Il était splendide que le 24 juin 2007 comme j’ai avancé par le bac par le Laisser-passer Actif. Il a rapporté des souvenirs romanesques du Canada quand j’ai vécu là.

Notre navire, une classe d’Esprit, opérait sous le nom de compagnie de Bacs BC et magnifique elle était aussi.

Le laisser-passer est réputé pour son canal étroit, venteux qui est flanqué au sud par l’Île de Galiano et d’Île de Mayne au nord.

Comme vous entrez dans les détroits du côté de l’est, vous venez d’ouvert les eaux ouvertes du Détroit de Géorgie et ce qui suit est une expérience stupéfiante.

Vous passerez par le bout nord-ouest vert et accidenté de Mayne, typique de paysage de Columbia britannique.

Les Cèdres de Côte Ouest peuvent pratiquement être sentis du navire, quelques centaines de mètres dans le détroit. Vous pouvez sentir la brise comme le navire plane sans effort sur la surface semblable au verre.

Subitement, le passage change le cours et maintenant le capitaine doit mettre la roue durement au tribord pour négocier les tortillons et les tours.

Comme le vaisseau s’atténue de son tour, vous observez une autre classe d’Esprit été à la tête dans la direction opposée. Quelle ruée!

C’était aussi magnifique ce jour-là comme il était jamais quand j’ai vécu là. Les falaises raides qui enfourchent le canal, combiné avec un environnement remarquablement vert plus la beauté absolue de tout cela font vraiment mon épine dorsale picoter, même maintenant.

Si vous visitez cette région, soyez sûrs de prendre le Tsawwassen au bac de Baie de Swartz dirigé. Vous n’irez jamais faire n’y comptez pas.

Plus la compagnie est très sûr, sert la nourriture décente et garde les traversées courtes.

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It was gorgeous that June 24th 2007 as I made my way by ferry through Active Pass. It brought back dreamy memories of Canada when I lived there. Our ship, a Spirit class, was operating under the BC Ferries company name and magnificent she was too.

The pass is famous for its narrow, windy channel that is flanked to the south by Mayne Island and Galiano Island to the north. As you enter the straits from the eastern side, you come from open the open waters of the Strait Of Georgia and what follows is an amazing experience.

You’ll pass by the green and hilly northwest tip of Mayne, typical of British Columbia scenery. The West Coast Cedars may practically be smelt from the ship, a few hundred metres into the strait. You can feel the breeze as the ship effortlessly glides over glass-like surface.

Suddenly, the passage alters course and now the captain has to put the wheel hard to starboard to negotiate the twists and turns. As the vessel eases out of its turn, you observe another Spirit class headed in the opposite direction. What a rush!

It was as wonderful that day as it had ever been when I lived there. The steep cliffs that straddle the channel, combined with a strikingly green environment plus the sheer beauty of it all really makes my spine tingle, even now.

If you visit this area, be sure to take the Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay ferry run. You’ll never forget it. Plus the company is very reliable, serves decent food and keeps the crossings short.

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view from the hot tub

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our private beach

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sandstone “waves”

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Pebble Beach

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view of Active Pass from Mt. Galiano

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stopping by this Glassworks Studio, we met the lovely artist, Marcia, who took us for a tour of her spectacular studio and garden

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heading home…

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We are so blessed to have all this beauty right on our “doorstep”.  What an amazing part of the world to live in!

I look down at my Garmin. Yes, still doing a steady 37 km/h (about 25 mph), and my heart rate is only just up into the triple digits as I cool down from my workout. Oh, yeah. I totally rock. As if. As I look up again, the lights of the Coastal Renaissance appear at the other end of Active Pass, and an ear-splitting whistle sounds above. For, yes. I am on the car deck of the ferry, spinning my heart out.

I’ve been commuting to Vancouver for a day or two per week all autumn and am heartily tired of sitting in the buffet eating the salmon and ravioli. I’ve also been resenting the extra time I’ve given up for the trip. But my friend Joanna suggested that I just set up my bike on the trainer on the car deck and reclaim the time on the trip home.

It has turned out to be a great idea. Many of the things I hate about trainers are solved. No need for fans (the ferry’s apparent wind is plenty cool, thank you). Something to look at. In fact, the buoy flashing every 10 seconds on the Georgia Strait side of Active Pass makes for a handy countdown during tough intervals. People come make conversation. “I’m paying a fuel surcharge and this thing is being powered by a chick on a bike?!“

Another: “Hey. Are you a triathlete?” I nod, a little surprised. “The only people I have ever seen who carry their bikes everywhere up on stands like that are triathletes. This nutbar I know spins right through his kids’ soccer games.” I file that one for future reference.

