Killer Whales back in Howe Sound outside Vancouver

[Stretch]

Well did I get a show on saturday morning, with orcas breaching and passing within 40 ft of my boat, sailing at 2 1/2 knots. I was out early, waiting for the inflows, and then saw the fin, 100 yards off.
Four orcas, talk about your PNW Moment. I spent an hour watching them feed on salmon, right up to Nexen Beach and even right up against a dredged channel wall. Even an early morning paddle boarder got to view closer than he planned as the pod moved along the fresh water line of the Squamish river. A seal floated at the surface very quietly, in fear for it's life, not able to see far in the silty water.They then moved back out to sea, past Watts Point, much faster than I expected. I heard later they have been around a few days, with a report of a Grey and a Humpback whale spotted from Lions Bay, likely at Pam Rocks.
With a large salmon run and a good herring spawn, marine life has come back well here, since the 3rd worst polluting mine in N.A., at Brittania, was mitigated and the local 60's pulp mill closed. The first commercial salmon fishery since the 60's took place a few weeks back and reports are a successful test fishery.

 

[Kermit]

Great story. Love to see more pictures if you have them. Even without whales. Looks like fantastic scenery. Thanks for sharing!

 

[rfrye1]

Same experience few yrs ago

I had bareboated a 40' hunter out of Anacortes about 14 yrs ago, sailing to Friday Harbor from Victoria, BC. My kids were in high school. We were sailing along about 4 kts, and near the west end of San Juan Island we sailed into a pretty big pod of killer whales. Honestly it was the most magical 30 min of my life. They swam by us, under us, breached near us. Truly a gift. They went on their way, we said g-bye and continued Friday Harbor. What a treat. My kids still talk about it..
Bob

 

[Ken Cross]

A few years ago we took a friend and her daughter (middle school) for a sail. Once under sail the first words from the girl were "I want to se a whale." I informed her that was unlikely and she responded with "Well, what's that?" We spent 3 magical hours just sitting and watching (2 grey whales about twice the length of our boat.)

 

[Stretch]

Sorry no decent pictures, the one attached was taken with a Samsung Galaxy 3 phone. I missed the close in shots, when the focus delay forces the shutter to close a second later.

Thanks for sharing your orca experiences, SBO posters.

 

[mauruuru]

Unfortunately temnants of Gabriel kept us at the dock in Kingston JA

 

[caguy]

Had a Whale of a Day Yesterday, too.

I would love to sail that area, only experience was on the ferry. We did take a RIB tour of the Orcas when in Victoria. The boat ride across the tops of the waves and through the Race Rock current was almost as thrilling as seeing the whales.

I never grow tired of it. We saw two blue whales yesterday in Santa Monica Bay just . What magnificent creatures. he must have been feeding because he stayed in the area for over an hour. There were a lot of dolphins around too. We were able to follow him under sail. The other was at a distance and could see his blow.

 

[ScottS]

I was just up in that area a few weeks ago on a biking tour around Vancouver Island. We took a Zodiac whale watching tour one day and saw a large (75+) pod of dolphins and 3 of the "resident" killer whales. We were told that the Canadian government doesn't allow anyone within 100 meters of any marine mammals at at fine of $30,000 per incident. They related a story of a local kayaker who happened to run upon some orcas at the same time others were taking pictures and now he is in the courts trying to figure a way out of the fine.

Scott

 

[fox islander]

Orcas seem to be everywhere this summer and not just residents, transients too...might be responding to our large population of harbor seals...transients eat mammals...the pic is in Totten Inlet (near Shelton, WA)...somewhat unusual for orcas to be in the far end of south sound.

 

[JA Mokres]

Lake Granby, Colorado

This past week the wife and I drove up to Lake Granby in Colorado for some late season sailing. A severe drought knocked out sailing in New Mexico this year so it was our only chance.

There are actually three lakes to sail on--Grand Lake and Shadow Mountain
Lake--in addition to the 7,000+ acre Granby. The water, as expected, was low and the weather marginal with intermittent rain showers; but we managed to get in some sailing despite.

I just bought a new SLR camera and have not yet learned how to load them into my computer for sharing. But take my word, the scenery is spectacular.

 

[Mike4116]

Three summers ago myself and four friends were returning to the U.S. at Pt. Edwards which is surrounded by Canadian mainland. We were about 6 NM south of Pt. Edwards when a huge pod of Orcas cruised past us. One of them came along side rolled up on it's side and eyeballed the boat and it's occupants (us). We were under sail so we presented no prop danger to them and the moment was magical. What huge and wonderful creatures! I took some video but forgot to do some stills and the video is lost when my computer crashed some time back (rats!). It was a moment I will never soon forget.

 

[SoSound]

Quite a variety!

My wife and I were not sailors when we first moved to the south sound. We'd never owned a boat. But one of the things that is most exciting is the possibility of a wildlife sighting! We just recently returned from a two week trip from Olympia to the San Juans and back. Unfortunately, there were no Orca encounters for us on this trip (we have seen them before). But we did have quite a variety of other creatures to try to catch with the camera... We find the Harbor Porpoise to be the second most common encounter, once we get out of the south sound. Harbor Seals are very common, but not everyone has a positive opinion of them. Bald eagles, and other dive-bombing birds fishing for dinner (SPLASH!) are on our list from this year.

We also found an interpretive plaque at the town dock in Coupeville which informed us that one of our sightings last year, just outside of the entrance to Gig Harbor, was a Minke Whale (not the loch ness monster as we'd originally thought ;-) ).

My porpoise photo isn't as dramatic as the orcas or the whales, but my most unusual is the deer from our first ever trip to the San Juans several years ago, we wondered what the charter company would have said if we called for a tow and told them that we'd hit a deer!

 

[soldier1964]

beautiful stories and pic of the orcas. I have always loved them. haven't had the pleasure of sailing up there yet, but someday I will. the biggest breech Ive seen was the overly large carp/buffalo fish jumping out on the lake. just not the same but still relaxing while sailing along at 2kts.....thanks for the visions.

 

[Stretch]

Our first year sailing out here, I was at the helm, on the leeward side, when a dolphin jumped 4 ft up not 10 ft from the aft quarter.
I have only involuntarily jumped in the air from fright[ flight reaction], a couple times in my life, and that was one of them,wow, when a 6 ft creature launches beside you.
I won't forget that encounter.