Humpback whales, dolphins and porpoises, absolutely wonderful!

Humpback Whale: Guardian IMG_7672 IMG_7669 IMG_7566

Humpback Whale: Guardian

What a day we have had in the sunshine with breathtaking hues of blue in the sea and sky; it was incredibly beautiful out on the water today! We enjoyed seeing a large number of bald eagles resting on rocky outcrops while they waited for sea birds to work small fish into bait balls in the flooding current on which they would then grasp from the waters surface. While scanning the area with binoculars a humpback whale was seen briefly on two occasions before it disappeared, we believe that it headed further west. We had a brief visit with dall's porpoises and a small group of pacific white-sided dolphins who came alongside and rode at the bow of our boat a short while. It was fabulous seeing them, they are the first dolphins we have seen while on tour this season. Shortly after, a second humpback whale was seen in the distance in Blackfish Sound while a third surfaced suddenly nearby, taking us all by surprise! The humpback whale we spent our time observing was Guardian, a whale who has been sighted frequently in the area in recent days. The whale was fully intent on feeding, taking 8-9 breathes then diving for some 4-5 minutes. What a dynamic and precious world of nature we are surrounded by! Other species also seen today: black oyster catchers, bald eagles ++ and two eagles each in their nests, rhinoceros auklets, pigeon guillemots, common murres and gull species.

Today's penned comments: A wonderful  tour for us people from Switzerland. When we saw the humpback whale it was a feeling of exhilaration, a great, great feeling! The people on the boat are lovely people and the food was really good. We are happy to come here and have this experience. Ester & Andreas ~ Switzerland

We've had a tremendous good trip on board today! We've seen humpback whales. Just the feeling of knowing they're there is wonderful, but actually seeing them is awesome. The whole trip was beautiful, not just the sights and the wildlife but also the people. Such enthusiasm and really good food as well!! Mark & Winehe ~ Netherlands

IMG_1846 IMG_1829

IMG_1892 IMG_1888

IMG_1858 IMG_1859IMG_1822

Black Oyster Catcher