Kristie gripped the handrail of the little tour boat as it rocked in the Alaskan waves. She tried not to think about her full stomach as she stared into the deep blue of the water below.

An icy breeze brushed against her face, which she was sure was a pale shade of green.

As a particularly large wave splashed against the side of the boat, she squeezed her eyes shut, which only served to enrage her nausea. In that moment, she knew that she had lost the battle.

She leaned over the railing, took a deep breath, and heaved her breakfast over the side of the boat.

Unfortunately, the mess did not reach the ocean.

At that exact moment, Kristie watched in horror as the enormous head of a whale broke the surface of the water below.

Time slowed for a moment as she made eye contact with the giant of the sea. Its brown tinted-eye gazed at her in greeting as it lifted its head above the waves.

Good morning! It seemed to shout at her. What a beautiful day!

But Kristie swore that the creature’s expression changed as the mess she had hurled flew over the railing, dramatically descended towards the waves, and splattered directly into the beautiful brown eye that stared up at her.

If whales are capable of feeling devastation, this one did in that moment.

It gazed up in betrayal at the woman who had vomited into its eyeball.

And then disappeared beneath the waves.

Kristie has had a lot of adventures all over the world. You can read about her experiences in Nepal here.