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Report from the FieldAn up-to-date report of what's going on here at Northern Lights - check here for information about the highlights of our recent adventures, our guides and other important news. February, 2003 We're having a mild winter here in the Pacific Northwest, making spring seem even closer. Lots of sunny days and little rain bring inspiration for the summer soon to come. We're busy making arrangements to make your summer trip as easy as possible. From hotel lodging to water taxi transportation, we've made the plans so you don't have to. If you've visited our web site in the past, you've probably noticed that we've put up a brand new site at the end of January. A celebration was in order after all the detailed work that went into building the site. We will also be adding new features weekly throughout the spring, so keep checking. We welcome your feedback; it has always helped us improve our trips and just about every aspect of our business. Since Northern Lights began in 1983, we've made a lot of changes that came directly from your suggestions. Thank you! Back in 1999, we launched a Mothership kayaking venture after we purchased and renovated the beautiful 'Spirit Bear.' Many guests have joined us on these one-of-a-kind adventures over the past four years, which have become more and more popular each summer. This year, we've booked eight trips already, and with the summer being only about 14 weeks long, space is now limited. While there are still several weeks left (including three in August!), we encourage you to contact us right away if you are hoping to create your own special Spirit Bear Voyage for this summer. You can now visit our new Spirit Bear web site, at www.kayakchartersbc.com, which gives more in-depth information about these incredible coastal voyages. For those of you who've signed up for a trip in 2003; welcome to the Northern Lights experience. We look forward to meeting all of you in just a few short months. We're finishing up our research to be sure that all our information is up to date for your handbooks; they'll be mailed to you next month. For those of you considering a trip, please give us a call any time to discuss your options. We can help you decide which is the best trip for you. We welcome questions from all - those just getting a feel for what we offer to those already signed up and anticipating your summer's adventure. You can reach us Monday through Friday 8am-6pm and Saturdays, 9am-5pm, Pacific Time. 800-754-7402. Talk to you soon! We're going on tour! Check our 'Slide Shows & Presentations' page to see if we'll be in your area this spring. We'll be traveling with a slide show and lots of information about our area's wildlife and of course, kayaking opportunities. We'd love to see you there. January, 2003
Now that our brochure is complete and in your hands (or on the way to you), you'll have basic information about our trips. For more detailed information, we have sample itineraries available for each of our different trips; call or e-mail to request your copies any time. While our daily itineraries are decided by your guides based on weather, wildlife, and guest desires, these sample itineraries give you a feel for what a typical week on each adventure will be like. Also, scroll down to the bottom of this page, where you'll find a sampling of reports from our 2002 summer trips. December, 2002 The final month of the year has arrived and is flying right by. This month, we've been working diligently on our new brochure for 2003. The brochures will be mailed the first week of January. Please call if you would like to receive a copy or if you expected to receive one but did not. We're also working on a new web site for 2003. What an exciting project! We've started from scratch, so we've had a lot of decisions to make. Our focus is making the site easily navigable, full of images from our trips (which load quickly!), and including more information than we can fit in the brochure. It's been really fun working together to make these decisions and seeing the site blossom as we take each step. Look for our new site, here at www.seakayaking.com, in the next month. Once the big brochure mailing is completed, we usually see a large increase in reservations for our trips. If your vacation time is not very flexible, now's the time to start looking at availability. We have space available on almost every trip at this time, but dates are bound to begin filling in the coming weeks. As for us, we'll be here to answer your questions and take reservations any time Monday through Friday 8am to 6pm and Saturdays 9am to 5pm. When we're not on the phone or checking e-mail, we'll be busy updating and improving our trip handbooks for next summer. In March, we send out handbooks to everyone who has reserved space on our trips. These informative books include details about travel, what to bring, what we provide, and a field guide with lots of information about the wildlife your likely to encounter.
