With the weather getting warmer, my thoughts turn to the upcoming summer and the whales of Johnstone Strait The signs of Spring are here on the coast of BC in Canada, so my eyes turn to maps and schedules as I look forward to the upcoming summer hiking, canoeing and kayaking season. Not being a big winter enthusiast, I really look forward to summer.
Take a look at the map here. It's one of the special areas out here on the coast of BC. Why? Think whales. Orca whales. That area called Johnstone Strait (in yellow on the map) is home to many orcas.
Kayaking with orcas in Johnstone Strait is one of those great sea kayaking trips in BC. There is a large population of these whales in Johnstone Strait, and they live there because of the living feast -- salmon that return to spawn.
One of the reasons we don't have a base camp on our kayaking trips is that the orcas, like all travelers, love to wander. We can go where they are hanging out.
We out here in this area are very lucky to be able to observe these beautiful animals. I remember a guide telling me about the effect of these water mammals on a 6 foot tall, 250 lb man. They were listening to the hydrophone, which broadcasts the orcas' underwater calls when submerged underwater, and heard a distinctive orca voice. They were looking around, trying to see the large beast which was nowhere in sight yet clearly announcing its approach. The man paused, took in the orcas' call and surveyed the scenery, and said "I think I"m going to cry."
