WOW!  What a fabulous day on the water….and a memorable last trip of the season!  Leaving Friday Harbor with promising weather and the news that orca vocalizations were heard on the Port Townsent hydrophone three hours before, spirits are high.  The water is flat clam today and yesterday’s rain and wind have done an excellent vanishing act.

A stop right before Cattle Point turns into a birders paradise!  An adult Bald eagle perches proudly on beach logs scanning the water for prey.  Surf Scoters float in a large group ahead of us, and one Grebe pops around on the edge of the flock.  Then two Marbled Murrlets appear bobbing off our port side and quickly dive…reappearing moments later a few yards away.

Little Harbor seal heads skim through the water on their way somewhere, for something.

On we go, heading out into Haro Strait.  The water out there today looks, well….big.  As in vast…huge…very expansive…and only two little dots far off for boats.  Flat water….but no ripples in the water and no fins.  We look and look….and LOOK.  Finally, way out toward Victoria we stop.  Splash!  In goes the hydrophone….and instantly we hear it!  J pod calls!!  And the vocalizations are loud!  They are close…somewhere close…binoculars pop up to every eye…and we look some more, but now with excitement and hope.  This is a great day to have four extra crew along and all those experienced eyes scanning the horizon.  Before long Chris shouts…”There! ”  …and we know now, this last trip will be with Southern Resident Orca whales!  Soon Doublestuf, J-34 is cruising and foraging off our stern.  His mother then appears, and little sibling and cousin.  In the distance we see a mother and calf.  Whales!  Lots of whales!  ”

Now for the surprise!  Two long backs suddenly appear on the other side of the boat!  While everyone has been focused on the port side, the beautiful Orca whales…two Humpback whales have cruised along beside us.  Engines silent everyone watches as Orca whales amaze us on one side, and Humpback whales amaze us on the other.  One of the humpbacks is identifiable as “Split Fin” as the fin is clearly split in two.  We are treated to a huge pec fin waving in the air as the whale rolls…and then a massive cartwheel as the tail stock flips through the air and crashes down in the water!

Which way to watch?  No way to lose on this one!

The weather holds, we enjoy these amazing animals in lovely light, warm temperatures and flat water.  But we are a long way from home, and time flies when you are with whales.  Trust me on this.

Too soon it seems, but we turn back for the trip across Haro Strait and Friday Harbor.  The whales continue west….we turn our bow to the east.  I take one last, long look…and you know…I really do think that Split Fin waved a special goodbye.  Don’t you?  ”Vaya con Dios,” I whisper.

Looking up,  I see….smiles all around!