At a brisk 56 degrees we boarded the Island
Explorer and once again headed into the Straits of Juan De Fuca this time in
search of whales. It was foggy and cold,
but our spirits were high with the anticipation of seeing Orcas. All eyes scanned the horizon with orders to
shout out any sightings of blows. About
an hour later the captain announced Orca sightings near Victoria. After crossing into Canadian waters the cluster of boats led us to the
pod. 
Erica, the onboard Naturalist, identified this
pod as T123 the mother, T123A the son, and T123C her daughter. Orcas stay together for life; sons never
leave their mother.
After a while the captain moved on in search of more
action. Before long we were lucky enough
to encounter two humpback whales.
The Race Rocks Lighthouse was our next stop where sea lions,
elephant seals, sea otters and a couple of bald eagles were in sight.
Another great day on the Olympic Peninsula and Juan De Fuca
Straits!
Awesome day on the water. If you are going to Vancouver, we recommend the Anthropology Museum at UBC. One of my all time faves.
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