Hunting by Circumnavigation
How wonderful it is to work in an industry where each whale watching company, no matter whether they are in competition with eachother or not, supports one another when out on the water. Just like the way we were raised, we share.
Having picked up all our passengers from both Alder Bay and Alert Bay we set out in search of wildlife. An announcement came over the radio reporting a sighting of Biggs, (Transient Orca), but it sounded as though they were moving west and were already a long way away. Thankfully a kind boat operator called up the MV Seasmoke to share the news that the whales had stalled and seemed to be slowing down and moving into hunting mode. By the time we reached them they were tucked right up against the Foster Island shore, an island situated on the boundary of where Blackfish Sound meets Queen Charlotte Strait.
At least four or five individuals surfaced, only feet away from the shore. They ducked in to bays likely looking for Harbour seals, and continued on their search, moving amongst the kelp and staying close together. A surprise breach occurred from one of the younger whales and an occasional spyhop gave us the chance to see the bright white of their under side. The mirrored sea made for easy viewing unlike the waves from yesterday. We stayed with the whales for two rotations around Foster Island then went on our way in search of other natural wonders.
As we journeyed back towards Blackfish Sound we had an encounter with two Steller Sea lions who swam on by, their tan coloured bodies glistened in the sun. Foraging Humpbacks dove deep and gave us a wonderful view of their broad and powerful tails. Thousands of birds sat on the calm ocean, either waiting for a bait ball to show up or perhaps resting after a recent feeding frenzy. We took one narrow pass through a picturesque channel, which displayed the racing current which moved our boat with ease.
It was a delightful afternoon sharing all the wild wonders of this region with our guests from Italy, Belgium, America and the Netherlands.