I like being right up at the very bow, able to look out at everything, but it might be a little raw in the rain. Fortunately, there is plenty of cover on other parts of the car deck. Some habits are hard to break, too. When a gust hits the ferry, I duck into my drops, which accomplishes precisely nothing. On the whole, I’m delighted with the whole enterprise and look forward to forwarding photos of my setup to the Sufferfest’s Bike Torture Cave contest. I bet they’ve never seen that before.

September 18, 2012 – 2045 (Photo by John Gargett)

As much I like to remember the September setting of the moon over our bay, our area has received the 1st Special Weather Statement for the fall……..(SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT - NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA – issued 406 PM PDT WED OCT 10 2012)

HEAVY RAIN POSSIBLE ACROSS W. WASHINGTON THIS WEEKEND TO EARLY NEXT WEEK

A Pattern Change will Bring Wet Weather Back to Western washington Friday Through the Weekend After a Prolonged Dry Spell. Weak Weather Systems will Affect the area on Friday and Saturday with Widespread Measurable Rainfall Expected. a Stronger System will then Steer Heavy Rain Into the Pacific Northwest Late Saturday Night Through Possibly Monday Night.If the Forecast Models are Correct, this will be the First Significant storm of the Season. Some Forecast Models Show Several Inches of Rain in the Mountains with Sharp Rises Expected on The Rivers. The Olympics May See 4 to 8 Inches of Rain Through Monday Night, with 2 to 5 Inches Possible in the Cascades. As for The Lowlands, the Coast May See 1 to 4 Inches, with 1 to 2 Inches Of Rain in the Interior.Breezy to Windy Conditions are Also Forecast over this Period. The Coast and North Interior are Likely to be the Windiest Locations. Models Have Not Pinned Down the Exact storm Track so There Are Some Uncertainties in the Timing and Impacts of this System. Monitor Forecasts from the National Weather Service for the Latest Updates. Good Bye Summer! (Photo By John Gargett)

To get to Port Renfrew from the mainland of British Columbia, your drive will take a maritime turn. In fact, the highway becomes a ship that takes you across the Strait of Georgia to Vancouver Island.

Since 1960, a company called British Columbia Ferry Services Incorporated has carried people, dogs, cats, bicycles, motorcycles, cars, buses, trucks, boats on trailers — you name it — across the water all up and down British Columbia’s coast. And it’s quite the coast: including both B.C.’s mainland and offshore islands, our coastline twists and turns more than 27,000 kilometres.

Some three dozen ferries follow 25 different routes along this coast, and link 47 ports! You can voyage to places with magical names like Haida Gwaii, Penelakut, Sointula, Hornby, Gambier, Vesuvius Bay, or Waglisla (a community also known … not coincidentally … as Bella Bella).

There are other ways to get across the water, though you couldn’t bring your car!

About 20 million passengers – and  nearly 8 million vehicles – travel aboard B.C. Ferries every year. With more than 500 sailings a day (nearly 175,000 sailings per year), the ferries leave on schedule over nine times out of ten. Given sometimes foul weather, heavy traffic loads, and complicated machinery, that’s pretty impressive!

We boarded a ferry called the Coastal Celebration at the Tsawwassen ferry terminal, which is about 30 kilometres south of Vancouver.   There’s lots to do while you wait for your chance to board. You can shop and eat in the Tsawwassen Quay Market …

play outdoors

or take a stroll, and watch the freighter traffic at the nearby Roberts Bank Superport (which ships over 20 million tonnes of coal each year) and Deltaport (which can handle the largest container ships on the seas).

Built in Germany in 2008, the Coastal Celebration is  a whopping 160 metres long.  The ferry can carry 370 vehicles (including up to 32 big semi-trailer trucks) and over 1,600 passengers and crew. The 45 km crossing to Swartz Bay, on Vancouver Island, takes an hour and 35 minutes.

The ship goes through Active Pass, between Galiano and Mayne Islands. These are just two of the over 200 islands and islets that make up B.C.’s beautiful Gulf Islands.

What great views of islands passing by.

I played on board

browsed the on-board shop and took in some sun (though didn’t have time to try the BC Ferries’ spa services.

