Tuesday, June 17, 2014

My Summer Road-trip - part 7 
(the super exciting part is here)
note: pictures are taken with mom's phone, my little camera, and mom's camera... feel free to click on images, including maps to see them larger. 

Hello Everyone... 

Welcome to the next part of my road trip. This is our last day on the northern part of Vancouver Island in Campbell River, B.C., and our last day out on the water with Nick.  

It was a gorgeous morning.. 


I woke up this morning ready to go, hoping that mom realizes that I am to sit in a "normal, regular" seat on Nick's boat, NOT my stroller. I am just like everyone else, and mom needs to not be so cautious. I say I am just FINE. I don't need my mask, don't need her to be extra or cautious, but just let me do my thing! 


Plus don't I look cute in my own seat?? :) 



Since today was our last day, we, or shall I say mom was really hoping for a good Transient encounter. We were wanting a good hunting show, showing us their power leaping out of the water with lots of other action. Well, it turned out to be an AMAZING encounter, but in another way. It was great to see this other side of them, and how they work together in this kind of situation.  

We came upon T90's, T100b's, T101s, T102 in Sutil Channel behind Quadra Island near the Breton Islands. They were heading south, then zig zag west and back to heading north. Or whatever directions those were. Basically, they were just all over the place keeping us on our toes trying to figure out what way they were going and where. Seem to be hunting, but doing everything under the surface. 

This male is HUGE! Look at his dorsal fin as he heads towards us. 




During that time, they did get a little frisky with a few breaches, and a spyhop that I missed. 



This one did a belly flop. 



Since they got a little frisky, active like this, Nick and mom think they might of killed something, and then celebrated. They can't say for sure since no one saw the evidence, which is fine with mom and I. :) 


Then they decided to head up into Hoskyns Channel. 



We decided to follow them, but on the opposite side of the channel.  At one point we thought they were going to go after these Seals on the rocks, but they past right by them continuing north. I am really glad they left the seals alone. They are so cute! 


They were pretty mellow, started doing long dive times and went into resting mode. We almost decided to leave, but we continued following them up Hoskyns Channel as Nick knew some action had to happen at one point. We stayed quite a distance from them to give them their space while resting and traveling. We did that quite a bit throughout the day with them. 




Several times Nick went fast and mom went ahead and let me stay sitting in the chair that I loved sitting in, and I refused to wear my mask because I didn't need it. I know when I do and when I don't.  :) 






I'm loving it! :) 




We were approaching this very NARROW passage that had a strong current flowing. Well the Orcas either had to go through this passage against the current or turn around and back track around Quadra Island which would be the long way back around.  They went for the passage. 


The males pretty much lead the group, and once they were in, they went crazy - breaching, tail lobing, double breaches, just having a grand ole time. It was EPIC! 



  






Well, the little ones just couldn't get through the current, so they turned around, which made the males turn around. They went back out into the channel (open area) and hung out there. Some of them played in the little whirlpools. 




We saw a few of the Orcas using the rocks to rub on. That was pretty cool. 



Well, about 30 minutes or so later, they decided to try the passage again as it looked like the current slowed down some. They went in and right back out, playing around again.


  
You could see some of the adults pushing around the younger ones as if they were preparing them for the passage. About 20 minutes later or so, they decided to give it another shot. This time, the males decided to keep encouraging the others to go through.  

Well, this one put its tail up like it was saying, stop, no further! 



Once it looked like they were moving forward, the males and another went up ahead and started to get a little active. Females, sprouter's, kids were trying with difficulty to get through the first part of the passage.

  

  One of the older ones porpoised, and when he/she landed, the current pushed him/her back down, so he/she turned around and went out. 


One tried to swim on its back to get through, but that didn't work either, so he/she turned around too. 


The others turned around and they left out of the passage. The males didn't have a choice, but to turn around.  


At that point they decided the passage was not an option, and they would go back the way they came to go around Quadra Island (many, many miles). There was some action as they started heading back down Hoskyns Channel. 





After nine hours on the water, we decided to head back to the docks. It was getting late anyway,  and pretty much the show was over. That was just simply AMAZING watching the males, larger adults help the younger and smaller adults trying to get through the narrow channel. And teaching them how to using the whirlpools back in the open part of the channel. You rarely ever get to see this.. 

Mom and I went back to the hotel to get ready for our departure the following morning. Stay tune for the last chapter of our Summer Road Trip.. :) 

Hope you are enjoying my adventures.. . 

Next post will be my high school graduation, a big surprise, and our move... :) 

Until next time... 

Love,
Kayla

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

My Summer Road-trip - part 6 
(the super exciting part is almost here, trust me)
note: pictures are taken with mom's phone, my little camera, and mom's camera... feel free to click on images, including maps to see them larger. 

Hello Hello Hello Everyone... 

Welcome to the next part of my road trip. We are still on the northern part of Vancouver Island back in Campbell River, B.C. where the weather is nice and plenty of gorgeous scenery and wildlife around... 

