one word that keeps popping up is WOW! It pretty well says it all when you hear it expressed from one of the tapes.  When nature provides the scenery and the events that you would never normally get to see, that seems to be the word that encompasses our human wonderment and awe. So often it feels like a privilege to be viewing our events and it provides me with a genuine desire to be back on the water to see what is going to happen next. Our guests get the one time experience of a lifetime for their individual trip but I repeat that same trip three to four times a day. I always look forward to each trip as much as our guests. For me it is always the question what will I see today that I have not seen other days.  Or will I ever see the same display again as the best trip(to me) that I have ever been on? Is this the one tour that is going to top my best trip ever? Again WOW! What a complaint to have! Myself, personally, I do consider myself so privileged to be doing this!

I so do enjoy all of the guests that accompany us on our tours. Our common interest of the sea and marine wildlife ties us together before you arrive for your tour and our shared experience binds us to events that are unique to us. We are small enough that you are not a another passenger but our guest, so lets make some memories! As I say "Put yourself in the picture!!!!!!!!"

Several times I have had guests ask:
 "Do you want us to pay before we go?"
I always say " No, pay on the way back." And the answer is almost always,
"Well what if we don't feel the trip was worth it?" And inevitably, my answer is always
"Well don't pay for it then."

This astounds most guests. But you are visiting Newfoundland, probably the last enclave of the world, where our honesty and matter of fact lifestyle will still blindside you. If you feel you were ripped off I would never want your money. I want everyone to feel that at least they saw something that was an addition to their Newfoundland trip or the highlight (which is what I aim for).

As we like to say "Come in and be one of us!" Have a laugh, talk , join in the merriment. When you are here you will say " Have I been here before? It feels like these people know me!" No we don't know you but we live by the adage, "There are no strangers, just friends you have not met yet!"  In the hard old world today it is so nice to come to a place where you aren't a stranger to us and you can let your hair down. That is the Trinity experience I have heard so many people express as they are boarding their cars to leave (with a sigh I might add!). Top end accomodations, wonderful meals to savour, theatre hiking trails and a wildlife, scenery, personal experience to never forget ( which you will rant to your friends about). Yes this is our legacy!

I look forward to seeing you! Please feel free to contact us for any additional information on any aspect of Trinity or Newfoundland as far as that goes. We only want to enhance your experience here. Together we will make memories!


Cheers,
Cap'n Bob Bartlett
Trinity Eco-tours