Thursday, August 10, 2006

Aug 10th

Today, aboard the FastCat, we journey south, then west, towards Otter Point, where we had inbound J's, K's and L's. There was 100 yards of patchy fog, which made it all the more mysterious. We ID'd several K7 matriline animals, based on a passengers excellent photos. L21 was also ID'd, and content with our orca encounter, we headed east to Race Rocks and saw all 4 pinnepeds (Harbour seals, Northern Elephant Seals, Stellar Sealions and California Sealions). A double viewing of a tufted puffin got myself, Trev and Jacklyn excited!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmmv5-SFKJg

The afternoon trip was incredible. All 3 pods whipping around the corner of Race Passage, in an 8 knot current. Talk about watching whales on a conveyor belt! It was surreal! L57 decided to go through Race Rocks, and he tootled off by himself offshore. There were groups of whales everywhere! Breaching, spyhopping, cartwheeling, back tail slaps and more! A non stop parade of what I consider the most magnificent mammals on the planet.

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