Bubble Netting Humpback Whales are Back in Town

   One of the greatest spectacles in nature is watching animals work together to hunt. I have seen a pack of 13 lionesses taking turns to wear down a huge bull cape buffalo, and I've seen orca making an easy meal out of a speedy dall's porpoise, but something gets me every time I witness humpback whales bubble net feeding here in Alaska.

   I had heard reports of a couple separate groups of bubble net feeders working southeast Alaska but until last night I had been unable to locate them. When I saw 4 or 5 whale blows very close together I had high hopes, and it paid off. We took the Safari Quest in for a closer look and sure enough, 7 whales erupted from the water in a tight formation as the surrounding birds flew in to grab the fish spilling out of the huge mouths of the whales.

  We stayed with the whales for around an hour before having to motor on south but the entire encounter summed up the essence of traveling through Alaska. Hear we had these amazing wild creatures, participating in this national geographic type behavior, surrounded by islands covered in Old Growth temperate rainforest, with massive snow covered mountains in the background....all without another sole around. There were no whale watching boats, no roads, no noises of any kind except the gentle hum of our generators and the frequent exhalations of the whales.

   You can find more at daimartamarack.com