Whale of a Tale

Oh my goodness. I don't think I'm a good enough writer to capture the feeling of having a 5-ton animal less than 15 feet from me and bearing down hard, then quickly, and playfully, diving underwater and dashing under my boat before it swims off to meet the rest of its pod. And I was so stunned, overwhelmed, and in awe that I just sat and took it in (while making lots of 'oh my goodness there's a killer whale RIGHT THERE noises) rather than reaching for my camera.
I did get some video shots at other times though.





We dubbed the squeals and laughter and "whaa??" as "Orcasms." Yes, we're very clever.

We stayed on a small island on the Johnstone Strait off the north-eastern coast of Vancouver Island. The island was gorgeous -- this is the view from my tent.


First day on the water -- within about 2 minutes of getting on the boats.

Lovely evenings.



They're just right there!
The trip felt like one of those times when I was able to be completely present and appreciate where I was. It wasn't all roses, but what a remarkable experience.