Goodbye Hotel, goodbye flush toilets, hello base camp!
We pile into the van, with our Kingfisher red kayaking jackets and our yellow dry bags filled with all our layers.
We find Port McNeill, the water taxi dock and Declan our guide.
Next step, we water taxi to the island, loading and unloading leveraging the roof of the boat. Quite a well practiced process for shuttling food and gear and people. Water shoes required!
We get a camp tour, and we settle into our new homes. The tents are each named after the whales of the area. Marc and I are in Argonaut ❤️
And we are off to kayak!
Sea lions! Our first sighting. Quite a gathering of them, playing, frolicking, and generally splashing about.
We stop on a tiny island for lunch.
And then head back towards camp.
And then we hear it. PPPSSHHH
And then we see it, a spout of water.
Whales!!
Humpbacks
We stop paddling and make a raft, holding onto each other while Declan holds us all still against the current - by holding onto bull kelp.
And then a pod of Orca - Killerwhales - Northern Residents. They are known in the area, and their presence is celebrated.
Memorized.
Pure Beautiful Mother Nature.
We are all silently appreciating this magnificent display. And we even see dolphins with the whales.
We learned so much, I can't begin to capture it all. There are 3 clans of the Northern Resident Orcas here - A, G, R. They are fish eaters and prefer Chinook salmon. Their dorsel fins can be as big as 5 feet tall. These whales were affected by capture operations in the 1960's and 1970's and two remain in captivity: Corky, in San Diego and Lolita in Miami. Efforts are underway to return Corky to these waters. The Orcas are aware of their surroundings (eco-location) to catch food and avoid boats.
The humpbacks however are less aware of boats and there have been several accidents involving humpbacks and boats. This waterway is the main route for Alaska cruises. There is a big push locally to significantly reduce the speed limit of boats here, to help save the whales. The good news is, back in 2005 there were only 5 humpback whales spotted in these waters. This year there have been over 100 spotted, named and tracked.
What a first day.
As we dry off and warm up back at camp we find the best viewing point and enjoy the sunshine, the appetizers and yes more whale watching.
Our guides are super knowledgeable. Marine biologists and nature enthusiasts, and not bad chefs either.
The whole group is elated and exhausted and ready for our first night in the tent and another day on the ocean.
Our view, and the most incredible sound of whales breathing and breaching, floats through the night air, all night. A sound we won't easily forget, and we will miss when we leave.
No comments:
Post a Comment