Binoculars

You are on the ocean and you see some whales and you want to look at them closer. What do you do if you don’t have your camera or phone with you?

Typical ones

Here is a pair of typical binoculars that I have

These are just a bit too big for my bag.

I carry

The ones that I carry look like this

They are sort of like opera glasses.  In a way, maybe it is just my thinking.  But it has a pop-down lens and it is small and compact. It fits nicely in a zipper pocket. Not taking up a lot of space. 

Not the best

Yes, the bigger ones have a big advantage over the smaller ones. But in a pinch, the small ones work. My iPhone has a pretty good zoom. But it is always nice to have a pair.