Active Humpback

This morning SV Tuan spent quite some time scouring the straits for some whale activiy. Along the way we had Dall's porpoises playing with the boat on 2 seperate occasions before finally coming across a Humpback whale. This individual was surfacing right next to shore in fairly shallow water and was blowing bubbles! This is the first time we have ever seen a Humpback whale doing this in this area. This bubble-netting is a feeding technic whereby the animal blows a circle of bubbles around fish, ensuring they don't escape, and then feeds on them. This afternoon we had the good fortune of finding the same Humpback in the same area except this time it was throwing its huge body all over the place. The splashes were enormous! After spending time with the whale as it traveled around the kelpbeds we took off to enjoy the nearby Stellar's sea lions, harbor seals, and bald eagles. While doing so we came across the Humpback whale 2 more times as it traveled around the same area.

Humpback

Transient & Resident Orcas, Humpbacks & Porpoises

We spotted 2 transient Orcas shortly after getting underway on this morning's tour. It is always a surprise to see transients as they pop up in the least expected places at the least expected times. Before we knew it they had made a kill on a harbor seal and were continuing on. We followed for some time before stopping to look at some Stellar sea lions and then out of no where we had Dall's porpoises coming from all directions to play under the bow of the SV Tuan. In total we must have had over 15 porpoises taking turns chasing each other and darting this way and that under us. Not too far away we could see the huge blows of 2 Humpback whales and once with them realized that they were not resident Humpbacks that we know. This afternoon MV Cetacea had sightings of 2 different Humpback whales and the A12 pod of resident Orcas. The vocalizations were beautiful as were the 8 individuals that make up the 4 generations of family in that pod. Today both vessels enjoyed very different tours in the same waters going to show how unique every day and every trip is in this diverse marine environment.
We also saw 2 Caspian Terns today.

T7A and T7 with a seal in her mouth


Sasha the dog enjoying the provided exposure gear and view aboard SV Tuan

Humpbacks

The Humpback whales of Queen Charlotte Strait are beautiful animals. They glide along slowly through the seas often twisting and turning their round bodies showing us their tubercles to their tails. Today SV Tuan had some wondeful encounters with these large animals. This morning we found them in the west and a little while after arriving our most residential resident Humpback whale by the name of Houdini breached right off the bow leaving everyone quite surprised and happy. Her little calf was also nearby and we were able to have a look at it rolling around on the surface and waving its fins in the air. By afternoon we also saw a third Humpback whale that was actually socializing with Houdini and her calf. Other notable encounters of the day were a young Harbor seal pup suckling its mother on the rocks, Sea lions fishing in the current, Dall's and Harbor porpoises swimming with their families, a Bald eagle swimming to shore with a huge fish in its talons and a Parasitic Jaeger flying down the strait.

Houdini


Swimming Eagle

Humpbacks & Orcas

Another blustery day in the strait but again not without whales. This morning we set out to see what we could find and came across 2 beautiful Humpback whales. By afternoon both MV Cetacea and SV Tuan were spending time with a third Humpback whale until we found the A30 pod of Orcas coming in from the open water. This is a family of Orcas we have got to know very well over the years so we were very happy to see them again. The youngest daughter of the matriarch has just had her 2nd calf and it was quite nice to see this little animal swimming along in amongst all the others. We followed them along with the flood tide, staysail set on the Tuan and hydrophones deployed on both vessels before making our way home through the islands.

A38


A54 w/ new calf

Windy whales

A blustery day on the water but warm, sunny, and not without plenty of whales. Our morning began with a few bow-riding Dall's porpoises and then a couple Humpback whales (Houdini and her calf). SV Tuan had the stay sail up for most of the trip and in the wind today it added extra stability and of course the unbeatable feeling of sailing. This afternoon MV Cetacea had quite the trip with the A35 pod of killer whales, and a Humpback whale that seemed to be sailing with its tail hung motionless out of the water for some time facing the northwesterly wind. It also added to the show with a few pectoral fin slaps before getting back to a regular dive routine. After the encounters we cruised through the islands sheltered from the winds and took in the scenery, birdlife, (including a huge group of Black Oystercatchers) Seals, huge Stellar Sea lions, and a family of 5 River Otters.

