Today has to be one of the most exciting days of the season. While the orcas were away in the far eastern section of Johnstone Strait and also to the far north, the humpback whale and other smaller cetacean sightings were quite wonderful. Passengers on S.V. Tuan this morning enjoyed viewing a humpback whale as it foraged back and forth in the area of Weynton Passage. It was quiet on the water and the sounds of the blows could be heard a distance away. It is possible that two humpback whales were seen on this tour. Of great interest was the sighting of a dall’s porpoise and her calf. Another humpback whale was sighted off Yellow Bluff in Alert Bay this morning enabling residents and visitors to the island to see it from shore. On the afternoon motor cruise, with a heavy flood current, life was well and truly in motion in Weynton Passage. A humpback whale was sighted early in the tour and as the water eddies swirled around, numerous pacific white-sided dolphins could be seen feeding. As the boat traveled along, bow-riding dolphins were everywhere, they were astonishing to watch. Another humpback whale was sighted, a stellar sea lion was observed eating a fish, the dolphins were again riding at the bow and among them were two dall’s porpoises. Watching the two humpback whales, their blows a distant apart with their arching bodies taking deep dives, it is possible a third one might also have been present. And while it rained for most of the tour, with rain drops falling like diamonds into the ocean and the backdrop of Vancouver Island, re-appearing through the curtain of rising mist; the elements of nature seemed even more vibrant and beautiful than ever. Other sightings throughout the day were: Harbor Seals, Rhinoceros Auklets, Red-necked Phalaropes, California Gulls and Bald Eagles.