Yes, you read that right! L-Pod is back, and all of them! There was lots of excitement from crew and passengers alike when we heard the reports of L-Pod earlier today, and even more when we saw them!The whales were off the south end of Vancouver Island, BC and it's a good thing they were headed into the Straight of Juan de Fuca; it took us about an hour and forty-five minuets to get to them, any further and they would have been out of reach!
When we arrived on site with the whales all of L-Pod was there! We even saw L-41 traveling with L-77 and her calf as well. The whales were in a tight formation, traveling in what we call a "resting" position. It was great to see them all again after a week without them, and to have the whole pod back is amazing!
Even though we only had a short viewing time since it took us so long to get there, it was a beautiful trip. We had the snow-capped Olympic Mountains as our backdrop, towering upwards as a reminder that land can still be as untamed and wild as the whales we were watching. It was a powerful reminder of how small I really am, but when you're watching these Orcas swim by so gracefully with the mountains in the distance, it brings out different forms of emotion in us all. It brings out the curiosity, the excitement, and the part of us that is still wild. It brings us together as humans with a common hope to protect the things that are still wild.
It was a fabulous trip, and while our time with the whales was short, it was a time for learning and reflecting and that is priceless.
Heather, Naturalist, M/V Sea Lion
San Juan Safaris