What an exciting day it has been! Just moments after leaving the dock in Alert Bay this morning passengers were viewing orcas. Two groups of orcas who were identified as the C6’s and the G25’s. Both pods were travelling very slowly to the west, heading in the direction of Haddington Island when we left them to view other orcas in Cormorant Passage; the D7’s and the I22’s, possibly C10’s were among them. They were resting and we stayed a distance away which made identifying them more difficult. They had travelled via Pearse Passage taking the back route in behind Cormorant Island while the C6’s and the G25’s had carried on past Alert Bay on Cormorant Island. A Minke Whale was also sighted at this time. Travelling back via the Pearse Islands more orcas were sighted in the distance heading out through Weynton Passage, they were likely some of the I33’s who were heading out at this time. On the late afternoon Motor Cruise the weather had changed as had the movement of orcas in Johnstone Strait. Just as we were leaving the dock in Alder Bay the rain cleared and a most beautiful rainbow emerged arching directly across Johnstone Strait. Orcas were sighted travelling east in Johnstone Strait close along the Hanson Island side, they were moving quickly in the flood current, as were some 200+ Pacific White-sided Dolphins centre Strait, other orcas , the I15’s were heading east as well but closer to the Vancouver Island shore. It was amazing viewing, especially when another glorious rainbow emerged arching again across Johnstone Strait and the dolphins were in the middle with white water moving rapidly above them as they swam, a brilliant blue sky above and the brightness of the rainbow; it was a most remarkable and indelible image to have witnessed, with so many dolphins swimming inside of the rainbow. As we neared the south-east end of the Sophia Islands, the I15’s had crossed over, meeting up with the other G-Clan orcas. It is here that we left them and turing back, the seascape had turned to silver and the image of several female orca fins were etched wonderfully in a cloud formation ahead of us, not unlike those of the I15’s! It was an amazing and very special day of viewing. Also seen today were: Stellar Sea Lions ++Dall’s Porpoises, Harbour Seals, Bald Eagles, Rhinoceros Auklets, Common Murres, Red-necked Phalaropes, California & Herring Gulls.