Gentle Giants

The marine layer which has been constant over the last few days took much longer to burn away. We started our tour with a ceiling of cloud and little sunshine. By the second half, the surrounding area was lit up brightly by a warm and generous sun.

As we approached the islets and rocks of the Stephenson’s the high tide had covered most of the low lying reefs. Harbour seals were only seen in the water, as their napping platform had been taken away by the high water. The current was rushing fiercely through the narrow channels, as we approached maximum flood.

The first Humpback we saw foraged in Blackfish Sound then made its way through a narrow passage amongst the Plumper Islands. It had either found small schooling fish to feed on or it was playing in the current as various body parts came out of the water including the fluke and large rostrum (jaw and head).

The second Humpback was also situated in fast moving water and utilized the current to search for food. When it surfaced you could easily make out the tubercles, which are bumps situated on the head of the Humpback. Hair follicles actually grow out of these bumps that can be up to the size of your fist. As the whale surfaced in the stillness of the air, the breath reached up high towards to the sky and lingered.

The main specie of bird we witnessed today was our local Rhinoceros Auklet. Dall’s porpoise swam amongst the Humpback, a few Stellar Sea lions were sighted and on the way home a Sea Otter was encountered. It was first noticed swimming on its back, turning and diving, then back up to the surface with its belly pointing skyward. A delightful surprise at the end of a fabulous tour.