Atlantic populations of Humpback Whales migrate past the Virginia coast each winter, but I’ve never been fortunate enough to see one of these marvelous animals. Until yesterday.

I’ve been promising myself a whale watching cruise for years, then finding excuses to put it off. Too expensive. Too cold. Too nervous around crowds and boats. Yesterday, a group of friends helped me overcome excuses and nerves.

We met at the Virginia Beach Fishing Center, where we boarded a boat for one of the Virginia Aquarium’s Winter Wildlife Boat Trips.

A short time later… whales!

I don’t know how many whales we saw during our two hour boat ride. Maybe two, maybe six. Maybe more?

I can’t imagine a more thrilling adventure. Treasured friends; a mesmerizing, constantly changing horizon; and these magnificent, mysterious creatures.

Once again, I find myself adrift in happiness. There are no words complex enough to express this joy, no photos real enough. There is only this middle-aged flesh and quickened breath, this tempest of unfocused inspiration. Some quiet day in the future there may be a poem, but for now there is only euphoria.