I had the lucky experience on a dive boat, while scuba diving off of the Big Island of Hawaii several years ago. 

My encounter occurred while cruising to a new dive site, a pod of about ten humpback whales, ranging from 10-foot calves to 45-foot adults, came within about 20 feet of our boat. 

The experience was something I’ll never forget. My only regret was that I couldn’t (by law) jump in the water with them. To protect the whales, swimmers/divers have to be in the water and the whales need to come to you.

Every winter, humpback whales move to warmer southern waters during their annual migration. Whales can be spotted along the Pacific coast as well as along our Atlantic coast. And the closest place to Washington, DC to take a whale watching boat tour is from Virginia Beach, just a 3-hour drive from DC.

Through March 16th, daily 2-3 hour whale watching tours depart from the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center in Virginia Beach.  

While whale sightings are not guaranteed, there is a good chance you might see either migrating humpback whales or fin whales. 

The whales you may encounter off the coast of Virginia Beach may not be as friendly as this gray curious whale off of Baha, Mexico shown in the first video clip.  But if you don’t encounter any whales on your cruise, check out the IMAX film Whales, at the Virginia Aquarium after your cruise.

And when a 45-foot dead Pacific Gray whale washes up on the Oregon coast and you try to find a way to dispose of it, dynamite is definitely NOT the answer… (from Nov. 1970).

Whale Watching off Virginia Beach
The Virginia Aquarium
717 General Booth Blvd.
Virginia Beach, VA. 23451

Whale Watching Tours Dates and Times – Thursdays and Fridays – 2:30 p.m., weekends – 9:00 a.m., Noon & 3:00 p.m.

Whale Watching Tickets – Adults – $28, kids 4-11 – $24.00. Tickets are available at the Aquarium or at the dock. For additional information, call 1-757-385-FISH.

Museum Hours  and Admission - Daily – 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.  Adults – $11.95, Seniors -$10.95, kids 3-11 – $7.95

Attire – Dress VERY warmly and bring your camera.

Images – Flickr

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Post from: The DC Traveler

The IMAX is considered to be one of the ultimate film watching experiences. Starting with a large-format film, (70mm, a film 10 times larger than standard movie film), and also the largest commercial film ever used to create movie images, combined with a 6-channel wrap-around digital sound system lets you experience the environment as if you are there.  The incredible sharpness  projected onto specially designed screens that are up to eight stories high, make the live-action nature, underwater, space and 3-D images so very realistic.

Plus, with films produced by critically-acclaimed film makers such as National Geographic, The Discovery Channel and Jean-Michel Cousteau, it understood why the IMAX experience is considered to the be start-of-the-art. 

There are four three IMAX theaters at three different Smithsonian locations around DC:

• National Museum of Natural History – 10th St. & Constitution Ave., NW
       Now Showing: Lions 3D: Roar of the Kalahari, Sharks 3D and Night at the Museum   
• National Air and Space Museum – 6th St. & Independence Ave., SW
       Now Showing: Roving Mars, Magnificent Desolation 3D – Walking on the Moon, Fighter Pilot and To Fly!, Cosmic Collisions, The Stars Tonight
• Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center Air & Space – 14390 Air & Space Museum Parkway, Chantilly, VA 20151
       Now Showing – Hurricane on the Bayou, Roving Mars, and Fighter Pilot

More Information – IMAX online info or phone line for DC – 202-633-IMAX (4629)

Tickets -  Tickets are available at the theater or online. Adults – $8.50, kids 12 and under – $7.00 and seniors – $7.50.

Below are some of my personal IMAX favorites.

Icon credits: Smithsonian IMAX theaters

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Post from: The DC Traveler