(06/09/2017 - Kestrel 2pm Departure)
Today was one of those once in a lifetime experiences out on the water. We headed North West towards Swanson Channel where there were reports of a large group of transient orcas. On our way to look for the orcas we stopped to see some of their favorite food, harbor seals! We looked at those adorable rock sausages for a bit and then ventured on. We got into the area where the orcas were located and saw them moving rather erratically. They were taking longer dives, about 10 minutes long, and zig zagging across the channel. Since the whales were varying in their movement pattern we decided to stop our engine and just observe them for a little while. While we were waiting for the whales to come back up a large male surfaced right behind our vessel! The large male was T49C, a 19-year-old whale who generally travels alone. We were able to see his left white eye patch as he swam right under the surface of the water next to our vessel. After reeling over the amazing encounter we just had, we waiting until T49C was a safe distance away before moving closer towards the larger pod. We watched the larger pod of whales, specifically the T36A’s, make a kill while also socializing. After looking back at my photos I was able to find a photo with the whales as well as the harbor seal they were preying upon. Orcas are known to play with their prey for quite some time before actually consuming it, which is exactly what we saw today. We watched the whales ‘play’ with that harbor seal for about 30 minutes before we left the sighting. This day will go in my books as one of the best days out on the water.
