Capturing the Moment

Orcas from Water Level     Today was our morning to cruise for charismatic megafauna, aka really cool big animals, in the whale rich waters of Frederick Sound, Southeast Alaska. We were nearing a group of islands called the Brothers Islands which are well known for having a stellar sea lion haul out. I often like to take the small groups aboard the Safari Quest to these islands and then get a more intimate experience by loading into our small skiffs. As we neared the islands this morning however, I knew it was going to be a skiff ride to remember.    As we slowed down the Quest to load the skiffs the captain and I were both looking in the opposite direction from our destination islands. Sure enough there they were again, surfacing and heading our way. It was a pod of transient orcas, or killer whales. I can count the number of times I’ve seen orca from a skiff on one hand, so I was anxious to load everyone up. We quickly got all the guests ...

  We had two encounters with pods of orcas this past week as we traveled between Juneau and Sitka, Alaska. One of these encounters happened right around sunset, with the low light backlighting the blows of the big male orcas. I love seeing their 7-8ft dorsal fins straight up as they should be and not all flopped over like you see with orcas in captivity. They move so effortlessly and really seem like they know they are the true masters as the oceans' top predator.   I still haven't found a good visual way to tell between the resident pods that are here year round, and the transients that just come through on their thousand mile journeys. There are subtle differences but the biggest is in their diet. The resident pods feed only on fish, like salmon. The transient pods are the mammal eaters, so seals, sea lions, baby whales, can all be on the menu. It is pretty wild that such a top predator has never attacked a human in the wild.   Their complex communication and ...

Creek Street, Ketchikan Sunset at 9:45pm in Alaska   After a wonderful break spent hiking Mount Rainier and the Grand Canyon it was time to head back to work aboard the Wilderness Explorer in Southeast Alaska. It felt good coming back with most everything dialed in and done at least once. Also the company put me up at a swanky little lodge overlooking the cute town of Ketchikan where I was to meet the boat the following day. So I took the time to decompress from camping for two weeks, got a hot long shower, and even slipped in a 3D showing of Jurassic World. Male Orca Pod of Orcas   The next week was a blur of wildlife and activities with both rain and sunshine. Whale sighting occurred almost every day including a great orca encounter in the calm waters of Sea Otter Sound, and my first ever sighting of Humpback Whales bubble net feeding!!!! Luckily one of my fellow crew mates rushed down below to wake me up around 5:30 in the morning so I wouldn't miss it. I ...