Are You Too Connected?

For most sailors it used to be that part of the attraction of getting out on the water was to escape the rat race and all its trappings, such as phones, faxes, computers and buzz-killing news broadcasts. But in the current era of 24/7 connectedness, some sailors seem to have forgotten how wonderful it is to pull the plug and give 100% of your attention to your watery surroundings.

As this photo clearly illustrates, obsession with modern technology has the potential to rob us of outstanding experiences. As reported on ABC News recently, pro photographer Eric Smith was on a whale watching cruise out of Redondo Beach when he snapped this shot — and several others — of a man so transfixed by his cell phone that he completely missed the sight of a full-grown humpback whale passing "two feet" from his boat, according to Smith.