Calm, Sunshine, Warmth and Whales

Calm, sunshine, warmth and whales – it was a fabulous afternoon on the water.

The mirrored sea made for a comfortable ride which we appreciated after a late report came over the radio of Orca entering into the area. Although we were halfway through our tour, we decided to go in the direction the Orcas were seen which meant turning around and heading out towards Queen Charlotte Strait. A vessel had spotted the whales near Foster Island and kindly gave us directions as to their location and direction of travel. It did not take long for us to spot the black dorsal fins and faint breath ascending up from the glassy sea. The group was made up of several whales, a mum and calf in the mix traveling side by side, a bond which will never be broken. Resident Orcas spend their entire lives together within a matriarchal society; the oldest female guiding the family group.

The whales were delightfully vocal. With our underwater microphone down, connected to a broadcasting speaker, we felt as though we were listening to a symphony of sound as the whales communicated to eachother and used their sonar to navigate and locate food. As they surfaced and released their gentle breath, that to added to the rich repertoire of nature’s choir.

Once again we are blessed with the constant company of Humpback whales. The earlier individuals were sighted back in late May and as the summer progresses we will see them multiply in numbers as the food also multiplies. How blessed we are to live, adventure and explore in an area so rich in marine mammals and ocean nutrients.

There were many moments today where we drifted in silence, the engine off and all we could hear was the heartbeat of nature in its many forms. From the squawking Rhinoceros Auklets to the thunderous sound of the 30 ton baleen Humpback whale surfacing to breath truly took our own breaths away.

We are so grateful to have visitors from within Canada willing and wanting to explore their own backyard and be mesmerized by the beauty and splendor of this Northern Vancouver region.