[Sarah – 05/19/2018 – M/V Seahawk – 3:00pm Private Charter]
Ahh spring days on the M/V Seahawk! The sun was shining, the water was calm, and we had wildlife to discover. Captain Pete and I were excited for an afternoon spent on the water! With no firm reports of whales around the San Juan Islands we decided to aim north towards Canadian waters to try our luck up north of the border.
We cruised through Boundary Pass and up into Plumper Sound, marveling at the incredible scenery of the Canadian Gulf Islands. We wove our way past Lizard Island and through the narrow Georgeson Pass. The water, with the tidal flood, was moving so quickly in the skinny sandstone passages. We were rewarded with incredible, sweeping views across a mirror-like Strait of Georgia. We looped south and then POOF!!! A huge humpback whale surfaced in front of us!
Humpback whales are roughly the same size as a school bus and the same weight as seven African elephants. They are massive creatures. We all squealed as the giant took deep breaths at the surface before lifting its tail before diving. Humpbacks can hold their breath for up to an hour if they want, but this whale’s long dives were only 4-5 minutes long! We had an amazing encounter wit the humpback before cruising south through the Strait of Georgia towards East Point.
At East Point we got to see huge upwelling currents, pressing valuable nutrients back to the surface from the deep, and even caught some glimpses of Steller’s sea lions at Boiling Reef.