The Whales expedition has been quite adventurous over the past couple of days. The ascended upon Old Quarry, an incredibly beautiful stretch of Maine coastline, complete with protected islands, lobster boats, snug fishing communities. After establishing camp, the Whales kids each hopped into a single kayak, and into a freshwater pond on site for their 1 on 1 introduction to sea kayaking. The kids learned paddling techniques, familiarized themselves with the rudders and perfected their “wet exit”. A wet exit involves an instructor tipping the kayak over and the student pulling their skirt loop off and swimming out of a boat. Fortunately, these were the only wet exits for the entire sea kayaking leg.
On Wednesday the expedition headed out to sea in single and tandem kayaks. The winds were mighty this day, but the young band of adventurers persevered. They were joined by at least one friendly seal that came in for a close up look. They eventually settled a shore on the eerily named island of Hell’s Half Acre. The group established a base camp and explored the island. They found sea urchins and cooked “lobstah” faces and fresh mussles in the surrounding tide pools. The also bravely went for a swim in the ocean, and according to trip leader Sean, “They still can’t understand why the water was so cold. “At some point in the island they dubbed themselves the “Islanders”, presumably not after the NY hockey franchise.
After spending the evening out on an uninhibited island, the expedition awoke to the notorious morning fog of the Maine coast. Yes, it was said to be as “thick as pea soup”. Led by their sea kayaking guides they paddled back to sure, took showers, and went to sleep much earlier than usual. Apparently, they were rather tuckered out from their time spent in the “backcountry”.
This morning the Whales expedition headed to Acadia National Park and Mount Desert Island. They were headed to the Whale Museum this morning and then planned on a short hike and the rest of the afternoon at Bar Harbor. The town visit usually includes ice cream, souvenir shopping, and at least one kid getting a fake tattoo and trying to convince their leaders it is real. They are hoping to summit Cadillac Mountain tomorrow, the highest point on the eastern seaboard!
Expect phone calls home this evening. Overall, from our standpoint, the program is going extremely well. The group gets more connected each day, and the leaders are really impressed with everyone’s team spirit. They have said the group has an “all for one, one for all” mentality. Thanks for the great group of kids you have sent us!
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