I could talk about the tax havens and shelters of Gibraltar- or of its military importance because of its strategic location at the mouth of the Mediterranean, but for us, especially Nancy, it is all about the dolphins and whales you can see off the coasts of Gibraltar.
As an interesting aside, one of our guides told us that the marine group we watched off the coast includes dolphins, whales, and porpoises, but NOT seals and walruses. Naturally, we wanted to know what was the difference?
“Well,” he said, “walrus and seals come onto land to give birth to their young. Dolphins, whales, and porpoises never come to shore. They spend their entire life in the water. It’s one of those little facts that will make you seem outstandingly intelligent if you mention it in conversation.”
We hope you are duly impressed...
Another little fact he dropped on us puts whale-watching in a whole new perspective. Most people agree whales are large, but how large is that?
In some cases, he said, they may grow to be 120ft long- that’s nearly half a football field in length, and may weigh up to 190 tons. In comparison, the Boeing B747 airliner weighs 150 tons (300,000 pounds!) when empty.
As an interesting aside, one of our guides told us that the marine group we watched off the coast includes dolphins, whales, and porpoises, but NOT seals and walruses. Naturally, we wanted to know what was the difference?
“Well,” he said, “walrus and seals come onto land to give birth to their young. Dolphins, whales, and porpoises never come to shore. They spend their entire life in the water. It’s one of those little facts that will make you seem outstandingly intelligent if you mention it in conversation.”
We hope you are duly impressed...
Another little fact he dropped on us puts whale-watching in a whole new perspective. Most people agree whales are large, but how large is that?
In some cases, he said, they may grow to be 120ft long- that’s nearly half a football field in length, and may weigh up to 190 tons. In comparison, the Boeing B747 airliner weighs 150 tons (300,000 pounds!) when empty.
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