Sitting on the balcony at breakfast this morning, we watched a whale (too far away to determine the species) breaching off the coast of Santa Monica. Seventeen years in SoCal, and this is my first whale sighting (here).

This made me remember, "Oh! I like whales!"

Despite the annual gray whale migration past OC, and the dozens and dozens of charters the leave right from Dana Point, I still haven't done a local whale watching tour yet. I've seen whales in Antarctica and Hawaii and Canada, but have never gone to visit them right outside my door.

Need to add that to my to-do list for this winter.

That and I need to budget some time and money this year for either diving with whale sharks or cage diving with great whites.

Yeah, I know we are talking about fish and mammals, but I've had these aquatic adventures on my bucket list for approaching a decade now. I think it's about time to scratch some of them off.