What is the premise of this first paragraph, why do people feel like they need to introduce this fluff:

  > "Sitting on the Marine Atlantic ferry, I’m watching the Newfoundland skyline disappear on the horizon as I type away. I see the rocking of the ocean waves, inhale its salty breeze, feel and hear the buzz of the ship’s rumbling engine. I try to focus on writing this sentence, but my eyes hopefully scan the ocean for a rogue, splashing whale."

Nice, you took a boat once and you wanted to see some whales, not what I came here for.