The weather was clear and sunny yesterday morning, so we decided to book a whale watching tour for noon. (Not our usual kind of thing, but the companies in Campbell River have all turned into ecologically-minded conservation groups; also, orcas.) We stopped by Seal Bay Nature Park on the way — we found no seals, but we did hear a mesmerizing bird call that turned out to be coming from a tiny Swainson's Thrush sitting on a nearby branch. [pic below]
We grabbed lunch and arrived at the dock just in time to struggle into our big red safety floating snowsuits and nab good seats near the front of the zodiac, behind a cute little girl and in front of a group of solemnly inquisitive Germans ("Where do they... get... the babies?"). We bounced across the waves at top speed for about 30 km heading north along the shore, then turned east into a channel between two high hills and slowed down to look for the orcas that had been reported nearby.
Eventually, our young captain and guide spotted them ahead — a pod of four or five, one big male with a long dorsal fin and some smaller females or juveniles. They were moving so slowly they almost looked to be in slow motion, gracefully making their way against the current. Our boat and two others stayed with them for a while, keeping a good amount of distance and limiting engine use; even though they were the whole point of the tour and we were some ways away, it was still thrilling to see them.
From there, the route took us down a few sets of mildly terrifying but exhilarating rapids, between the spectacular cliffs and fjords and around a few more corners to a small island where bald eagles congregate in the hundreds to snatch the hake fish that, for some reason, often die in the nearby rapids. Around another corner we saw a group of seals hanging out on some rocks, curiously watching us float by.
When we made it back to the main shipping channel, we came across some humpback whales, at first just spotting their blows, then seeing them barely break the surface of the water, and then finally getting a good tail display from the last one before it dove back down under.
Jubilant and a bit fatigued from all the excitement of the boat ride, we ate tasty fish & chips and then drove back home.
Yay, whales!
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