A35's

Orcas are back!

Another wildlife extravaganza today in Queen Charlotte Strait. The morning began with a Humpback whale in front of Alert Bay, then 2 more (Houdini and her calf) a few miles further north. We then got a report of Orcas heading our way and a short while later were watching them rub on one of their few favorite rubbing beaches. In total we saw well over 20 individuals from most of the A pods. At around the same time we also saw 2 more Humpback whales! We followed along with the Orcas and had some amazing encounters. At one point A11 snagged a salmon next to the SV Tuan while her daughter A56 and great neice A73 aka Springer came in to share it with her. It was good to see this happening. We also spent some nice time with A12, (a 65 year old matriarch) and heard some beautiful whale vocalizations with our hydrophone. The sun began to shine shortly after noon and both MV Cetacea and SV Tuan broke away from the many Orcas to spend some more time with yet another Humpback whale that was lunge feeding. We also sailed and saw some huge Stellar Sea lions, schools of Herring, swarms of Krill, jumping Salmon, Harbor seals, Bald eagles, Dall's porpoises, Bonaparte's gulls, 3 Leach's Storm Petrels, 3 Parasitic Jaegers, 2 Wandering Tattlers, a Least Sandpiper, and a Partridge in a pear tree.

A12


BCX0022 aka Houdini

Acrobatic Humpback whales

Another fabulous day on the water with 7 Humpback whales! The day started off calm and still, so much so that the first Humpback blow of the day was an abrupt but welcome disruption to the peace. At first light this same Humpback was right in front of Alert Bay but by the time we found it again on our first trip it had moved a short distance down Johnstone Strait. This animal is a 6 year old that we know as BCY0057, an offspring of one of our resident Humpback's, Houdini aka BCX0022. After a nice encounter with this large 6 year old we cruised through the islands and observed plenty of Eagles, 6 Black oystercatchers, Harbor Seals, Stellar Sea lions, (1 devouring a huge salmon) and even a coastal Black-tailed Deer licking the salty seaweed at the waters edge. This afternoon both MV Cetacea and SV Tuan were out again and enjoying the marine life. Between the 2 vessels we saw 7 Humpback whales in total, some of which were waving their 15 foot long pectoral fins around in the air, rolling in the kelp, and even breaching right out of the water showing off their immense size and power. Other species seen today were Dall's porpoise, (some bow-riding) Harbor porpoise, and our first Least Sandpiper of the year.

Coastal Black-tailed Deer


BCY0057

More Humpbacks

We started the day off with a Humpback whale just around the corner from our departure points of Alert and Alder Bays and ended the day with 2 Humpback whales just between Alert and Alder Bay. The winds were light to moderate allowing us to sail on both of today's trips and with the whales mentioned above we had some nice company while doing so. The whales seemed to be in good spirits today as they traveled around slowly lifting their huge tails every so often. We noticed large swarms of krill and schools of pilchard in the water today which both make excellent meals for these animals and explain why they are here. The birds, porpoises, and sea lions all seemed to be in a frenzy over all the feed in the water as well. We had a great encounter with about 10 of these Stellar sea lions right where the krill was the thickest and shortly after that enjoyed watching 3 Dall's porpoises as they swam along with us right underneath the bow. We also saw our first Wandering Tattler of the year. Like yesterday and the day before sunny skies, light to moderate winds, and plenty of Humpback whales has been the trend. We expect the resident Orcas to return soon as well.

