July 21st

This afternoon started off damp, but all thoughts of the weather were soon forgotten as we spied the tall dorsal fin of a large male orca foraging along the coastline towards us. We had just reached Johnstone strait when we encountered members of the A1, A4, and A5 pods (the A12's, A25's, A23's and A35's). We traveled alongside the group observing them foraging, and listening to their calls via the underwater microphone. After leaving the A pods in Johnstone Strait we continued into Blackfish Sound where we met up with the A11's and the famous orca "Springer" (A73), who made the papers in 2002 when local rescue efforts united the young orphaned orca with her relatives. The homeward journey was completed by an encounter with Houdini, a local humpback, and her calf who showed their tail-flukes off as they dived deep while foraging.