Marauder IV, Cptn. Steve Scott and L-pod male

Click on Image for full size view. This photo was taken facing South, in Gordon's bay near Sooke, when L pod was on it's way back in from one of those trips to Salmon bank on the West coast. Captain Steve Scott is standing on Marauder IV's new command bridge after I tricked him into going up to check on an antenna. Thanks Steve -- it gave the shot a little something extra.

Humpback & FasTide

Click image for full size view. August 10, 2007: About 3 NM East of Race Rocks ecological reserve this humpback whale (thought to be BCX0746) surfaced exactly where I was hoping it might. Note the fluke markings which are used to identify individuals. Vessel is FasTide, a Titan 249 RIB with twin Yamaha 225 hp four strokes and driver is Jeff.

Superpod & Golden Eye

Click image for full size view. During this evening trip to the west coast of San Juan Island we were literally swarmed by all three pods, 87 whales! The animals were in an excitable mood, witnessed by this boatload aboard Golden Eye who screamed in delight when this large male surfaced behind them. The orca reacted immediately to the passenger's screams by turning around and paying a very, very close visit. Often the orca do react to people aboard the whale watching boats - but it's just not predictable and the idea is to provide an impact-free experience.

Bald eagle & StrongTide

Click image for full size view. Race Rocks ecological reserve is a dramatic, dynamic and beautiful place where each visit is different from the rest. Bald eagles frequent the rocks during the summer looking for small fish and this one actually stole one right out of the mouth of a harbour seal.

Bald eagle & StrongTide con'td

Click on image for full size view. In this, the second of  ten frames, the eagle leaves the water's surface without the fish he had grabbed from a seal in the water. Also called "sea eagles" The Bald Eagle prefers habitats near seacoasts, rivers, large lakes, and other large bodies of open water with an abundance of fish. Studies have shown a preference for bodies of water with a circumference greater than 11 km (7 miles), and lakes with an area greater than 10 km² (3.8 square miles) are optimal for breeding bald eagles.

More eagle and StrongTide

Click to view full size image. The Bald Eagle is a powerful flier, and soars on thermal convection currents. It reaches speeds of 56–70 km/h (35–44 miles per hour) when gliding and flapping, and about 48 km/h (30 mph) while carrying fish.

J's & M4 west of Trial

Click image to view full size. Look closely at the full size image and the whales that are close to breaking the surface. They are quite a few inches above the water level, yet the surface itself has not been pierced. It looks like they are surfacing through cling-film. Another shot that gives you something you wouldn't "see" with your eyes (with your brain more accurately), in realtime.

male-jpod.jpg

Click to view full size. Marauder 4 with J pod male (J 27, or, "Blackberry") in foreground. Taken near Trial Island as J pod returned from West coast Vancouver Island making their way back to west coast of San Juan island.

kayaker group with orca

Click image for full size view. These kayakers aren't commercial whale watchers but it's a photo I wanted to include somewhere. Check out how close they are to this adult orca. No danger to the people, but such proximity does have an impact on the animals. West coast San Juan Island near Andrews bay.

More fog in Race pass

Click image for full size view. Fog was rolling in quickly from the West while entire J pod funneled through Race Passage from the North. With ebb tide helping animals along I clocked orca porpoising through the pass at 15 Knots. Orca top speed is approx. 30 Knots. Vessel in background is "Orca Spirit".

Emerald Moon & humpback

Click image for full size view. "Emerald Moon" is run by Emerald Seas Adventures and is an excellent whale watching RIB. Love the green tubes and centre positioned helm. Near Rosedale Reef, Race Rocks lighthouse and ecological reserve.

porpoising through Race pass

Click image for full size view. Just before a thick patch of Fog rolled through this frame was shot in Race Passage looking South Southeast. Animals are Southern Resident, J pod. Vessel pictured is Great Pacific Adventures RIB, "Kodiak".

Fog rolls in

Click image to view full size. Taken a few moments after previous image, fog has now rolled in and J pod male (Southern Resident population) moved closer to RIB, "Osprey". Fog is frequent in this area, near Race Rocks in Race pass, occuring on an average 45 days of the year.

Kayaker close with male orca

Click image for full size view. Curiosity gets the better of the best of us. At the time of this photo such proximity was legal, though frowned upon and certainly not something professional whale watchers would do. My first orca encounter was similar to this kayaker's; I paddled straight out in to the middle of a group of transients in Homfrey channel, not realizing until they surrounded me that I was probably somewhere I shouldn't have been. They are just to amazing to resist sometimes.

"Orca Spirit" andSuperpod

Click image for full size view. "Orca Spirit" was, until summer 2007, the flagship of the whale watching company Orca Spirit. Seen here off the Victoria waterfront the owner and skipper at the time, John, is watching over 80 orca swim past the city on a flat calm, magical day.

Wahoo and a spyhop

Click image for full size view. Ocean Exploration's RIB "Wahoo" repositions while an L pod orca spyhops. This is a common behaviour for orca and is probably their way of whale watcher watching.

very-close-colin.jpg

Click image for full size view. A lot of the images in this section appear to show animals and vessels in very close proximity. The fact is that a telephoto lens (most of these shots were taken with well over 500mm equiv focal length) shrinks distances between objects. There's no hiding it in this photo, however, as a superpod has made positioning a vessel over 100 metres from the animals impossible. Shutting down and enjoying the show is the only option. Bummer.