A whale of a time!

Yesterday's wind flattened the sea on the Atlantic side and offered residents of Kommetjie who happened to look out to sea an uninterrupted view of a pod of 15 or so whales which decided to frolic just off-shore. Although we probably have whales passing by every day as they traverse the oceans, I don't recall seeing more than four at a time, and so to see so many spouts at once was reminiscent of a fountain. They remained all day, moving further out to sea this afternoon but still visible as they breached and blew. Usually they pass by in an hour or so, and it would be interesting to know what is keeping them here.
I have done some research on the sighting and have concluded, whether wrongly or rightly, that they are Bryde's whales, which were first named and recorded in the waters around here back in 1912.  Their blow resembles a tall cloud of about 3 metres and they travel in loose  pods of roughly 15 to 20 individuals when feeding. Their prey is small fish and large shoals of anchovy are often to be found in the bay. They are among the most lively of whales and love to clear the water completely. All of this fits the description of their behaviour. Of course, it was difficult to get photos of worth, but here are a few blows and splashes.