Close reaching in 12 to 18 knots with a strong current in my favor took me through Watch Hill Passage doing as much as 7 1/2 knots over the ground. Once I cleared Watch Hill I could see my destination on the horizon, Block Island, through a slight haze. 14 NM left to go. About a mile and a half outside Watch Hill the rips and eddies dissipate and I walked forward while the Monitor tended the helm. I was only on the bowsprit for a couple minutes when I spotted a turtle just surfacing no more than 50 feet dead ahead. I turned to return to the helm but he realized something was headed his way. He took an audible gulp of air and headed for the depths. I watched as he and the boat safely passed one another by a couple yards. He was a Leatherback turtle and easily six feet long, maybe a little more. I've seen them a few times but each time is a treat. They are prehistoric monster looking creatures. Magnificent to observe so closely, even if only momentarily.
Apparently this was my lucky day. When I was six and a half miles from the entrance to Great Salt Pond I was fortunate enough to observe a Sperm whale as it rose to the surface, took a couple breaths of air, and dove back to the depths. This all occurred no more than 150 feet off my port bow. I let all my sheets fly to reduce speed, ran below for my camera and waited for several minutes but it seems he was alone. I hardened the sheets back up and kept on to my destination. I'd seen the distinctive spouts of Sperm whales a couple times but never actually observed one in close proximity. The ridges on their backs, crenulations, are easily identifiable, and they are a deep grey color. I was quite stunned. It was a visit I will not soon forget.
When I arrived at Block I pulled alongside the harbor masters launch and mentioned what I'd seen. I just had to tell someone. He said that someone had arrived the day before and also claimed to have seen a Sperm whale a few miles from the island. That really surprised me and also gave me the assurance that my identification was correct. Today was a real treat.
