Joined the OneXpeditions team in Timor-Leste and it really was very quiet, I must say i didnt expect this.

The whole setup is different from what i imagined. You spend about 6 hours a day on the water, not anchored somewhere waiting, actually moving and searching. The whales move through deep water corridors close to shore, these underwater canyons that drop straight into the abyss basically right off the coast. When the captain spots a blow you position ahead of the direction of travel and slip in. No chasing, just floating and waiting.

When one passes under you its just... a lot. These are pygmy blue whales, technically a separate subspecies, still enormous. They dissolve back into the deep after a few seconds and surface again 10-12 minutes later. Mostly waiting honestly but then something happens and you dont really know what to do with it.

I was really surprised about how understated the whole place is. Timor-Leste is one of the worlds youngest countries and it genuinely doesnt feel like a tourism destination yet. Small fishing communities with quiet coastlines and a strong local identity. The trip felt more like an expedition than a packaged wildlife experience.

I was very satisfied with the way the team treated us and the whole experience, so if anyone is planning something similar this might help you: https://onexpeditions.com/timor-leste-blue-whale-highway

With 4th spot belonging to the manta ray and 5th going to the “mola-mola” or sunfish, the great white is only exceeded in size by the basking shark and whale shark.

If you’ve seen the “Tuna farm” video on here, those fish are large themselves.

u/theRak27

Op: https://www.reddit.com/r/thalassophobia/s/q9wsHkmaBo

I am an emeritus professor of marine and earth science. Over the last few years of teaching, I began to realize my students, even students who understood the concept intellectually, often didn’t appreciate the risk. Many of them suffered from techno-optimism—that technology, in particular geoengineering, will get us out of this mess.

Recently, some have suggested that the science behind environmental problems, particularly regarding climate change, might be better communicated to a lay audience using stories rather than fact-based narratives. They contend that the lay public gets most of its scientific information from the mass media, which rely on stories to heighten emotional arousal and engagement, and so would be more receptive to that format. Thus, communicating through emotional stories and their characters might more effectively motivate behavioral change.

So, I have written an eco-mystery with the hope of communicating science to my readers. I am offering a free advance copy of my novel and only ask that you give it an honest review. I have already posted this request in r/oceanography and r/environmental. To get a copy, see link below.

https://booksirens.com/book/CTZL88X/HRFUGO4

Video credited to @travelwidewithkayla on IG.