Warm, sunny, windy

Shortly after leaving Alert Bay this afternoon we came across a single Humpback whale. We cruised along with it westbound before it lifted its tail and disappeared. We looked for it for a while before deciding that we'd set out to see what else we could find knowing that its kind of nice that if a whale doesn't want to be seen it can disappear. Along the way to the east we spotted a couple Dall's porpoises and then put up our stay sail. The wind was blowing pretty good but through the gusts our little white triangle kept us steady before we took it down after a nice sail and headed in towards the small islands and protected channels. It was here that we saw harbor seals, and plenty of Bald eagles including 3 different nests. Once back in Alder Bay we saw quite a few Bonaparte's gulls that are new arrivals for the area this time of year. Another cloudless day in Queen Charlotte and Johnstone straits.

Humpback Whale

Sailing with Humpbacks

This afternoon SV Tuan set out into Queen Charlotte Strait on the look out for any whale activity. The seas were calm, and the sun shining. No sooner had we entered the strait than we found what we were looking for. A large Humpback whale that we didn't recognize as one of our local residents from the markings on the underside of its tail. We spent some time with it before the wind picked up and we hoisted the sails. The northwesterly breeze blew us right down to an area where we found 2 more humpack whales that were foraging. We tacked back and forth near one of the animals as it engulfed huge schools of small fish before the wind picked up even more. On the beam reach home we heeled right over enjoying the wind in the sails, salt spray, gorgeous sunshine, and happy Humpbacks. Other marine mammals seen today were Dall's porpoises and Harbor seals.

Humpback Fluke

Over 120 Orcas!

We refer to days when we have over 100 Orcas in the area as Superpod days. There is no way to predict when this is going to happen or even if it will so it is always a treat when it does. This morning we set out into the fog and as the mist began to clear we started to see Orcas. Only 3 at first, and then all of a sudden there were whales for as far as the eye could see. (The final count was 127 animals) We put down the hydrophone and heard a symphony of whale calls from all 3 vocal clans. All the whales were travelling in small groups and foraging along the way to the east. In amongst all these Orcas we spotted 1 Humpback whale, plenty of Pacific White-sided dolphins, a few Dall's porpoises and about 30 Bald eagles on the way home. This afternoon MV Cetacea and SV Tuan both set out to find the superpod in Robson Bight rubbing on the beaches and socializing. It was quite the sight to see that many whales packed into a small area. They were breaching, spyhopping, tail slapping, rubbing, and vocalizing non-stop. SV Tuan was able to put up the stay sail and sail with them for a bit as they started to make a move back to the west. On top of all this the sun shone all day.

northern resident orca with calf

Humpback Convention

Humpback Convention? May as well have been. When we see Humpback whales we often see 1 or 2, sometimes 3 or even 2 groups of 2, (usually mother's with calves) but today we saw 7 animals in total! 5 of the animals were whales that we know fairly well but 2 of them were new arrivals for this area this year. The weather was gorgeous and for much of the day the lighting was just perfect to spot their blows. Both MV Cetacea and SV Tuan had wonderful encounters with these huge whales and SV Tuan also enjoyed a late afternoon sail with them. Other marine mammals seen today were Dall's porpoises, harbor seals, and a minke whale.

Humpbacks

Whales

MV Cetacea and SV Tuan both departed on afternoon tours today. Each trip saw some amazing sights. The afternoon started off with Orcas foragaing not long after leaving the dock. The vocals were very nice and the calm weather allowed us to hear each whales breath on every surfacing immediatly giving away their presence. It was such a great encounter and with finding them so close to home we decided to continue onwards to see what else we could find. First off we had bow-riding Dall's porpoises, and secondly we found 5 Humpback whales! The strait was so flat calm that we could see and hear their blows from miles away. We floated about amongst them and were lucky enough to have them pop up right next to us at one point showing us just how huge they are. We had a great look at their massive tails as well. During afternoon tea aboard the Tuan we had a second encounter with more playful Dall's porpoises. What a great way to end the trip.