We are happy to welcome two new calves to the southern resident population of killer whales! These calves were born to two different mothers in different families in a community of whales that is struggling to keep their population alive. The southern residents are a group of killer whales that reside in the waters near Victoria on Southern Vancouver Island and Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands of Washington. While newborn killer whales have only a 50% survival rate, these little calves will have all the love and attention they can get from their families and human supporters. While we have to stand aside and let nature take it's course, we can do everything in our power to support conservation efforts to give these whales all the clean water and healthy salmon they need to survive in these trying times. We're crossing our fingers for a happy and healthy future for these two new calves. We wish you all the happiest of holidays and a wonderful new year! November, 2002 Every year we marvel at how quickly summer turns into the holiday season, and this year is no different! With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we wish you all an unforgettable holiday season. As many of you have noticed, our schedule is now complete and available on our web site or through our office. The 2003 catalog is in it's final stages of design and will be off to the printer's before we know it. If you have not yet received a copy of our catalog, or would like to be sure a friend receives our '03 version, please call or e-mail our office and we'll be sure to add you to our list for immediate mailing once the catalogs are printed. We've been keeping up with whale news, both locally and on the far-off shores of Norway, where Keiko has chosen to spend the winter. Norwegian officials have welcomed Keiko and have demonstrated their loyalty to the whale when the Seaquarium of Miami, Florida requested that Keiko be shipped to their aquarium to accompany their captive killer whale, Lolita. The request was kindly refused by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Norwegian officials agreed with this decision, stating that it would be a great step back to put Keiko in an aquarium again. While skeptics view Keiko's short stint in the wild as a sign that his reintroduction was a failure, those working closely with the whale disagree. They note that Keiko remained in good health over the sixty days during which he traveled hundreds of miles from Iceland to Norway. He has learned to forage on his own, and maintained good health in the many weeks without human contact. Of course, Keiko's social skills do seem a bit rough; he will have a chance to progress this winter when a resident population of killer whales returns to the waters around Keiko's winter pen in Norway. Information from the United States Humane Society web site was used in this report. For more information, visit their site at http://hsus.org/ace/14913. Closer to home on North America's west coast we are struggling with a different problem - the wild orca population is undergoing a rapid decline. Unfortunately, the federal government did not respond to their need for protection, when it denied "Endangered Species" status for the resident killer whale population of Washington State. This population is part of the group that also resides near the south end of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada each summer. Canadian officials have responded to the problem by listing this population as endangered, which protects the orcas while they are in Canadian waters. The next step we can make towards protecting our cherished killer whale population in the U.S. is to urge Washington State to list the orcas as endangered on a state level. We invite you to send a personal letter to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) requesting that the state give protection to the southern resident orcas under Washington Administrative Code 232.12.297, Section 5.1.3., the state Endangered Species Act. If you'd like to write, address mail to: Jeff Koenings,
Director, WDFW In addition to your personal comments, you may wish to note the following: If you are a
Washington resident, say so. If not, let them know that you find
the orcas a reason to come to the state as a tourist, providing
jobs and a diversified economy. On a more uplifting note, when last spotted on October 6th, Springer (A73) was with a large number of whales including the A clan, a large group which includes members of her family. She was spotted in Johnstone Strait, passing by our Wild Orca camp, by local researchers. Springer appeared to be in great shape (lots of play behavior) and showed none of her past behavior of approaching boats. There is no doubt she is managing to keep up with the Northern Residents. She appears to have blended in wonderfully with her clan and her reintegration appears to be progressing very well. As the northern pods head away from Johnstone Strait for a few months, we’ll all cross our fingers that she, and all of our northern residents, have a successful winter. We’ll be there to check on them early next summer. October, 2002 Our 