Once we disembarded in Swartz Bay, it was a pleasant 142-kilometre drive to Port Renfrew.

Coming home, we boarded a ship called the Spirit of Vancouver Island at Swartz Bay. This beauty was built in Victoria in 1994. It’s 167.5 metres long, and can carry 410 vehicles and 2,100 passengers and crew.

After a snack in the onboard Coastal Café, believe me, it was tempting to just drowse during the crossing to Tsawwassen. When I heard that a naturalist (an expert on plants and animals) would be giving a talk on the aft (rear) deck, though, we hustled there.

This is Dan Stewart, who is part of B.C. Ferries’ and Parks Canada’s Coastal Naturalists program. Naturalists like Dan have been giving talks during summertime sailings for the past seven years.

Dan focussed his talk on Garry Oak meadows — the brown patches you see scattered around the Gulf Islands. They are in fact a kind of grassland. While 80% of B.C. is coniferous forest, less than 1% is grassland. In this area, grasslands occur because of a rain shadow effect, and very thin soil that doesn’t retain  moisture. Garry oaks can tolerate these conditions.

In fact, back in 1851, the flower-filled Garry Oak meadows around what is now the City of Victoria were described as an Eden by settlers.  They were there because idigenous people had burnt off vegetation to promote the growth of the camas lily, whose root is a prized, edible bulb.

Dan told us that less than 5% of pre-Contact Garry Oak meadows remain. 100 species that depend on the meadows’ ecosystem are now at risk.

Whenever we have the pleasure of enjoying the outdoors, this is a good thing to keep in mind: nature always needs us to help look after it. B.C. Ferries is working on environmental concerns too. And I like that because as a BC Spirit Bear, keeping my home clean and wild is what makes British Columbia so special.

 Story © S. Clouthier; Southern Gulf Islands map courtesy Wikipedia; Quercus garryana (Garry Oak) courtesy brewbooks on Flickr; Camas lily courtesy public-domain-image.com; Other photos © S. Clouthier

We left Montague Harbour and headed south in Trincomali Channel. This is the view looking north in the channel.

Okay, okay. I’m late in finishing the posts from our cruise a couple of weeks ago. Two more posts yet to do, and I’ll do one today and will get to the last one as soon as possible. We’ve just been too busy with eye doctor appointments, spotty WiFi service, and other distractions…and I haven’t been able to get to the blog as much as I hoped.

So, back to our cruise… We left Montague on Saturday, July 7th. We planned to head to Ganges and take in the Saltspring Saturday Market (http://www.saltspringmarket.com) before returning to the States. The Saturday Market in Ganges is quite an event, and we look forward to opportunities to be in Ganges on Saturdays during the summer so we can go to the market as well as visit other favorite shopping venues in Ganges.

It was calm in the anchorage at Montague Harbour in the morning, but afternoon wind predictions encouraged us to skip the Saturday Market and head for the San Juans instead. We have to be back for Jim’s July 10th eye exam in Seattle, so didn’t want to be caught by weather and end up too far away from Anacortes. We’ll be sure to plan our cruising in September so that we’ll be able to visit the Saltspring Saturday Market!

We decided to bypass all the currents and whirlpools where Haro Strait meets Boundary Pass, so rather than returning through Swanson Channel, we headed south in Trincomali Channel to Navy Channel, then through Plumper Sound and across Boundary Pass — which is a direct route into the San Juans through Spring Passage, then Deer Harbor and Pole Pass. This route also bypasses all the whirlpools around Speiden Island.

This morning, we encountered only one B.C. ferry coming through Active Pass.

We decided to time our passage to hit Boundary Pass at slack tide, to minimize the whirlpools and tide races. We had the current with us almost all the way, as we left Montague at 0800 to catch the 0900 slack in Boundary Pass. Everything turned to ebb (including Pole Pass), and we got a great lift from the current.

It was calm all the way across Boundary Pass. This view is looking back toward the Gulf Islands.

Once we got into the bay outside Deer Harbor, we were able to power down and idle to call U. S. Customs for our clearance to return to the U.S. With our Nexus passes, we were allowed to clear over the cell phone. Since it was Saturday, we encountered lots of pleasure boats in Harney Channel.

We plotted our course from Boundary Pass to enter the San Juan Islands through Spring Passage. This view is looking ahead toward the San Juans, with Orcas Island on the left.

