You know you’re on a photo expedition when the motor drives and clicking of cameras drowns out the staccato of a pod of killer whales crossing in front of the bow. The cheers and gasps of amazement, however, could be heard above all else as the black and white brand of charismatic megafauna cavorted all around us.
Being an especially large group and of a specific nuances of morphology it was determined that this was a resident pod of what are commonly known as orcas. In Southeast Alaska there are two prominent types of killer whales, the transient or Bigg’s population, which exclusively predates upon mammals, and the aforementioned resident population, that only feeds on fish.
These two groups have been identified as two separate species that while superficially similar, have diverged significantly. Apart from the drastically different diet, both varieties have distinguishably different vocalizations that are classified as independent languages.
After unprecedented amounts of tail lobbing, breaching and even some more risque adult behavior, even the naturalists on board gave up trying to explain exactly what was going on and just enjoyed the show. Not to be left out, half a dozen humpback whales joined into the swirling melee of blubber circling the ship. They appeared undaunted by the ocean’s top predators frolicking nearby, reinforcing the consensus that the killer whales were the marine-mammal-friendly resident species. Hours and thousands of photos later we took our leave from this captivating experience and pushed northwards to Hanus Bay. Hikers set out to Lake Eva, passing bear sign and salmon through the lush and thriving temperate rain forest.
During recap the undersea program made its directorial debut of the week, showing off the wondrous world beneath the surface via footage obtained that very afternoon. Nudibranchs, sunflower sea stars, and even a vibrantly colored and inquisitive giant Pacific octopus all were viewed from warm and dry comfort of the forward lounge, followed by yet another sumptuous dinner.
After a very full day it was finally time to retire to our cabins and recharge our eyes, camera batteries and trigger fingers until tomorrow.
