August 20, 2006

9 am trip
This morning, we traveled to Salmon Bank where we were greeted by a breaching orca, L-79. The whales were spread out and foraging on salmon. After a brief visit with Skana and a few other whales, we found Mega (L-41) foraging nearby and spent some time viewing the magnificent adult male. It was a spectacular morning.

1 pm trip
We traveled to Stuart Island to catch up with the L-pod whales from the morning trip. We arrived on scene to find the J's and K's traveling south. It was a fine afternoon for whale watching and the whales were in a very social mood. Tail slaps, breaches, and spy hops were common. We also had a great pass with one of our favourite young males, K-21!

5 pm trip
Although each trip we do is special, this evening's trip was definitely a highlight of the season. We started our trip this evening just south of Lime Kiln lighthouse visiting with a large group of what appeared to be K-pod whales. After a brief visit with these whales, we set off north in search of more. We encountered a large group of whales foraging and socializing west of Speiden Island. Words cannot express how amazing this trip was! With so many whales nearby, we were at a loss as to which way to look. The vocalizations and social behaviour was astounding, as members of at least two pods treated us to an amazing swim-by. Spyhopping, logging, tail slaps and pectoral slaps were all exhibited by our southern resident whales. We had some amazing views of a few mother and calf pairs, and an amazing pass by Raggedy (K-40), among many others! This evening really highlighted to our passengers why evening trips can be such a special experience, and it is one which the Orca Spirit crew will never forget. Have a look at more photos below.