Whoa, Did That Really Happen?
It was and still is a day to never forget
A big sailing day with strong winds, heeling over the side of the boat with sprays of water hitting our faces. It was one of our ‘shakedown” cruises as we hadn’t been out but once this season. It takes a bit to clear out the “brain fog” of getting on the boat and going through all the steps before casting off.
It was the end of the day and we were heading back to our slip on “D Dock” at Swantown Marina. We hadn’t yet docked and then I nervously said, “there’s something in the water” and it’s bigger than a seal.
Omg, it’s moving and I see a tail and it’s very, very close to our boat!
Could it really be?? Yes, it’s an Orca tail and now there are two!! We can almost touch them, they are so close. It’s our own private “Marineland” and the orcas are performing just for us!
I’m reaching frantically for my phone to get as many shots as possible. They are swimming together, going under and then popping up to expose their white underbellies.
We’ve waited nearly four years to see this heart-grabbing, no words to describe the joy, the wonder, the awe, the indescribable beauty of nature in the wild.
They are endangered and there are only 73 in the South Puget Sound where we live.
At this moment, every problem, struggle, and challenge you face fades away in the background. To witness this peak experience is difficult to put into words.
It’s a spiritual high!
A day like no other….wishing it could last forever..this magnificent, awe-inspiring bigger than life, once-in-a-lifetime viewing of these magnificent creatures.
Four Interesting Facts about an Orca:
- “Killer whales” are not dangerous or at least to humans. There have been no instances of killing a human.
- They are highly intelligent, and curious and do not thrive in captivity.
- They have evolved their swimming to forty miles a day
- Orca brains can weigh up to 15lbs and are the largest of the dolphins. They weigh 1.5 to 6 tons.
As a sideline, you may have seen this headline just this month (August 2022):
Killer whales are ‘attacking’ sailboats near Europe’s coast. Scientists don’t know why
Two boats were reportedly sunk by orcas off the coast of Portugal last month, in the worst such encounter since authorities have tracked them.
Sailing magazines and websites have written about the phenomenon, noting that orcas seem to be especially attracted to a boat’s rudder. Scientists don’t really know why at this point. There’s something about moving parts that seem to stimulate them.
It may be a game among the “juvenile whales” and they may just outgrow this behavior!
We are only visitors to their home of the sea…
I love the following Advice:
Advice from an Orca:
Take time to Play
Enjoy a good swim
Don’t be afraid to make waves
Always keep learning
Jump for joy!
When we return wild animals to nature, we merely return them to what is already theirs.
For a man cannot give wild animals freedom, they can only take it away.
Jacques Cousteau
