Magnificent and memorable Humpback Whale viewing!
We were not discouraged by the heavy fog this morning as we departed from the Bay. The trip began with a nice viewing and some brief bow riding from a small group of Dall's Porpoises, it was exciting for all of us to see, especially for the children on board today. Continuing on our way, we would see them surface and glimpse the white on their dorsal fins, seeing them often throughout the tour. We travelled through island waterways in search of humpback whales, encountering some Pacific Harbour Seals hauled out on small islands and rocky outcrops, including a mother and her pup! Bald Eagles were flying about and could be seen sitting high on tree tops and branches, Black Oyster Catchers and Black Turnstones were also seen as we made our way through the islands.
Nearing Blackney Passage, far off into the fog we were able to see hundreds++, of diving birds, mostly Rhinoceros Auklets and Common Murres and some Marbled Murrelets and Cassin's Auklets were also among them, a hint that there may also be Humpback Whales in the area, as these birds were definitely gathering near their food source. Sure enough, we caught sight of a dorsal fin in the distance and had a wonderful viewing of a Humpback Whale. The whale surfaced in the bull kelp at one point which was a fantastic sight to see, the kelp was lifted up and then back down it went when the whale passed on! We heard the blow of another whale and caught sight of its magnificent tail just before it disappeared from sight. As the sun shone brighter the fog began to burn off enabling us to see some Coast Range Mountain peaks peeping out from beneath a blanket of fog as though they were castles in the sky! Returning home through Johnstone Strait it was gorgeous out there today, vivid colours of blues and green showcased some beautiful views of the islands and landscape. It is fantastic to think how even on the foggiest of mornings, we can still have a memorable visit and viewing with nature.
Today's penned comment: We took our Grandsons Hayden and Liam on this trip to see some whales. We saw two Humpback Whales and some Dall's Porpoises. In addition, Hayden got great pictures! Liam loved being Captain and steering the boat! Our host (David) and Hostesses (Maureen and Sarah) were most accommodating and making the trip nothing but wonderful! Deb, Martin, Hayden and Liam ~ French Creek, BC
We started with fog and then we saw Dall's Porpoises swimming next to the boat and playing a little but later we saw some Humpback Whales and it was gorgeous to see them. We missed a photo unfortunately of the tail! The tour is very good, organized and it was a lot of fun to go on a sailing ship. Ria and Hans ~ Holland
I saw whales for the first time in my life - amazing! Thanks for the delicious muffins and scones. Fran ~ Denmark
Beautiful day in the fog, even though we couldn't see the mountains...the light was beautiful. Thanks for everything. Sarah, Alert Bay, BC