04.03.21
Hey NC Blog Readers, I just wanted to jump in here and do a massive shout out to our ever assistive interns! They’ve proved themselves once again by recapturing the day for you! See below for Taylor’s recount.
Great day for scientists and customers!
A usual thought process is that the best days on the boat are ones with sunny skies and flat calm water, but today decided to put that to the test with decent swells. That didn’t deter the orcas though with us spotting them playing in the waves from the get-go. After arriving and tonking along for a few minutes, two were spotted off in the distance by our amazing resident photographer.
GO TIME!
We slowly turned towards them and started to follow their general direction and before long we were watching 3 pods of mothers and calves surf the waves right next to us. Tatty, Flapper and Razor surfed like the professionals through the waves showing off their perfect form that would put Mick Fanning to shame. Out of the gloom, sharking through the water, a fin got taller and taller. The big bull Blade had joined the group and with his dorsal fin cutting through the water like, well, a blade. When the group weren’t surfing the big waves, they were coming up to the boat to get a good look at us and one baby must’ve been happy to see us because we were shown a big toothy smile.
The excitement didn’t stop there with the 3 pods staying by the boat all day, meaning we didn’t have to travel far. There was a brief pause in action, just in time for lunch, before the pods started surfing again in unison and the calves became very playful. As they surfed, practiced their moves by doing upside down surges, tail slaps, and the occasional “Free Willy”!
Before we knew it, it was time to head home but not before stopping to look at the seals and sea lions on Glasse Island. As we looked on the rock, we were surprised to see a mother with her BRAND-NEW BABY! How brand new? So new the placenta was seen nearby on the rocks, which is totally AWESOME! Definitely a good end to an equally good day!
