Sharing in the Abundance of the Sea

In limited visibility we set out to explore the surrounding waters of Alert Bay.  All guests were on whale watch and at the same time they soaked in the eerie and mystical scenes of our misty morning. Bald Eagles, Pacific Harbour seals and a glimpse of Dall's porpoise was our introduction to the animals that make this place their home. 

Having received a report of Humpbacks in the area, we went to investigate. At the western end of Swanson Island the fog was even thicker, however it did not take long to hear the blow of a Humpback whale shortly after shutting down the engines. One individual whale surfaced behind us numerous times and on its deep dive, the fluke was not lifted. A second whale was seen in the same vicinity but this one was showing signs of bubble net feeding. A ring of bubbles could easily be seen on the surface of the sea, then suddenly a large jaw with throat pleats expanded came lunging out of the water. Our guests were excited at the sight of this gigantic mouth appearing from the misty depths below. 

By midday the sun was pushing away the sun and a completely different scene was around us. At the same time resident Orcas which had been swimming east on the flood tide had turned  as the ebb tide had begun. A number of family groups had began their journey to the west and stopping to forage along their way. 

It was a splendid day mixed with glorious sunshine, Humpback whales in heavy mist feeding on the richness of the sea, and local resident Orcas, gifting us with their presence as they to maximized the pendulum of ebbs and floods of the earths natural forces.