BIG MAMA, THE HUMPBACK WHALE

When we got into Anacortes and talked with the folks at “Visitor Info”,  we discovered that we had not done our homework very well.  We knew the ferry to Victoria was pricey, but the times were the problem.  It was NOT a day trip like we had thought and "planned" (nothing is very planned with us this trip!!).  By the time we would get there, we would only have time to drive 30 miles down to the city proper, get a beer and then hoof it back to the ferry, OR spend the night.  We decided that would be a very expensive beer and we really didn’t want to have to find a room, etc.  And there was a “guaranteed” whale watch here in Anacortes.  We ditched Victoria and signed up.

The boat only held 11 people and we got the last 2 slots.  Thank goodness the bay was calm that day!  With such a small boat we had a real up close and personal experience!  LOL…And their guarantee was good.  We watched “Big Mama” (their name, she comes every year) feed and dive for about 45 minutes!!  Dave was surprised at the pictures he got.  Catching her surface and dive is sort of like photographing lightening.  And the conditions were complicated by a grey day (started out with misty rain)  so the sea and horizon would tend to blend together.  Several times we came within 200 yards of her and had to kill our engines.  Later we saw Minke whales feeding on bait balls.  These the captain found by watching for swarms of birds. The birds would swarm feeding on fish and the suddenly fly up as the whale rushed in a took a gulp of fish and water to push though his baleen "filter."  They were smaller (30 ft vs 60!) and very fast.  Impossible to photograph, but fun to watch.  We also saw the proliferate harbor seals and a bald eagle nest, but no eagles.  Several times we had to veer the boat quickly to avoid large logs and  floating debris.  This had been caused by the supermoon tides.  Matt (the captain – cute young thing about 30!) said that they had had several things float up lately from the Japanese Tsunami – a refrigerator, motorcycle, tires and a car!

 

One other funny thing happened on the boat... here we are out of sight of land and suddenly we have great cell phone and data!  I took a call from Clay and Keith and I texted several times!! LOL... at the campsite... nothing... out in the middle of the bay... great service!!  LOL  BTW... I'm turning off my cell phone while in Canada the next 4-5 days.  Dave's will still be active.

The next day we started for Canada.  It is Canada Day weekend (their 4th of July) and many of the campgrounds are full, but we have bookings for the next 2 days - the most we've planned!!  On the way to Kamloop, we saw waterfalls and mountains that were amazing!  Bessie did the climb really well!!  One more "stop and drop" and we should be in Banff and Lake Louise, but may hold off til the crowds leave on Monday.  We saw signs on the way up here announcing that the construction was finished and the flood roads open!  So far everyone we've talked to who has come from that way has had no problems.