Houdini

Tons of Whales

Sunny, warm, calm, beautiful, and tons of whales! We started the afternoon off with a sail with the whales tour aboard SV Tuan and a motor cruise aboard MV Cetacea. Shortly after the leaving the dock both vessels encountered a group of Dall's porpoise that wanted to play. The water today was calm and clear and one could look down into it and see their entire bodies swimming this way and that. Next on the agenda were the Orcas and we were lucky enough to have 6 pods swimming right towards us. It was the first time this year we have seen the A23 pod and the A25 pod. A51 had a new calf last October and it was great to see that it made it through its first winter. All together we saw over 20 Orcas and the vocalizations were amazing! MV Cetacea wandered off after some great encounters with the Orcas to find 2 Humpback whales in Blackfish Sound, while SV Tuan found a huge Stellar's Sea lion and more Dall's porpoise after their Orca encounters. Both vessels were lucky enough to add a third whale to the daily list when they came across a large Minke whale in front of Alert Bay when we were all just about home.

A56


More Porpoises under the Tuan

Nice Day

Not too long after morning tea was served aboard SV Tuan we came across a huge Humpback whale. This individual is locally known as Stripe or BCZ0004. We had a great look at his great big white tail a few times before his deep dives. The strait was quite calm and his breath lingered in the air giving away his presence after he had dove. We continued onwards, came across a few Dall’s porpoises including a very small calf that was swimming right next to its mother. On the way back we came across Stripe again and more Dall’s porpoise that couldn’t resist coming over to play with the boat. There is nothing quite like looking down into the water and seeing the striking black and white markings of the porpoises as they dart back and forth under the bow. Other species seen were Common Murres, Marbled Murrelets, Rhinoceros Auklets, 1 Cassin’s Auklet, 1 Belted Kingfisher, 1 White-winged Scoter, Surf Scoters, 1 Rufous Hummingbird, Bald Eagles, and Red-necked Phalaropes.

Dall's Porpoises under the SV Tuan

Breaching Humpback & Orcas

A foggy morning made for intruiging scenery while the SV Tuan cruised down the strait towards clearer sunny skies and Orcas. Once near Robson Bight where the Orcas were socializing and rubbing on the beaches we hoisted the sails and dropped the hydrophone. The vocals of the 4 family's of Orcas, over 20 animals altogether was amazing. This afternoon's motor cruise aboard MV Cetacea also had the chance to hear amazing vocals on their hydropone. Not only that but they had great viewing of the Orcas and prime viewing of a breaching humpback whale! Other marine life seen today was Dall's porpoises, harbor seals, bald eagles, red-necked phalaropes, common murres, marbled murrelets, rhinoceros auklets, great blue herons, and kingfishers.

Red-necked Phalarope

Orca, Minke, Porpoises

What a gorgeous day! This afternoon we had 2 tours, one sail with the whales tour aboard SV Tuan and one motor cruise tour aboard MV Cetacea. We couldn't have asked for a better day. The sun was shining and the water calm enough to spot whales from miles away. We headed up towards Blackfish Sound and watched a lone Blackfish (aka Orca) swimming westward. This animal was T14, another transient Orca and quite possibly one of the biggest Orcas we know of. Along the way westbound with T14 we passed by harbour seals, Dall's porpoises, and even a large Minke whale. Guests aboard MV Cetecea got a great look at this enormous Minke whale while guests aboard SV Tuan had a beautiful encounter with 6 to 8 Dall's porpoises cruising along under the boat. Along the way home through the islands we also witnessed a harbour seal chase a huge salmon onto the rocks where a Bald Eagle promptly stooped down to drag it up the rocks further and out of the seal's reach. This eagle was then bombarded by 3 other eagles who squabbled about for some time over rights to the large fish. On top of all this we also saw plenty of other bird-life including hundreds of Red-necked Phalaropes. What a day.

