What a day!!

We are settling into a routine... the fire creamed our office, but not the spirit of this business.  Joan is taking calls, filling seats, and handling internet inquiries from the boss's shop (inland), we are checking people in and giving boarding passes from our tent on the waterfront.  Joan doesn't get to meet the guests in person, and she misses that.  The guests can't go into the office after the trip and tell her what a great time they had... she misses that, too.

But, we are going out with full boats.  Business is strong.

Today started out beautiful...

Sunrise is still one of my favorite times, and I get to see the sun come up when we get up at 5:30 currently.  Joan gets ready for work, Izzy and I get some time together.  Little Izzy sitting in the cockpit this morning...

I played some music for my little furry girl - it's a nice way for my day to start, too.

I went in to work and prepped the boat.  There was a 2 hour old report of transients... close enough for us to get to them, but they can move a great distance in two hours.  Just before shoving off, I got an update: they had moved a bit further away, but with the speed of this boat, I knew we could catch them.  I told the guests that they are in for a great day.

Mother Nature blessed us with beautiful blue skies and not much wind.  We turned north out of Friday Harbor and put the coals to it.  We caught up with the transients just south of Turn Point - they were moving northwest, and there were more of them than I expected.  I moved us into position, hearing the guests cheer as they saw the dorsal fins and the spray.

I was able to get some photos today...

A roll...

Love that white belly!  A look at the big male...

There were about a dozen Orcas... they broke into three smaller groups, then regrouped as they pushed northwest.  We were getting great views.  Then, a breach!  And, another from a different animal.  I pointed my little point & shoot, and...

A double breach!!  Do you suppose they get together under the water and say to each other, "Let's do this one together - that'll make 'em scream!!"  They were right.  More active than we usually see with the transients, and the guests on our boat were loving it.  OK, the crew was loving it, too!

After a lengthy viewing, I told the guests this would be our last looks.  One of the Orcas did a pectoral slap... I'm pretty sure she was waving good-bye.

No one had a tight schedule, so I took the scenic route home, through John's Pass and the Cactus Islands, where we saw a pair of bald eagles.

Very happy people getting off our boat.