Orca Surprise

The arrival of the warm sun, clear skies and zero wind also brings the fog. For the last two mornings we have set out in limited visibility and by the end of the first tour, the warmth of the sun burns it away. When the fog is thick its important for us to adjust our senses and rely more on our hearing. A humpback blow can be heard from at least two miles away particularly if there are no obstacles in between. The haunting breath captures our attention and with the engine turned off we drift on a glassy sea, the current taking us where it may.

It was a Dall’s porpoise morning as many pods were seen in the area’s we traveled. Their triangular dorsal fin broke the water first as they surfaced, followed by the unique hump right before their tail. A Stellar sea lion gave us a splendid view of what it does with its dinner. With a salmon secured tightly by its teeth, the sea lion tenderized it by flapping it hard on the oceans surface.

By mid afternoon the fog had dissipated and we were gifted with sunshine. While viewing a Humpback in Blackfish Sound we suddenly noticed tall black dorsal fins rising up as group of approximate 15 to 20 Orca’s surprised us. It is always a good feeling when we are the boat that finds them but in reality is was them who found us.

They traveled in an easterly direction at times together then they separated into their matriarchal pods; the A30’s, A23’s and the A25’s. They share the same dialect and belong to the A Clan which has completely different sounds and calls than the other language groups. With the hydrophone down we listened to them communicate. We can not help but wonder what each calls means, and what they are actually communicating to eachother.

With the sun beaming down and the ocean glistening like diamonds, we headed for home after a full day of nature, of wildlife and great company.