Eden, Australia

We docked at 7:30 AM.

The day started as usual. Bob went to breakfast and I answered emails.

Bob and I are feeling a bit weary. We are not used to going seven days a week. Back on board time today is 3 PM. We discussed coming back to the ship, ordering room service and crashing really early. As Bob was coming back to the stateroom, Karen was placing a note in our message center. She asked if we would join her, Dave, Jim and Lynn for dinner tonight at the Chef's Table. We, of course, said yes. Clearly, rest and recovery takes a back seat to fun.

At 9 AM, we headed off ship to meet our excursion. Today's excursion is a Catamaran ride through Twofold Bay. The catamaran was at the end of the pier. We boarded a beautiful catamaran. Dale and Jenni had already boarded. We joined them on the front of the boat.

We had a lovely cruise around Twofold Bay. Although the only wildlife that we saw were cormorants and two White Belly Sea Eagles, the scenery was spectacular.

After returning to the ship, we had a quick lunch before catching the shuttle back into town. We briefly walked down the main street of Eden before heading over to the Whaling Museum.

The skeleton of Eden's most famous whale, Tom, is displayed prominently in the museum. The history of whaling in Twofold Bay is so interesting that I am including the explanation which was displayed above Tom's skeleton.

TWOFOLD BAY'S UNIQUE, WORLD FAMOUS KILLER WHALE PACK LEADER
EDEN RESIDENTS THRONGED TO THE CLIFFS WATCHING WILD
ORCA PACKS HERDING GREAT BLUBBER BEARING BALEEN WHALES
INTO TWOFOLD BAY FOR THE WHALEMEN TO HARPOON AND KILL.
A SPECTACLE OF COOPERATION BETWEEN ORCA AND MAN THAT
WAS UNIQUE IN THE WORLD.
AS LEADER OF THE PACK, TOM WOULD SWIM TO THE WHALING
STATION AT KIAH INLET LEAP OUT OF THE WATER AND SPLASH
ABOUT UNTIL THE WHALERS LAUNCHED A BOAT, THEN LEAD THE
WAY TO WHERE THE WHALE HAD BEEN ROUNDED UP BY THE PACK.
IN HIS IMPATIENCE, TOM SOMETIMES SEIZED A BOAT'S HARPOON LINE
TO SLOW A WHALE DOWN AND EVEN TOWED BOATS HOLDING THE TOW ROPE IN HIS TEETH. OVER THE YEARS HIS TEETH ON THE LEFT SIDE BECAME WORN DOWN TO THE GUMS, ROPE GROOVING BEING CLEARLY VISIBLE.
WHEN THE KILLING WAS OVER. THE CARCASE WOULD BE ANCHORED AND BUOYED, THEN TEMPORARILY LEFT TO THE KILLER WHALES WHO ATE ONLY THE HUGE TONGUE (OFTEN WEIGHING OVER 4 TONNES)AND LIPS. THIS SUITED THE WHALERS WHO WANTED ONLY THE BALEEN AND OIL BEARING BLUBBER. AFTER THEIR 'PAYMENT' THE ORCAS WOULD LEAVE, OFTEN CRUISING FAR OFFSHORE, USING THEIR ECHO LOCATING ABILITY TO FIND MORE SUITABLE WHALE VICTIMS FOR THEIR WHALEMEN 'PARTNERS. THE KILLER WHALE (ORCINUS ORCA)IS THE ONLY WHALE THAT PREYS ON OTHER WARM BLOODED MARINE MAMMALS AS WELL AS FISH.
TOM'S BODY WAS FOUND FLOATING IN THE SOUTHERN ART OF
THE BAY IN SEPTEMBER 1930, AND SOME SAID HE'D COME HOME
TO DIE. NOT A SINGLE KILLER WHALE SHOWED UP THE SEASON FOLLOWING TOM'S DEATH, AND WITHOUT THEIR HELP SHORE-BASED WHALING ALREADY ON THE DECLINE THROUGH SCÁRCITY OF BALEEN WHALES CAME TO AN END.

The Whaling Museum is a wonderful community museum that is well worth a visit should you ever find yourself in Eden.

Jenni and I decided to walk back to the ship from the Whaling museum. Eden and Twofold Bay is absolutely stunning.Read more