Whale watching: “Do you see what I see? (And more importantly, is it a whale?)”

National

Whales

Opinion

Thomas Mitchell Culture reporter September 13, 2025 — 7.00pm

The reception desk at the charming coastal hotel, which would be my home for the next few days, was working overtime to ensure I knew how charming and coastal it was. A wooden surfboard adorned the wall, book-ended by two vintage-style surf posters, the kind you might find on Etsy when you type in, vintage style surf posters . Everywhere you looked, parts of the sea had been repurposed for design: a giant clamshell bowl full of brochures, a piece of coral from which nautical-themed earrings hung, available for purchase.

Behind the desk, an unseasonably bronzed man whose name tag read Carlos was busy checking in guests. As with most of the hotel’s furniture, Carlos appeared lightly distressed