We were up off of San Juan Island. And we were looking for Granny, the most famous orca and it was the first year that they had not seen her. We were filming the J Pod out there, we were out with Ken Balcomb and his team of whale researchers, which are just incredible humans.
And I remember we were just there, we found a few of the pod. And all of a sudden, we looked and there was a salmon, a huge Chinook salmon, that decided to take refuge underneath the little boat we were in. Then the next thing we know six of J pod, were coming over and trying to move our boat out of the way to get the salmon!
And I was so excited. I literally was screaming like a child but trying to be quiet. You know, like when you’re so excited, that your parents are telling you not to make any noise. So, I’m there like hyperventilating, I have tears coming down my face. I have snot coming out of my nose because I’m like, oh my god, this is the coolest thing that’s ever happened.
So in the end, I think somehow the salmon got away. I still don’t know. Somehow the salmon got away. But the since the orcas were there and since the orcas know Ken, they were just they just kind of cruising, they were spy hopping, going on looking at us, like I swear to God, one of them waved at us. But it was really amazing to just be there with the family. And that was and that was really, really cool.
And then at one point of the big boys from J or L, I think was one of the guys from L Pod, we were looking at Mount Baker in the background and he just full body jumped out of the water in front of it. So we just have a picture of this full breach. He knew he was doing, it was amazing.
-Ashlan
This post was adapted from a voice recording in the World Krill Day 2023 episode of the Whale Tales Podcast, listen here.
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