The final day of the season is always a day of high emotions. After two days without seeing orca it was a tense wheelhouse as we approached the canyons. The weather was perfect, the birds were there, good signs but no fins.
As a skipper this is when you can feel the anticipation in the air, and it’s when you rely on the great team of crew that we have. It was only a short search before the radio crackled and Kane called blows at 2 o’clock, this is the best feeling as skipper when you see the passengers excitement.
A pod of orca surfaced nearby and as we cruised with them we could see that they were not orca we knew, an unfamiliar pod for the last day was a great finish.
That was just the start. On the horizon heading straight towards us were over 60 orca, the Type “C” killer whales were back again! It has been incredible to see these orca this season, and to see them three times is next level!
The two ecotypes never interacted although they were within a mere 250 metres of each other. No doubt they each would have known of the others presence.
Maybe they had already made each other’s acquaintance, or maybe they don’t speak the same language. Either way the peace was kept in the canyon. (See if you can spot the difference between the two ecotypes. Note Type “C” have a greyer back and their eyepatch is on a 45 degree angle.)
This was the best way to finish the season, so we headed back toward the shelf for the last time. A big blow caught our attention and a large sperm whale gave us a goodbye wave as we finished an absolutely cracker season!
Massive thanks to everyone who has joined us over the years and to the incredible crew I have had the privilege to work with, can’t wait for next season!
Blog by skipper Dundee and images by our onboard photographer Steve Reynolds
If you thought we were finished posting for the season, we still have more content for you! Season wrap up and highlights to come.
