Flat Stanley's Australian Adventure! Part 4: A Whaling We Will Go!

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The drive to Redcliffe was short and only made interesting by the nearly empty fuel tank. The little community was bustling with people out for Sunday breakfast, for walks on the beach, and for the big market. Ann, Kevin, and Stanley hurried quickly down the pier to the waiting boat, the Eye Spy.

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“Do you remember the whales we saw at the museum?” asked Ann. “Those were humpback whales. That is what we are going to see today.” Then, Ann passed around some little pills. “Nobody wants to be sea sick.”

After an hour the boat slowed and an announcement was made. “We’ve seen our first pod of whales!”

“Like a pea pod?” asked Stanley.

“Not exactly,” said Ann. “That just means a collection. Like a herd of cows or a bunch of bananas.”

“Or a murder of crows,” continued Kevin mischievously.

Everybody got out of his seat and crowded to the front of the boat.

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“There! At one o’clock!” announced the guide. And, there, at one o’clock, rose a large black mass with a small triangular fin. Everyone sighed.

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“We’re turning the boat around. We’ve seen some whales breaching back behind us!”

Stanley looked at Kevin questioningly.

“That means they’re jumping out of the water,” Kevin explained.

And the announcer continued by saying they rise up to look around or to try to splash the barnacles off their skin.

“I want to see this!” said Ann as she turned to once again see only a very big splash.

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“At eleven o’clock! Tail smacking!”

“At two o’clock!” A pod with two calves and the babies seemed to be competing for the biggest splash. They’d dive down then push themselves up to the surface with their big tails. They’d lift their entire body out of the water, twist, and then fall back with a big, big splash.

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By the end of the cruise everyone was windblown but happy. They’d seen at least 10 pods of whales and LOTS of breaching.

“Did you enjoy your Brisbane adventure?” Kevin asked Stanley as they were driving home across the big bridge and under the resting pelicans. But, Stanley was sleeping. And, smiling.

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