Living on the most eastern of the San Juan archipelago islands, Fidalgo island, the variety of trip & training paddle routes from here are endless. While strong currents do exist in nearly every channel surrounding our island shores, learning how to use these currents to travel in the back eddies, the mid-channel-river-like 'green tongue', along with harnessing the strength of the winds (with kayak sails), is what paddling the San Juans is all about to us... Efficiency. Speed. Using what Nature offers to help us achieve our paddling (distance travelling & racing speed) goals. Which sometimes mandates a combination of styles & skills from river and sea kayaking mixed in with occasional surfing and sailing. Adreline rushes. Personal Speed Records. Risk-taking. Innovation. ~Paddle the Islands and let Nature Inspire.~

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Encounters with Orca Whales of the PNW


Encounters with Orca Whales of the Pacific Northwest from Island Paddlers on Vimeo.

Here at Island Paddlers a summer in the Pacific Northwest wouldn't be complete without spending some quality time escaping into the ruggedly remote environments of the San Juan and Broughton island archipelagos- ritualized annual expeditioning with our kayak and cameras.  Some years we'll paddle thousands of miles and see not one, while other years lucky timing on island shorelines provide the best viewing perches for exhilarating glimpses of glistening dorsals and bursting exhales. 


For us, nothing in Nature compares to time spent with our favorite sets of North Pacific Ocean resident Orca whales, the Canadian Northern Residents of the isles and channels in British Columbia's Johnstone Straits, and their 'cousins', the three pods of Southern Resident Orca whales of Washington States' San Juan islands.  *The only killer whales listed as an Endangered Species.  
Observing the different distinct behavior traits of these two whale families and the humans who interact with them in their own watery neighborhoods each years satisfies the cultural anthropologist within...  


Take a few minutes and escape with us into this wonderful world of whales- with enchanting wild Orca whale encounters caught on video, kayakers being played with by a pod of curious Northern Resident Orcas in Johnstone Straits and closely passing pods of Endangered Southern Residents along the shores of San Juan island.

*Look and Listen for surprise close ups, roll overs, a spy hop, splashes, squeaks & squeals!