As we passed West Sound, we decided to check the Double Island anchorage in West Sound, and found only two other boats there. So, we decided to stop there for the night, rather than continuing on to Blind Bay. Another powerboat and 3 more sailboats came in later in the afternoon…more boats than we’ve ever seen in this anchorage.

It was relatively calm and sunny for the afternoon and evening. We were glad to have U.S. Internet service again so we could get caught up on bank stuff and emails. We fixed BLTs on rye bread for dinner. We don’t usually have bacon onboard, but made an exception and brought some along this time, with the intention of fixing a nice breakfast somewhere…and since we hadn’t fixed such a meal, this was a good way to use the bacon!

The sun rises on a gorgeous morning in Reid Harbor.

The morning at Reid Harbor was wonderful…calm and sunny…even though it was a little cool with temps in the 50s. We have to be back in Anacortes in 4 days, so we pondered where to go. We thought about going to Sucia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sucia_Island), but had concerns about the anchorage being crowded since this is the Fourth of July week, and we were looking for a quiet place where we could continue our relaxing.

Rosie looks out at today’s sunny morning in Reid Harbor.

Nothing in the San Juans seemed right, so we finally decided to head into Canada, and go to Montague Harbour. Montague is one of our favorite anchorages in the Gulf Islands, particularly because it offers a very large anchoring area as well as some enjoyable hiking and a small store at the Montague Harbour Marina (http://www.montagueharbour.com). With our Nexus passes, we can clear Canadian Customs by cell phone in Boundary Pass and arrange to stop in Montague for a customs inspection, if they want to board us. They did not.

We passed the Turn Point Lighthouse as we navigated from Haro Strait to Boundary Pass.

We hadn’t planned on going to Canada, so needed to check what liquor and food we had on board. Only had some beer and a few half full bottles of booze, so we were within the limit for alcohol. However, we did have potatoes on board. Potatoes are not allowed to be brought into Canada. So, when we called Customs for our clearance, we disclosed the potatoes. The customs agent suggested we peel the potatoes and put them in the freezer…so that’s what we did! Used them later to make potato salad.

Two of the BC ferries we encountered in Swanson Channel…one headed for Active Pass and one that just came through the pass.

This week had spring tides, and we encountered strong currents in Haro Strait and Swanson Channel…lots of whirlpools and some tide races. Even though there wasn’t a lot of wind, we bounced around quite a bit. We also encountered 5 or 6 ferries as we crossed Swanson Channel near Active Pass, and their wakes added to the bouncing.

The trip from Reid Harbor to Montague took about 3 hours. We motored slowly so that we didn’t get to Montague too far ahead of the time we told Customs we would arrive. The knot meter is still not working, and AIS is also not working. Later, we found that the data rate between AIS and Nobeltec was incorrectly set, which explains the AIS problem, but we still don’t have a clue about what’s wrong with the knot meter.

There weren’t as many boats anchored in Montague Harbour as we expected.

Montague Harbour Marina has a small store and a modest restaurant. Moorage and fuel is available.

There were not as many boats in Montague as we expected, and it was sunny, warm, and fairly calm with a gentle breeze in the anchorage. A great afternoon to sit on the flybridge and catch up on more reading! Due to the high tides this week, we noticed a lot of floating debris that came through the anchorage from time to time. Even some big logs. Good thing the tide doesn’t push that stuff very fast…

Jim enjoys some relaxing time for reading on the flybridge while we were anchored in Montague Harbour.

The kitties enjoyed some relaxing time too. Rosie curled up on the left and Mickey REALLY relaxing on the right.

Sorry, like its title, this is a long post, but the details matter here, and there are lots of them. If you need some music to keep you awake while you read, this might work.

I was troubled by recent comments from Mark Collins, head of engineering at BC Ferries, about the Coastal Inspiration’s crash last month into the loading dock at Duke Point.

So I spent a couple of days trying to figure out why.

After a whole lot of interviews with a whole lot of smart people, I’ve figured out what bothered me: Collins has to know by now pretty much what went wrong. But I don’t think he felt he had to share any of that with the public, who actually own and ride the system.

His remarks also read a whole lot like “look over here at the exquisite mystery that we are trying so hard to solve, and not over there at the things we could have done to prevent this.”

Collins offered his comments during an interview with the Times Colonist. You can read them in full here.

I want to repeat a number of the things he said too, because the paper’s links can disappear fairly quickly.