2003 schedule is now complete, and can be found on our dates and prices page. We've made some exciting changes to our schedule for next year. As always, we'll be running a full season of our classic Inside Passage adventures. For twenty years we have found our Inside Passage adventure to be the most popular choice for those wishing for a well-rounded kayaking adventure including island exploration, wildlife viewing, and wild killer whale encounters. In addition to our Inside Passage adventures, we've added new trips which are focused on whale watching from camp and our kayaks. We've selected a camp site for these Wild Orca Adventures, which is the absolute best place on the planet for seeing orcas. Wild Orca Adventures are for those of you who like the idea of a kayaking adventure, but really want to focus in on the whale experience. They also come in response to the many requests we've had for shorter trips. You can now join a Northern Lights adventure for as few as three days. Wild Orca Adventure trips are 3-4 days of kayaking, along with one day on a first-class whale watching vessel. We've learned over the years that there are many of you who, like us, want to explore the "outer" territories of the expansive British Columbia coast. This inspired our Lost Islands trips, and last year's Farthest Shore adventures. While we've had many very happy guests and continued interest in this type of trip, we've found the Prince Rupert area to be a bit limited - the summer season is shorter, and the winds are still a factor that has at times limited our kayaking. This is not unusual in many areas of the BC coast; wind is the very reason we've passed up areas popular with others (like the Queen Charlotte Islands, and locations on Vancouver Island's west coast). Our reputation of providing the highest quality adventures has been built by our high standards over the past twenty years. We make safety our number one priority, which means your kayaking time is greater in areas with little weather restrictions. We've taken these factors into consideration and come up with a new trip area for 2003. Island Explorer trips are for those of you who want to explore among islands in rarely traveled areas. On your first day, an exhilarating sea plane flight takes you from the Port McNeill harbour to your island destination. You'll kayak in areas abundant with wildlife and native history, but not other kayakers! Our Spirit Bear Voyages were more popular than ever in 2002 and we're looking forward to another great season next year. It's a good idea to book early to get your best choice of dates. Spirit Bear adventures are excellent for families, friends, or a romantic getaway. You can focus on killer whale encounters, native villages, bear watching, reaching remote destinations, or a combination - it's your adventure from start to finish! Another favorite which will be back in 2003 is our Farewell Harbour lodge-based trips in September. These have all the great day-time exploration opportunities of our Inside Passage trips, along with the added benefits of staying at a beautiful lodge. Finally, we've added grizzly-watching day trips to our roster for 2003. These day trips can be added on to any of our scheduled trips. For those of you wishing to spend a day in search of the legendary grizzlies, this is an excellent way to expand and diversify your sea kayaking vacation. While our schedule is now posted and we're taking reservations for all 2003 adventures, you'll notice the rest of our web site is in need of some updating. Please check in for expanded trip descriptions and information in November. Our catalog will also be available soon - mailing is scheduled for around New Year's. Please call or e-mail our office with questions about next year's adventures or to book your trip. September 30, 2002 Below you will find our last Report from the Field for our 2002 season. It is hard to believe our season has come to an end – our gear has nestled in for the winter, guides have scattered throughout Canada, and the gear we're retiring is now in Bellingham and ready for sale. We'll be sure to update you on any news as it comes up throughout the off-season. Monthly reports will be posted here until we get back on the water in June. Our schedule is just about confirmed for 2003; be sure to check in for exciting changes to next year's offerings. September 21 - 28, 2002 Spirit Bear We saw the clear skies on our first night out – the sparkling stars and glowing moon lit the night sky. We also enjoyed the opportunity to paddle in calm seas surrounded by magical mists. A few Eagles still linger, even this late into the summer and other migratory birds are coming through the area including the fork-tailed storm petrels we saw on a few different occasions. We caught ourselves some Dungeness crabs, which we enjoyed for supper along with a salmon filet, which was cooked to perfection by guide James, who is a professional chef. There were also a lot of ripe salal berries and a few huckleberries to tempt our taste buds! With a week full of adventures and surprises, it's tough to choose the high point. However, the incredible wildlife encounters