Orca Whales

August 10
Whales - Orca Whales! Heading South on Johnstone Strait there is a bight called Robson Bight, it is a whale preserve. The Orcas frequent the bay to rub against the sand and gravel bottom to rid their bodies of parasites and because, it just feels good. The preserve is closed to motoring vessels and open to kayakers. We see kayakers all up and down the area around Robson and we see a huge pod of 15-20 Orcas's, all sizes including one huge male with a dorsal fin that curves up into the sky like a windy road. We observe them "fishing" they are lined up moving down the coastline. They stop and splash around a bit, but they are definitely on the search for food, salmon or seals are their preferred dinner, but their have also been sightings of orcas's finding a bear or moose crossing the water and attacking and eating them. Mike wants to know if I would like to get out and kayak - no thanks! We stop the engine and they glide very close to the boat and as they dive you wonder where will they come up? And then, this dorsal fin starts to surface, like a submarine's telescope and he is right in front of the boat, his back end must have been under the bow - he is magnificent.

August 11
Planning to get somewhere by boat, in these waters takes some thought. If we leave at a certain time we can catch the right current, but that would put us at the whirlpool at the wrong time, so you adjust. You have to watch the tides, sometimes at a very low tide there is not enough water to leave your anchorage and then on top of all that - you think you have it figured out. You get up at 4:30 AM, slurp down some coffee, gulp down some oatmeal, pull up the anchor and start the engine and go around the island and there is fog! Not your wispy, misty fog your thick pea soup fog - thank goodness for radar. We see a big, moving island on our radar screen, no, beg your pardon it is a huge cruise ship. You have heard of Norwegian and Carnival Cruise Ships - we have no idea what this ship is called, it slipped right by us - let's just call it the Foghorn Cruise, as the shadow moved parallel to us it let out a resounding HHHOOKKK! We have heard this sound before, but usually it is behind us telling us to get out of the way.