The story starts off by saying that although the crash was apparently caused by a failure of the propulsion system, the failure of the backup systems is the real mystery. I’m assuming that’s Collins’ take on the situation, not just the reporter’s.

Then it notes that the ferry has a “controlled-pitch, constant-propulsion system” (so the prop rotates at a constant speed, even when the vessel is stationary, but its angle is adjustable).

And that the system is “similar to 17 others in the fleet”.

It says the system has been “used on vessels around the world for about 70 years” and is popular because it cuts maintenance and fuel costs — although it also poses the risk that you might lose control of the pitch of the prop, which will keep it spinning in ways you don’t want it to.

Again, I’m assuming that the information came from Collins, or was at least confirmed by him, although it isn’t attributed to him.

Where Collins actually jumps into the story by name is to say that the ferry has “three backup systems in case there is a pitch-control failure”.

And that “one of the backups is independently connected to the control room, which increases the odds of at least one of the systems working in an emergency.”

And finally, Collins is quoted saying that it would take a “catastrophic explosion in the engine room” to take out all the systems at once.

Hmm.

Where to begin?

Apparently no, it doesn’t take a catastrophic explosion to take out the systems. They, um, went out. Without an explosion.

And that backup remedy independently connected to the “control room”? I’m not sure why the reporter didn’t ask, and report, what it was. Because it really isn’t clear what Collins means.

I’m assuming he didn’t mean the anchor.

It sounds like he’s talking about an emergency manoeuvre that would be conducted from the engine control room. The bridge of the Inspiration has an “emergency manoeuvre” mode that overrides the computer system and produces direct pitch-lever control on both ends of the ship. But in order for the engine control room to take engine control, the bridge would have to give it to them. And that would require someone being on the line to the engine room continuously during the berthing process to give engineers the order to “override NOW” if need be. (This actually happens on most large passenger vessels, by the way.) But BC Ferries has no such communications in place during berthing. So … details on that backup would sure be nice.

Then there’s the bit about the propulsion system and its 70-year history. That all depends on what part of the system Collins is talking about. The drive-line configuration on the Super Cs is unique — and it certainly hasn’t been around for 70 years. Collins is right that  controllable-pitch propellers have been used in ships since about 1940. What isn’t typical is BC Ferries’ decision to use constant-speed motors with them — or to skip the cycloconverters that would provide variable speed control on the motors.

And that reference to the number of ferries with controllable pitch props? A red herring. And it’s not accurate. The truth is, the configurations and type of propulsion differ widely across the fleet. CPPs are the only similarity across the boats.

As for having a single engine, these ships are unique. They are larger than any other double enders. True, Washington State Ferries uses single engines on each end and they use constant-speed CPP in some ships. It’s also true that they have a hell of a time with them.

What we don’t hear Collins talking about is the fact that the German yard that built the Super Cs didn’t want to go with the configuration that exists now. They wanted either two pods per end or a combination CPP and variable-frequency motor on each end. But Ferries was all about future savings and so it opted for a system that had not been proven, but whose numbers promised to give them the best fuel savings on the long haul. BC Ferries went for the cheapest, most simplified drive line, aiming for the best fuel savings — but sacrificing guaranteed control.

And it offends me that Collins either didn’t admit more of the above details to the reporter, or that the reporter failed to report them.

Still awake? Because I think we’ve just got to the really interesting part.

I think Ferries has already discovered that there’s some sort of problem in the configuration it choose despite the warnings.

Crew are telling me that it’s looking like the captain of the Inspiration did not engage the emergency pitch override until just before hitting the dock. (To repeat, I’m being told this by many people I trust, but have not confirmed it. )

They say the captain may have hesitated to use the override because experience with the Super Cs has shown that using it can too easily cause the ship to brown out and lose all its other systems — including steering and propulsion.

That’s scary. Because if that’s true, the problem is bigger than one crash that took out a single loading ramp — however awful that was.

Maybe one day, we’ll also be hearing the screech of colliding metal hulls in Active Pass.

Follow along for just a minute. This is the last bit of the puzzle.

Because even if the captain hesitated over fear of shutting down the ship, there’s more to it than that. And it involves … yes, money.

Roughly speaking, ferries sail in what’s known as Mode 1. Docking involves a switch to what’s known as Mode 2.

In Mode 1, the ferry sails as fuel-efficiently as possible.  Mode 2 is less fuel efficient. Crew at BC Ferries are under serious orders to keep a constant watch on fuel efficiency. And rightly so; all ships are. I think it’s the degree to which costs conflict with safe practices that’s at issue.

