And the Eagle Flies.......

When we set out this morning, it was super foggy, but as we made our way slowly, passengers began to notice the fog clearing as we approached the Stephenson Islands. It was intriguing to see Bald eagles in trees, Black Turnstones at the waters edge and Harbour seals, the mothers and their pups in an array of colourful camouflage, hauled out and resting. It was as though the world had transformed itself, thanks to nature's ever-changing nuances, and it was as though we were in a bubble of mysterious beauty!

The fog was heavy as we continued on our way towards Blackfish Sound, stopping on several occasions to listen for blows. With the day warming and the fog clearing, we were seeing Humpback whale blows in the distance when suddenly, from behind we heard a sound and then saw the large form of a Humpback whale surface and dive nearby. It continued on its way, passing us with a slow dive sequence before fluking and disappearing before our eyes. Breathtaking and at the same time surprising, it was a close encounter of the Humpback whale called Guardian who is often seen in our area in the summer and is identified by her white fluke and very distinctive dorsal fin. Three other Humpback whales were also observed, spread out and feeding in the vicinity. We watched in awe the clearing fog that turned to mist and evaporated at the surface of the water as though by magic.

On the afternoon tour, the fog had dissipated and was replaced by sunshine and glorious sparkling colours as were reflected in the sky, sea, and the islands that we cruised through en route to viewing two Humpback whales. Passengers also had the supreme thrill of having a group of 15-20 Pacific White-sided dolphins followed by three Dall's porpoises bow-riding and swimming alongside our boat as we travelled along.

It was a fabulous day that gifted us beautiful sights and sounds and at the end of one of our tours, a small boy made this comment, "When I saw the whales, it was so gorgeous!"