T14


Dall's porpoises under the SV Tuan

Transient Orcas & Humpbacks

This morning's trip was fantastic. The straits were flat calm, a little bit misty and a little bit sunny as well. We had a beautiful encounter with a cow and calf humpback whale. They were surfacing frequently off of our port side and then turned and swam towards us. We had an excellent viewing of the mother's huge tail and were then able to recognize her as Houdini aka BCX0022; one of our resident Humpbacks. About a mile away from us at this time were 2 male transient Orcas that we couldn't identify. We followed them through the open water of central Queen Charlotte Strait as they cruised along slowly. 1 of them had its large dorsal fin bent right over while the other's dorsal fin was a little bit crooked as well. After spending 20 years of encountering all 3 eco-types of killer whales in these waters it was very exciting for us to see these animals here as we may never see them again. On the way back we had a brief encounter with a few Dall's porpoises which seemed like a great way to end the trip. Our second trip of the day proved to be one of those amazing sail with the whales trips that we are famous for. We were underway for some time before catching up with a couple Humpback whales but when we did we hoisted the mainsail, shut down the engine, and sailed gently along with them in the light winds. The very small calf Humpback was playing on the surface for our whole encounter. It would roll around in the water giving us great views of its pectoral fins and tail and while doing so was moving a floating log around like a play toy. The large mother Humpback was nearby also moving around at ease and every so often would lift her huge tail into the air while going on a deep dive. Quite the day. We also saw plenty of birdlife today including 3 Cassin's Auklet chicks.

Transient Orca


Mother & Baby Humpbacks

Lots of Whales

Another overcast, yet mild day with loads of whales! Our sail with the whales tour today began with exactly that. There were 4 pods of Orcas in total and they were all swimming close together and surfacing in unison in typical resting fashion. It was a great way to view these amazing animals as when they are all surfacing together you can gain an appreciation for how family orientated these animals are. We sailed alongside of them all for some time before turning and sailing much of the way home. On todays afternoon trip the same group of 25 or so Orcas had continued on down the strait where they were met by our motor vessel Cetacea. The whale watching was amazing as was the porpoise watching. The Dall's porpoises love to cruise along under the bow of Cetacea and today was a great day to witness it as there were a huge number of them darting this way and that while everyone watched from above. On both trips we also saw plenty of birdlife, including hundreds of Red-necked Phalaropes, and lots of Bald Eagles including a chick on a nest.

Resting Orcas

Lots of whales and sails

Like yesterday, we saw a whole lot of wildlife today despite the wet weather. The day started off with a light to moderate wind and a touch of drizzle but ended up flat calm with a clearing sky. We cruised out into Queen Charlotte Strait and eventually came across 2 Humpback whales. We had a nice look at a calf for some time before its mother surfaced about half a mile away after being on a very long dive. They grouped up and once together began to surface in unison. We watched as they took a few deep dives and lifted both their tails high into the air on their way down. The calf didn't quite look as coordinated as its mother but seemed to be getting the hang of it. A few miles distant we could see the blows and dorsal fins of a whole lot of Orcas so proceeded in that direction while we ate a fine lunch of carrot mint soup, sockeye salmon, and warm bread rolls. Once with the Orcas the sails were hoisted and the hydrophone deployed. Some whales were rubbing on the beach while others were further offshore. In total we saw over 20 animals and they all had a lot to say. The underwater sounds were amazing! We sailed along with them for some time before heading for home. Our traditional devonshire tea was served along the way while meandering amongst the islands as the sun was starting to come out. This special 8 hour trip is the way to go for those who enjoy spending the extra time on the water sailing and watching whales.

