Captain Jim: We go the distance...

Monday, May 25, 2015

We go the distance...

First of all: wishing you a peaceful Memorial Day. We all owe our gratitude to those who gave their lives in defense of this country.

I was scheduled for an early morning charter today. I was there at 7:45 to prep the boat and discuss procedures with naturalist Sarah. Yesterday was her first day back, one of of our other boats. This charter should be interesting: twenty-some college biology students, visiting from the University of Minnesota at Duluth. They were on time, and excited to see some whales.

I was hopeful, but had no reports, yet. We started our trip heading north out of Roche Harbor. Sarah was visiting with some of the students on the bow...

... when I got a credible report: "Transient whales sited in northern Oak Bay"... near the southern tip of Vancouver Island. Decision time: this is a three hour charter... we can't make it there and back in three hours, much less spend some time with the whales. I coordinated with the boss, and he said, "Go for it." Next: get the OK with the professor in charge of these students. "They really want to see whales. If you are willing to do this, we would really appreciate the opportunity."

Yep, we're going. I already had the boat pointed that direction while making the call. I pulled the Canada charts and re-checked the current predictions. Then, put the hammer down.

It was a chilly, gray start to the day. Wind from the southwest put 1 1/2 foot waves along our route... this boat doesn't even notice that. Sarah explained to the group where we were heading and what we were hoping to see (transient Orcas) - they were pumped!

It took nearly two hours to get to the whales. They began to move south and west... yeah, away from us. Close to Trial Island...

Before we got there, they had moved south of Trial Island... then, south and west of Trial Island. Looks like we are going to Victoria! There was only one other boat there when I first sited a blow and a dorsal...

I radioed that captain and asked if they had an ID on what animals we were seeing - he said, "That's not really my strong suit, but there's a bunch of them!"

With the first surfacing of the big male, Sarah said, "T-19, Galiano!" I radioed the other boat to let them know. He thanked us and turned off. Nice of him to hang there until we got on scene. We counted about 14 transients with this group, an unusually large grouping. Sarah also identified the T-137s. The students onboard were getting a great viewing, with a lot of surface activity. A spy hop, a somersault, some feeding (blood in the water) - this was SO worth the long trip to get here. We had this group to ourselves until other Canadian boats began to arrive. Plenty of viewing for everyone, as the animals moved west, then east, then "some milling and killing." We radioed the position in.

I had my hands full at the helm, so never had the opportunity to capture any of the great activity (we are pointing out where to look, not taking photos). I was able to shut down the motor so they could hear as well as see (those breath sounds are impressive). All I got were a couple marginally focused dorsal fins...

There was a lot of cheering and oooooohhhs and aaaaaahhhs from our boat. Yes, from the helm, too. After 45 minutes of some fine activity, I gave them "last call" before we head north (and east). Yes, we are north of the Victoria area with our boat based in Roche Harbor. This group gave us a good bye surfacing, and we pulled away. When we left, we were still the only US boat on the scene (others were heading this way). Sarah came to the helm and said, "They are very happy!" I checked on everyone, visited with the professor ("Better than we hoped for!") and planned our trip back.

Going through Enterprise Channel (between Trial Island and the southern tip of Vancouver Island) would cut some time and distance off our return trip. The trip back was warmer - we had that southwest wind at our backs; the current didn't help us any though. At the beginning of the trek, I estimated we'd be out around 5 hours. Turned out to be a bit less than that. We even had a couple sun-breaks as we made our way across Haro Strait.

Back at the dock, more cheers and thanks. Nice to be appreciated. SeaHawk (our boat) has a very comfortable ride...

There was a Memorial Day presentation going on as we pulled in...

Bagpipes and a dramatic reading.

My Honey met me at Roche for a late lunch. She asked about the trip, was happy for us, and noticed that I was a bit "wind burned." We sat outside at the Lime Kiln Cafe, and enjoyed the sun coming through the dispersing clouds. The food made my growling belly happy, too.

I suggested we take "the scenic route" home, down the west side. Here's looking out at Haro Strait, from land...

Pretty in the sunlight. We even saw a C-Dory go by...

(Senior Moment, a CD-22) He was moving right along.

I was tired from the trip, but the scooter ride was refreshing. We were home in time to take Izzy for a walk before her 5:00 mealtime. Checking things out...