It all started out as a shakedown cruise for the boat and myself with the hopes of maybe getting some scallops. A rare warm March day with overcast skies and calm seas provided two non-diving (for the day) friends Scott and Gene and myself great conditions. After loading and launching the boat, we headed out to the scallop area. I geared up in my (hopefully) drysuit and hopped off the side. Initial visibility during the descent was not great but upon reaching the bottom at 44 fsw I was happy to see that it had improved to about 10 feet. The overcast skies caused very little ambient light to penetrate to my depth but I was seeing scallops and was happy. After collecting scallops for about fifteen minutes, I noticed that it would get markedly darker and then return to the normal light. I attributed this to a passing cloud until I realized that this “cloud” was going way too fast and it kept going over my head.
I stopped, looked around and came face to face with a beluga whale! He was hovering right above me and made no attempt to move once we were looking at each other. I took a few slow breaths and started to ascend in hopes that my boat buddies would be able to see him too. He stayed about one foot away from me the whole time, slowly turning his head side to side to look at me.
Once I reached the surface I yelled to the boat and they were able to start taking pictures. I stayed on the surface next to the boat while he swam around me and let me rub his sides. If I stayed facedown and very still, he would come up and touch our noses together. This lasted close to forty-five minutes. I finally decided to take my chances and move to a better scallop spot. When I exited the water, he sat under my ladder and appeared to be waiting for me to come back in. Despite my desire to join him again, I started the motor and slowly pulled away.
We stopped about a quarter mile away and as I geared up, we talked about what an amazing experience it had been. Apparently, the experience wasn’t over yet. From under boat came the biggest air bubble I have ever seen and our friend was back. He swam circles around the boat until I entered the water and then followed me down to the bottom. I started to collect scallops with him gliding by me on either side or hovering nose down over me. He was very careful not to hurt or bump me with his tail even when I caused our paths to collide. I truly believe that he knew what he was doing and was looking out for me. Watching him swim with such grace and command of his environment left me in awe. No words can ever describe the feeling I had and still have.
After filling up my bag, I returned to the boat with him right by my side. I changed tanks as he waited patiently under the ladder. More pictures were taken and I got back in to continue scalloping. He stayed with me for another twenty minutes and then swam away.
While I never expect to ever have this experience again, I will always hope and dream that on my next scallop dive, my “buddy” will be there.
EPILOGUE: After making some phone calls, I have since discovered that I dove with Poco, a juvenile beluga first seen in Nova Scotia. He stayed around Massachusetts for a while and then headed back North. Sadly his body was found washed up on shore in Maine last Winter. I guess it makes the time we had together even more special.
Scott 12/04