A33 & Canadian Coast Guard 508

Humpbacks, Orcas, and Porpoises

We had a pretty nice morning tour despite the wet weather. After departing we encountered various groups of Dall's porpoises. With one group we drifted to a stop and floated there while they swam in circles all around us. The water was calm enough that we could hear their breaths on every surfacing. They dove and after a couple minutes we had no idea where they would come up again until pff, a little calf popped up right beside us. The animal had not quite developed the adult black and white pigmentation and was only a couple feet long which is less than one third the size of the others. It was probably only a few weeks old. It surfaced twice by itself until the others came up nearby and lead it the other way. The next encounter we had was with a huge Humpback whale known as Stripe or BCZ0004. We have come to know this animal fairly well over the last few years as he likes to spend time in the area. We had an amazing look at his huge tail as seen below. On our afternoon tour we had the good fortune of not only seeing Stripe again with other Humpback whales but also Orcas and all at the same time. It was the kind of encounter where you don't know which way to look because there are different types of whales foraging all around. It is certainly a rich marine eco-system out there and we feel privileged to be able to witness it.

Humpback whale today

Fantastic Sightings

On the way towards the Orcas this morning we had an entourage of Dall's porpoises. In total there were about 15 animals weaving in and out of the pressure wave under our bow. At any given second there were porpoises surfacing right next to us and also just under the water a few feet below us. They cruised along with us for so long that we were able to start picking out identifying features on individual animals. Some of them had nicks in their tails, while others had more white on the upper edge of their tail than others. Others had a bit of algae growth here and there. It was an awesome way to start the day. All of a sudden they all disappeared completely, we looked ahead and could see the blows of the Orcas about a mile distant. We approached slowly, hoisted the mainsail, shut down our engine, dropped the hydrophone and in no time were sailing with the whales while listening to their vocalizations. By this time the sun had even started to show itself. The whales continued to vocalize and echo-locate while they swam along all spread out foraging for salmon. We sailed along with them for some time before starting up again and heading for home through the scenic various waterways that make up the southwestern portion of the Broughton archipelago.

Dall's porpoise under SV Tuan

Springer, other Orcas & Humpbacks

On todays afternoon trip there was plenty of wildlife to see. The afternoon started off with light westerly winds and a mixture of sun and cloud. We cruised up to Queen Charlotte Strait where we found a mother and calf Humpback whale and 2 pods of Orcas all spread out foraging for salmon. The Orca we had the best sighting of was Springer aka A73. This little 6 year old whale's mother died a few years ago. She then became lost and emaciated before she was found and relocated to her home waters through a joint effort between Canadian and American vets, techs, biologists, and researchers. She is doing great and now swims with her great aunt's pod (the A11's) but today she approached our vessel to have a closer look at us before getting back to foraging and travelling west with the rest of them. It was a beautiful encounter with a beautiful little whale. On the way home we spotted a third Humpback whale during our afternoon tea which completed our trip nicely.

Humpback whale

What a day!

Another great trip! The warm southeast was blowing all day but with our stay sail up for most of the trip we just cut through the choppy water. We had people aboard from age 8 to age 79 and everyone loved it. Once we arrived to where the Orcas were we followed them into the calm waters of Blackfish Sound. It was here that we turned off the engine and sailed along slowly with them while listening to their vocals on our hydrophone. It was pretty nice. Altogether we saw 13 whales with members from 3 different families. 11 of them were swimming very close together the whole time while 2 were up ahead of the others leading the way towards Queen Charlotte Strait. On the way home while everyone was enjoying afternoon tea with fresh baked scones with jam and whip cream we spotted 6 Bald Eagles, 1 of which was sitting in its nest. We also saw 1 Cassin's Auklet and hundreds of Red-necked Phalaropes. A great trip indeed!

A8's and A35's

Caspian Tern among other things

The Orcas were far to the east and far to the west today but we still found plenty to look at. At some parts of the strait we could see Dall's porpoises for miles. The calm water made it easy to see them in the distance so all day we were spotting them here and there and everywhere. We also were lucky to find a Humpback whale. We watched it surface a few times before it lifted its huge tail and took a long dive never to be seen again. Also worthy of mention was the Caspian Tern we spotted. It is so far the second Caspian Tern we have ever seen in this area and therefore quite the treat for us and our birdwatching guests. Also seen today were Bald Eagles and Red-necked Phalaropes, as well as many species of Alcids and Gulls.

