Summer Daze

Look Who's Cozied Up in the Cove!

The whale watch trips keep flying by every Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  I am continually amazed that I call this "work" as it is far from the job I used to do as a teacher in public schools, but no doubt about it...it qualifies as a job: marine educator.  Oh, and we joke about the rest of it....snack bar girl, coffee barista, first aide responder, safety monitor, entertainer, line handler, wildlife spotter, boat crew, window washer, storyteller and island ambassador.

Each day is a new adventure.  Capt. Pete checks all our sources, figures out where the whales are or will be, then we get our passengers aboard, (make up to 32 new friends), and
 away from the dock we go, never knowing  exactly what we will find, but confident that it will be an awesome trip!  These busy summer days that means, two trips a day...with lots to see and experience!

Whale Hi-Five

Here's a member of our Southern Resident Orca pod giving us a pec fin wave.  The large pectoral fins resemble large rounded paddles, but the bones inside show five jointed "fingers!"

Belly Chin Roll

Here's a look at a beautiful white underside.  The corkscrew roll maneuver looks so graceful.













This adult Bald eages stand in good viewing places looking for the next meal and keeping an eye on the chicks.

What are you doing down there?

Harbor Sseal Honeymooners

The Harbor seals are right in the middle of pupping season and pups are everywhere!  It looks like these two are taking a little break from it all.  

 This day we find J pod traveling north way up in Canada, headed for a little waterway between the Canadian Gulf Islands, known as Active Pass.  The current really runs swiftly through here....and so do the Canadian ferries, and today, 7 whale watch boats...along with 25 - 30 Orca whales!

Tail Fall

There is no doubt about it, the whole family group is going to go all the way through the pass, but there is still time for diversion.  Tail slaps create their own waterfalls!  One whale spy hops to have a good look around.  Some of the especially large males, think 27 feet long and 8 tons, hug the shoreline.  How close can you go???



                                       

I Spy...I Hop!

Here Blackberry, J-27 and younger sibling cruise in the Strait of Georgia together.  Such perfect syncronization.  It's a graceful dance they do together, in perfect time and position.

J Pod Family Council

All in a row....there they go...

How could I forget.  Did I say...part of the pleasure of the job is to snap photos?  Later at home, the images of the day float across my "mind screen."  They float across the computer screen too, and when possible, I add a post to the company website blog:  http://orcawhalewatch.com/whale_watching_blog/

or send a few photos to guests who have requested them.  

My days seem charmed.  Happy Whales to you...'till we meet again.