The wonderment of it all ~ humpback whales, orcas, dall's porpoise and gulls galore!

August 5th, 2015: What a day we had today! It began with rain that was heavy with fog forming in Weynton Passage where we could see some blows from humpback whales along the edge of the Plumper Islands. We were watching a humpback whale that was taking long dives and as the fog and rain loomed ahead of us we cruised instead in the direction of Cracroft Point in Johnstone Strait and in doing so headed towards a brightening sky and a humpback whale that was going in the same direction. We enjoyed some quiet viewing time close along the shoreline on Hanson Island and it was beautiful watching the diving sequence of the whale in the stillness of the day. In Blackney Passage three or more humpback whales were in the area as were several stellar sea lions swimming in the current and two black-tailed deer were up on an island grazing. Ahead of us Blackfish Sound looked and was very welcoming, the sky was a brilliant blue with wonderful colours in the clouds and soon too, the sun was shinning! There were humpback whales at the top end of Blackfish Sound and literally hundreds of gulls were gathered and feeding, the most gulls that we have seen all summer and the area was alive with birds flying in all directions and feeding intensely, it was an incredible sight. Rhinoceros auklets, common murres, red-necked phalaropes and bald eagles were also seen but the gulls out numbered all of them today.

On the afternoon tour, orcas were reported travelling to the west through the Robson Bight Ecological Reserve.  And, just as they did the evening before, the A23's and A25's carried on and passing the western boundary of the reserve, they continued to travel close along the Vancouver Island shoreline, foraging as they went. The westerly winds enabled us to once more raise our mainsail and sail quietly with the orcas. It was wonderful when a humpback whale suddenly surfaced simultaneously as did an orca, they passed at close range, but going in opposite directions. Two dall's porpoise came alongside and rode at our bow for a short while, what a way to end our tour! The lighting was gorgeous as had been the sun shinning, all of the afternoon!

Today's penned comments: "Thank you for taking us on your tour today. It started off a bit rainy but the sun shined on many tails of whales we saw. Loved your homemade goodies!" Jan. Jens & Marte, Netherlands

"Thank you for this tour. It was a bit rainy but the sun broke through. We enjoyed the whales and your muffins and scones." fam de bel, the Netherlands

"Thank you for yet another memorable trip on your boat. It started out in the rain and now the sun is out and we can see how beautiful it is here!" Margret & Barbara de Jong, the Netherlands

"Thank you so much for arranging this awesome trip. We did not only enjoy the boat ride but also your hospitality...the coffee and scones were a life saver! Plus of course thanks for showing us some of the most amazing creatures the ocean has to offer up close. The trip finished off great...being accompanied home by two porpoises. Thanks so much! love from Switzerland." Fauie, Silja, Rita & Jurg

"Thank you so much for this amazing experience! We saw orcas, whales and porpoises, some just beneath the boat (porpoises). It was an amazing experience to be on the boat with such nice owners with so much enthusiasm. The muffins, scones and tea were delicious and the beautiful weather made it complete. Love from Holland!" Marc, Cili, Lex, Roel and Dian

"Many thanks for the best catering and whale watching, it was great! We were lucky to take your sailing boat, we would recommend your team to our friends." Laffra Family, Hamburg, Germany

• We apologize but our internet connection has been very slow and inconsistent in Alert Bay in the last few days which makes it difficult to post our blog and photo's