Chatty Orcas

There were many pods of Orcas in the area today but closest to us were the A12's and the A11's; a total of 13 whales. They spent the afternoon foraging and all the while they were chatting back and forth with each other. With our hydrophone down we just drifted quietly listening to their amazing vocalizations. There wasn't much wind but we did hoist our main sail and moved along slowly with them for some time before heading for home. On the way we all enjoyed afternoon tea on deck in the sun. It was a perfect trip, especially for our guests from Spain, 1 of which who's dream to see wild killer whales had come true.

A34 and A80

Humpbacks and Porpoises

It was a great day to be on the water. The bird life was spectacular today. We saw Pigeon Guillemots, Rhinoceros Auklets, Surf Scoters, Marbled Murrelets, Common Murres, Bald Eagles (including a parent in the nest feeding its chick), Kingfishers, gulls, Blue Herons, about 100 Red-necked Phalaropes, and even an Ancient Murrelet (the first one we've seen this year). Throughout the day Dall's porpoises were seen here and there and on one occasion they suddenly popped up right beside us. They cruised along with us for a short time before disappearing as suddenly as they arrived. It was a calm day on the water. So much in fact that we spotted the Humpback whale's blows from miles away. When we finally got closer we recognized the 2 whales as Houdini and her new calf. The sound of their blows was amazing and their breath had the scent that only a whales breath can. On the way home the clouds parted and it began to turn into a warm and bright day which was a perfect way to end our trip.

Orcas & Humpbacks

A beautiful afternoon on the water. We started the trip off with 2 humpback whales. One of these animals is a resident humpback named Houdini that we have got to know very well over the years and the other one was her new calf as of yet un-named. After they fluked and dove out of sight we continued for a few minutes before having a nice encounter with C pod and some of the A5's. There were about 20 Orcas all together (C6's and C10's, and possibly A25's) and it was a treat to see these particular animals again after their absence from this area for over a year. We noticed a couple young whales with the group that may be new calfs. The conditions were just perfect to hoist the staysail so for most of our time watching them we sailed quietly alongside. Picture perfect.

Another gorgeous day on the water

We spent all day on the water with light winds and clear skies. Dall's porpoises were abundant and enjoyed cruising along right underneath us on several different occasions. Its alomost as if they were playing hide and seek with each other as they zipped back and forth under our hull chasing each other around. We spotted a new eaglet in a nest today and also enjoyed a great sail across the top end of Johnstone Strait.

Sail with the birds?

"Sail with the Whales" is our official slogan, (www.sailwiththewhales.com) but today we enjoyed a great sail with the birds. Our trip began in the early afternoon and we soon found out that the resident orcas were unfortunately heading for and nearing the open ocean about 70 miles away. It was such a nice day that it hardly fazed us though. We cruised along amongst the islands in the sun and looked at a couple eagles nests. 1 nest inparticular had a chick in it and we had prime viewing of the mother eagle ripping apart a fish into small peices for the eaglet. At one point the eaglet even stood up on the side of the nest and beat its downy wings. We also saw plenty of Dall's porpoises during the trip and at one point they surfaced right behind us. The wind picked up from about 0 knots to 10-15 knots during the last half of the afternoon and it made for an enjoyable sail home. We hoisted both our main and stay sail and made close to the same speed that we would have gone under power. Theres nothing quite like a good sail on a beautiful day. Today was also the first day of the summer that we have seen any Red-necked Phalaropes. These dainty little birds love to feed on the surface of the water and are more common during August when they come into the area in the thousands on their return from breeding at higher latitudes. It is likely that todays birds were early migrants and the first to head south towards their winter habitat in the southern hemisphere. We also had the good furtune to see a Cassin's Auklet chick, plenty of Rhinoceros Auklet's and a couple of Common Murres.