Wineglass Bay and the Tasman Sea by Catamaran!

Woke up and asked "What’s on for today?"… we checked our schedules… and this day we will be taking a Catamaran to Wineglass Bay.  The hills we see out our room windows are hiding the big Tasman Sea.  We will be going around them and enjoying the views on our way.  This area is known for its Red Granite and it is indeed very pretty.  Maybe that’s why the hills look pinkish/red at sunset… I thought it was just the evening sun.

Saw lots of birds, but the highlight was a sea eagle just sitting on a rock island, surveying the area.  In a couple minutes, we then saw the huge eagle nest… and I do mean huge!  On around the corner, and you could feel the difference in both the wind and the ocean swells… not horrible, but different, a bit more lumpy.  We were greeted in a bit by a pod of about 100 dolphins: eating, playing and enjoying the current put off by the boat.   We slowed for a few minutes just to enjoy them.  We picked up speed and headed to out destination, but not till we checked out the stinky seals.  Seals must poop right there on the rocks they hang out on. It's an awful odor.  (Sea lions, we noticed, don’t smell as much so they must use the water as their toilet, cuz we were up close and personal with them in the Galapagos and they never stunk!).  Anyway, I digress, back to the journey!

Finally headed to the Bay, and it seemed opened to the water at first.  Jer and and I both commented it didn't seem like it would be a nice spot for eating.  But, then, we tucked away in a nice little corner, dropped anchor and had lunch (and a very good one at that!)  We were wondering how the bay got its’ name; it certainly didn’t have the outline of a wineglass.  Found out, this use to be in whaling station in the 1800’s, and as they slaughtered the whales, the bay turned red with the blood of the whales, making that water look like claret wine.  There are no remnants of the station, just a fine, white, silica type sand.  All the sand here is very white… very pretty.

Finished lunch and headed back home.  Arrived at 3 and made the mistake of picking up the book I am reading and got lost in that, then got snoozy, and next thing you know my eyes closed until about 5:30… Where did that last hour go???