Humpback whales, a Minke whale, Pacific White-sided dolphins and so much more!
September 19th
Today's Sightings:
Humpback whales, a Minke Whale, Dall's porpoise, Pacific White-sided dolphins, Stellar sea lions, Harbour seals, Bald Eagles, Red Necked Phalaropes, Ancient Murrelets, Rhinoceros Auklets, Gull species, Belted Kingfishers, Great Blue Heron and Common Murres.
A Minke whale and at least fifty Pacific White-sided dolphins was the opening act on our tour this morning. The dolphins were on a mission, passing our boat at full speed, perhaps in pursuit of a tasty school of fish.
The ocean currents were running at full speed, turning a tranquil sea into a raging river, churning food from the ocean floor and bringing it to the surface, providing nutrients for the eagerly awaiting birds.
The weather once again offered mirrored seas and a welcomed mix of sun and cloud which created the perfect setting for our guests to witness the beauty in their surroundings. They marvelled at the clear water and enjoyed seeing through the emerald green looking glass at the wonders of kelp forests, schools of abundant fish and the intertidal wonders.
The Humpbacks stole the show again today and it was a privilege to watch them for over an hour. Our skipper described the waters as 'Humpback Soup' because blows could be seen from all around with over 30 Humpback whales in total. Skippers who have been operating in these waters for many years, remarked on how they have never seen so many Humpback whales. While engines were shut down and we drifted in silence, the whales carried on with their means for survival and feasted on the nutrients in the form of small schooling fish kindly offered by the sea. Trap and lunge feeding was observed and amongst the whales were some we recognised including Back Pearl, Freckles and Slash.
It was absolutely and utterly Magical out on tour today!
Seasmoke Whale Watching photo's have been taken by Dave Jones using a telephoto lens and have been cropped.