Everything for the picture, right??

When you catch yourself smiling when no one else is around, that’s probably one of the best ‘happy barometers’ I can think of.



Grizzly Bear with cub, with a pink salmon.



Blue herons waiting for the smaller fish


Blue heron with a fish in the beak


Grizzly bears up close in Glendale Cove, we are watching them chase pink salmon in the shallow water, racing the bald eagles for the fish.
The blue herons fly heavily and slowly yet with such grace, the fast pace and fast song of the Kingfisher keeps our senses alert, the temperamental falcon fighting the crows under the clear blue sky and the icy blue glacier water that is full of life.

This icy blue water reminds me of the south, my mind unwillingly takes me to palm trees and white beaches, but quickly takes me back to Knight Inlet where -out of nowhere - Pacific Whitesided Dolphins show up all around us, around 60 of them…
Knowing that they can outrun the boat easily the dolphins race and play alongside the boat, surrounded by beautiful mountains, some of which are still white from snow.
And all of a sudden they disappear as quickly as they appeared.
Done with playing and showing off.

This must truly be heaven on earth. !!


Knight Inlet with the icy blue water


Pacific Whitesided Dolphin with a baby



Grizzly Bear fishing





Mother and cub

Blue heron

We sat in the little zodiac, nobody else around, watching a pod of orcas playing in the kelp beds, perhaps sharing a fish they caught.

We sat there for more than 15 minutes, watching, listening to the puffing sounds they make when they surface, beautiful green water up against a steep vertical rock, the water completely still.

Yesterday we were watching another pod all alone, and the young ones were particularly playful, breaching, tailslapping, rolling around and spyhopping, going really slowly along the shore.

We were watching them for about 30 or 40 minutes, passing by some kayakers, and all of a sudden, a few feet from our boat we heard the puff from the blowhole very close to us, and since we were watching the pod from a safe distance, the surfacing orca came as a chock to us all, we had not seen it coming. Awesome!

Once again we could hear the orca singing straight from the water, no hydrophones, just real life.

WOW!!!

Orca ´mini breach´

Pectoral slap

Lunging orca

Tomorrow we will be on the water, not one day is the same, so I am looking forward to a trip on the water once again.
Unfortunately, I have gotten a bad case of photositis, my left arm and shoulder is in very bad shape, but knowing myself, I will be sitting front row with my camera in my hands, ignoring the pain and complain about it when we come back on the shore… Everything for the picture, right??