I’ve been travelling this route for 51 years, the changes have been enormous. Bigger, faster ships, more frequent sailings and yet it doesn’t seem to be as comfortable or convenient.coming and going – meeting in Active Pass

in Vancouver I travel back and forth to Granville Island by Aquabus.

The Public Market is a magical place

with flowers and food and crafts of all sorts

the weather was nasty

“they” said the new retractable roof on the stadium would change the skyline. That’s it, reaching skyward. 

For both Jaclyn and I, yesterday marked a special first. We have seen many transient orcas, which look very much like our residents, but neither one of us has seen a transient eat something. Yesterday though, a little harbor seal was the target and he put up a very valiant fight to escape. With four well trained hunters around though, it did not stand a chance. The whole encounter was fraught with tension, but not the horror that most people would expect and the orcas were just doing what was necessary to survive.

Today was just as thrilling. We had finished looking at Flattop Island and were admiring all of the exotic animals on Spieden when suddenly, Capt. Nancy turned the M/V Sea Lion around and raced off into the channel. “Contact” had been made and what we originally thought were going to be more transients, were then reported as a family from L pod and turned out to be nearly every member of L pod with some of K pod as well! What a shock that was, especially since all of the reports had been of the three resident pods northeast of Active Pass in Canada going farther north!

Luck and good whale fortune have been with us this week and it continues to allow us to show our guests the beauty and majesty of the Pacific Northwest. These were trips of great memories for both the crews and the visitors and we were happy to have hosted you all.

So, from all of us here at San Juan Safaris, to all of you bold adventurers out there, thank you and we will…

See You In The Islands!
~Tristen, Naturalist

Orca Whales and Wildlife Are Our Only Business. ©

Capt. Nancy gave the guests on the MV Sea Lion the run-down as to what to expect, but as we were headed south the news came around that the orcas were actually members of L pod. What a surprise as we had already told everyone that all of the resident orcas were traveling through Active Pass in Canada. The news did not change our plans, of course, because we are looking for those black and whites regardless of the type.

A group of eight animals is what we found near the Hannah Heights area of San Juan Island. Passing on one side and then another, while others blew in the distance were L73 “Flash”, L74 “Saanich”, L54 “Ino” and one of her offspring. As we watched, the sun started to burn through the high fog and clouds and brought a lovely light to the afternoon.

As the day wore on Kathy and I enjoyed the company of our guests and found eagles and seals and lots of seabirds. We answered questions all of the way back to Friday Harbor and were sorry to see the trip end. So, from all of us at San Juan Safaris to all of you, thank you and we will…

See You In The Islands!
P.S. – To the wedding party parents from yesterday, congratulations and we delivered orcas for the ceremony right on time!

~Tristen, Naturalist

Orca Whales and Wildlife Are Our Only Business. ©

Orca Whales and Wildlife Are Our Only Business. ©

I wish I could have got some photos to share but sometimes it is better just to watch and enjoy than worry about snapping pictures. There are plenty of lovely orca photos online already. The beautiful sunset on Saturna was easier to photograph.

A small charter boat had followed two transient Orcas up the coast of Vancouver Island to Active Pass between Galiano and Mayne Islands, B.C. We caught up with them on the east side of the pass and had the amazing opportunity to watch as the whales surfaced and blew in the late evening sun. It turned out that we were relaxing with T20 and T21, two transient Orcas that are common to the area. T20 is a big male that is nearly 35 years old and T21 is a female just a few years younger than that.

As the sun set and shot stunning colors into the sky we marveled at the reflection caught on the whale’s dorsal fins each time they surfaced. Interestingly, these two animals along with a third were part of the only recorded negative interaction between resident and transient Orcas. In the 1970s a photographer/researcher witnessed J pod chasing and attacking these transients and attempting to run them ashore. T20, 21 & 22 were finally able to use a boat as a distraction and escape and J pod was left milling and agitated.

There was none of that this night though and the scenes that these two whales afforded us will be stored as precious memories for many years to come. Until the next time, thank you and we will…

See You In The Islands!
~Tristen, Naturalist

Orca Whales and Wildlife Are Our Only Business. ©

If you happen to take my advice then make sure to go kayaking at Montague Harbour, hiking up Mt Galiano, and sightseeing at The Bluffs, or Bellhouse Park.

Top of Mt Galiano – View of Active Pass