This morning we met up with Nick to go out on his boat.. I just love his boat. We didn't have to go far this morning for Orcas as there was a small group of Transient Orcas just off Quadra Island, which is the island I can see from my hotel. :) 
I decided to take a short nap just as we started to head out.. 


There was just a lot of down time with these Transient Orcas, a lot of fishing boats in the area not helping their dive times, so since there was not a lot going on, mom decided that I could sit with her since I was wanting out of my stroller. Hey, if everyone else is sitting in a "normal" chair, then I can to! 
Mom was trying to take pictures with me in her lap, and was doing pretty good when all of a sudden, one of the females came flying out of the water. Nick or Mom were prepared for that to happen, and unfortunately, it only happened the one time, but it was what mom was waiting for. They can leap out of the water like 20-30 feet high, but mom just got the tail end of it. See below... 


These two males had huge dorsal fins. 



We stayed with them for a short time until we went and picked up Nick's fiance Janeen.. We got word that some of the Northern Residents (A8's, A23's, A25's) were heading north? so she joined us since this is her favorite group of A's. It was pretty stormy looking out, but some areas were so pretty as we headed up to Kelsey Bay / Samon River area. 




There was a really cute Orca calf.. 



Mom had Cubby and I stay in my stroller due to the weather outside, and I was pretty happy about that anyway. I got to watch the Orcas coming towards us from behind.. :) 




We followed them for a long ways, and it started raining, seas getting rough, so we headed back in plus it was getting late. 


Mom and I went down to the docks where a fish restaurant is to get some dinner to go. We took it back to our hotel room and hung out for the evening. Mom took this photo from the parking lot just below our room at the hotel. 

Cape Mudge Lighthouse on Quadra Island... Yep, the Orcas were about a 1/4 mile off the point this morning. The Transient Orcas... 


We were both pretty wiped out, so I got to cuddle up in my blanket with Mickey and Cubby watching my programs... :) Sometimes I really like evenings like these.. 

The next morning, Mom and I had a slow morning since we were not meeting Nick until noon down at the dock. It was a gorgeous, but super chilly morning.. I was excited to be going back out on the boat.. Me in the car on our way to Nick's. 


We got on the water and headed north?? again to catch up with the Northern Residents (A8's and A30's) at Chatham Point, Vancouver Island heading west (seems north to mom and I). 


It was a gorgeous day on the water.. I was having so much fun, and I think the Orcas were too. They were all spread out at times, sometimes in small groups and towards the end, pretty much one or two groups making each group very large. A few times, we saw some rubbing up against the rocks along the cliffs. 



up And two of the Orcas, maybe even three or more came by under the surface. The water was so calm and clear, you could see them.. I think they were looking up at me. 



Some Lags (Pacific White Sided Dolphins - cousins to my best friends) showed up and traveled with the Orcas for a while. They love doing that along with harassing the Orcas.  Here is a mom and baby traveling in front of this Orca. :) I think my friends were showing the Orcas the way.. 


I insisted that I get to sit in one of the "normal" seats on Nick's boat for this trip, so she bundled me up. Areas were warm, and other areas were so cold like here in this photo. I know you can barely see me, but you can see a large male Orca in the background. So pretty up there.. 


Look at the size of this males dorsal fin! It is HUGE! I bet it is taller than me as some of them can get to be more than 6 feet tall. 


We were sitting still on the water just letting the Orcas pass by us. Well the ones that were coming up from behind us. Not sure where they came from. This one passed us pretty close. Luckily Nick already had the engine off as we were just floating. 


The scenery is gorgeous!! 


Here is a closer look at a Pacific White Sided Dolphin in front of the Orca calf.. 


And you can see the dolphins when they passed close to our boat.. 


They are starting to group up in the two large groups where at times it is one big group. 


Sometimes they are in sync, and other times they are not or just a few of them are.  


Isn't the calf so cute?? 


And we finally got a breach! :)


This gorgeous scene is an area where the water is about 100 feet deep and the Orcas love coming here to dive down and rub on the beach. They will all surface several times, taking large breaths before they all go down together. They stay down for several minutes, you wonder if they are ever coming back up. Then all of a sudden, they all re-surface with these strong breaths. They take several more strong breaths before diving back down. They did this a few times before continuing on. 


Unfortunately and obviously, it is very difficult to photograph, so I can just tell you about it. :) Mom tried to take some video, but it just didn't tell the story. 
People know the Orcas do this at this specific spot in the channel from underwater video taping the behavior many years ago. 

Once they started to move on, we turned around and made the chilly trek back. 

That evening, mom and I went for a nice long walk along the waterfront on this trail before going back to our hotel. But, once we were at our hotel, mom took me swimming in the hotels pool. The pool area was so cool. 





Tomorrow is the day.. Tomorrow is the BEST day of the trip!!  I will be back soon with details.. 

Until then.. 

Love, 
Kayla