It was 1:00 p.m. when Captain Mike received notice of transient orcas on the north side of Orcas Island. Just as we arrived near Clark Island, we spotted four transients traveling closely together. The guests oohed and awed each time the whales surfaced the water as they reached for a breathe of air in unison. Coordinating the timing of their breathes makes traveling in groups more time efficient. Captain Mike stopped the boat and it was almost as if he had stopped time. The chaos from our busy daily lives had calmed as we peacefully gazed upon the Salish Sea, listening to the orcas exhale loud breathes of air. We observed up to six whales in the group, including a calf. Transients usually travel in small groups of three, so today we were fortunate enough to spot a larger group! The sun came out from behind the clouds and it was nothing but smiles on the deck of the Sea Lion. We returned back to Friday Harbor on the other side of Orcas Island, allowing us to experience the beauty of the islands we didn't see earlier.
Sally, Naturalist