#fixed lens

90′s Museum (unedited)

Oct. 17th 2019

Flatulent Whales

Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada

On Vancouver Island there is a whole industry dedicated to the exploration of wildlife. Tour operators specially in bears, eagles, seals and of course whales. While on Hawaii it wasn’t possible to see any whales. They cross the streams around the islands only from December to May. But Vancouver Island is a good spot for whales to spend the summer months and the chance to encounter these giant mammals is very high during July and August.

A short stop in the well organized visitors center of Campbell River and a last minute phone call later I was sitting in my discounted zodiac seat wearing a Helly Hansen drysuit and feeling the cold air in my face.

The zodiac was well equipped with two 200HP engines and thus was able to maneuver in the bays and passages surrounding Campbell River. 

We were one of the first boats to spot a group of transient Orca whales. The pod was composed of 4-5 animals with one of them being a giant bull. They where hunting for dolphins and other marine animals by taking a breath on the surface and disappearing for a minute to two. In between the dives you could easily spot their distinct dorsal fin.

A ride into the narrow streams exposed us to a natural phenomenon that is caused by the incoming tide. The ocean pushes with all it’s imminent force against the water already in the narrow passageways between the island and the mainland. This creates very scary currents and rapids that from the surface look sometimes real quiet. But underneath the surface you can imagine the power of millions of tons of water pushing in. 

I was able to spot humpbacks breaching out of the water the same day. These huge animals would not fail to impress me. The amount of energy needed to push a multi ton body out of the water and fall back with an enormous splash must be more than just a few kilograms of plankton and krill each day. Due to law regulations the boats have to keep a hundred meter security distance to the animals. But when they come towards the boat you’re extremely lucky. That happened to a boat nearby and I bet these wildlife spotters had the time of their life. Even more so because the blow holes humpback whales are connected right to their stomach. Which means every exhaust is like a giant whale fart. And you could certainly smell this odor even from a few hundred meters away.

After 3 hours of cold air, warm sun and bumpy rides we had a small break in one of the more remote bays. A hot coffee works wonders and restored my concentration.