Never Mind the Rain

How lovely it was to see moisture in the air and on the earth after the rain which fell throughout the night. One could almost hear a sigh of relief because water is life and we were in need of it.

The rivers in which the salmon spawn need enough water, a suitable flow and the perfect temperature in order for them to lay their eggs successfully. Although salmon can lay thousands of eggs, these eggs can easily be swept down stream by a flood, or simply die because the water level is too low and too warm. It is a delicate balance, one that so many animals rely, since salmon are a keystone specie.

This afternoon we set off in a gentle drizzle that stopped and started throughout the tour. It was a dolphin day with a light grey sea and sky as our backdrop and foreground. And dolphins we did indeed see, in fact the largest dolphin was sighted today, aka Orcinus Orca.

The two pods belonging to A Clan, A61 and A11’s were silently traveling east in Johnstone Strait. We came upon them shortly after departing from Alder Bay with our final guests. You can imagine the excitement seeing whales so soon into our tour. With the hydrophone down not a single vocal could be heard. It was as though they were on a mission, trying to get from A to B, no socializing, just moving through the water, slightly spread out and in unison.

The Humpbacks we saw today foraged, tails raised as they dove deep and circled in the vicinity of the whale research station Orcalab. At least 15 Stellar lions have now gathered on the rocks, just below the Bald Eagles nest and that number will increase daily as August leads into September.

With the fog enveloping the forested islands, the gentle pitter-patter of rain and then occasional ray of sunshine that pushed its way through the tiny caps within the clouds, we felt serene and tranquil. The quietness surrounded us and the only break from the quiet was a breath from a whale, a grunt from a sea lion and the call from our local bird life. A beautiful day never mind the rain.