Not just another wave
In the Monday morning surf of San Clemente, California, at a spot called Lasuen Beach, Spyros waited for a wave.
On the sandy beach nearby, two girls were playing volleyball, and noticed a large gray shape ominously moving under the water through the surf. Lifeguards stood, watching the shape move into the shallows. Several surfers, noticing the mass which would later be described as being between 15 and 30 feet long, paddled towards shore. Some surfers got completely out of the water.
Spyros, however, was waiting for his wave.
The lifeguards continued to watch, waiting to see what the creature might do. The girls on the beach paused their volleyball game.
Spyros Vamvas was a sixty year old man who had surfed at the beaches of San Clemente since his early years. By trade, he was a therapist, working out of San Clemente. By hobby, he was a surfer. And, on that particular Monday, he was sitting on his surfboard, looking out to sea at the swell on the horizon, waiting for his wave.
Suddenly, the large gray mass surfaced.
It came up directly below Spyros, lifting both man and surfboard out of the water. Spyros looked down at a large California gray whale. He could see barnacles on the whale's back, and the glimmering rubbery skin. Spyros was still seated on his board, his right hand squeezed between the surfboard and the whale's back.
The whale kept moving, carrying both Spyros and surfboard for a distance while the volleyball players and the lifeguards watched in awestruck disbelief. Then, just as abruptly as it had surfaced, the whale submerged.
Spyros was left sitting on his surfboard. The whale, possibly frightened by the whole incident, made a quick turn and raced out to sea.
More Later
Travis
copyright 2004 Travis R. English
source article here:
On the sandy beach nearby, two girls were playing volleyball, and noticed a large gray shape ominously moving under the water through the surf. Lifeguards stood, watching the shape move into the shallows. Several surfers, noticing the mass which would later be described as being between 15 and 30 feet long, paddled towards shore. Some surfers got completely out of the water.
Spyros, however, was waiting for his wave.
The lifeguards continued to watch, waiting to see what the creature might do. The girls on the beach paused their volleyball game.
Spyros Vamvas was a sixty year old man who had surfed at the beaches of San Clemente since his early years. By trade, he was a therapist, working out of San Clemente. By hobby, he was a surfer. And, on that particular Monday, he was sitting on his surfboard, looking out to sea at the swell on the horizon, waiting for his wave.
Suddenly, the large gray mass surfaced.
It came up directly below Spyros, lifting both man and surfboard out of the water. Spyros looked down at a large California gray whale. He could see barnacles on the whale's back, and the glimmering rubbery skin. Spyros was still seated on his board, his right hand squeezed between the surfboard and the whale's back.
The whale kept moving, carrying both Spyros and surfboard for a distance while the volleyball players and the lifeguards watched in awestruck disbelief. Then, just as abruptly as it had surfaced, the whale submerged.
Spyros was left sitting on his surfboard. The whale, possibly frightened by the whole incident, made a quick turn and raced out to sea.
More Later
Travis
copyright 2004 Travis R. English
source article here:
posted by travinator @ 6:03 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home