we had throughout the week would be hard to top! A humpback whale and her calf were spotted at each end of our trip. We had another humpback whale surface about ten feet from the Spirit Bear and splash us with its tail as it went under. Another day, we ran into four pods of orcas all traveling together. It was heartwarming to see Springer – the orphaned killer whale who was relocated to this, her home territory, earlier in the summer – nestled between two orcas as they rested at the surface. Between whale encounters, we spotted a river otter, harbour porpoises, and Dall's porpoises. The last day was really phenomenal – we sat on the bow deck of the Spirit Bear, enjoying a fabulous sushi lunch as we listened to about thirty orcas foraging around us! There couldn't be a more fitting way to end our 2002 summer than with an unforgettable whale encounter. With excellent weather, including a six-week stretch without a drop of rain and phenomenal whale activity this was a summer that will not be forgotten! We thank all of you who joined us this year; as always a highlight almost every guest reports are the friendships that grew out of this experience. We hope you all stay in touch with each other and with us. We wish you all the best in your adventures yet to come! For those who weren't able to join us this year, we look forward to meeting you and sharing our passion for kayaking among the incredible wildlife of the British Columbia coast. September 15 - 21, 2002 Farewell
Harbour Our days were filled with exciting encounters – sea lions, seals, dolphins, porpoises, and oh yes – whales! We encountered humpback whales on three different occasions; we watched in awe as they breached right in front of us! We had four different orca sightings, including a very close encounter (within 15 feet!) and a superpod. We enjoyed one another's company – our group was made up of people ranging in age from 30 to 70. We kept each other laughing the entire week and won't forget the new friends we made. With mostly clear skies, lots of paddling, fresh berries including red currants, salal berries, and blackberries, a visit to an abandoned native village, awesome wildlife encounters and fantastic company, we couldn't have hoped for a better week. Our trip came to a close with one of the highlights of the week. We rose early to watch the sun rise over the horizon, coloring the sky brilliantly. For us, this was a perfect way to see our final sights in the Inside Passage. We didn't expect to come across three humpback whales and a superpod of 60 orcas! September 8 - 13, 2002 Farewell
Harbour A special land-based treat was seeing a couple of flying squirrels near the lodge. These nocturnal animals are rarely seen, and it takes a keen nighttime eye to spot them. One of our intrepid guests caught a 40 pound chinook salmon during the week, from one of the Farewell Harbour fishing boats. We all appreciated Dick’s effort! On a charter boat trip, guests were treated to sightings of several grizzly bears and one close encounter with a black bear. The starry skies and the milky way were breathtaking at night, and reminded many of us why we come here, to experience the grandeur and magic of the wilderness far from the distractions of our city lives. It was a rewarding and replenishing week for all. September 1 – 7, 2002 We've had an incredible summer so far – great weather (six straight weeks without rain), incredible wildlife encounters, including killer whales, black bears, porpoises, dolphins, eagles, deer, and even wolves. On these summer days, we just take it all in. This week in the Inside Passage, orcas, minke whales, and humpback whales outnumber the people in the area! Superpods have been sighted on a regular basis, thrilling whale-watchers, kayakers, and researchers alike. It's a fantastic time to be in the Inside Passage area. Most of the other visitors have returned home, and here we are having some of the most incredible whale sightings of the year! Northern Lights founder, David Arcese, and Operations Manager, Andrew Shostak, were scouting potential new camps in prime paddling and whale sighting areas, when they encountered a superpod of 60 – 75 orcas! Reports are now coming in of sightings of 130 plus whales. Humpback whales have really made a strong appearance this summer, and Transient killer whales (visitors to our area) have also been spotted lately. Nothing but pleasing news coming from the waters off the northeast end of Vancouver Island! Inside Passage Our guests were thrilled with the variety (and volume!) of wildlife spotted this week. During a one-and-a-half-hour period, we encountered 30-40 orcas! One pod came within 20 feet of our kayaks; just listening to their breath as they surfaced was out of this world. We spotted river otters (which live in the ocean), harbour porpoises and Dall's porpoises throughout the week. Guests had heard stories of spotting orcas from shore, but were delighted to go home with their own experience; about ten orcas passed less than fifty feet from camp mid-week! Nature's highlights awaited us with each stroke of the paddle and each step on the forest floor. We enjoyed fresh ripe salal berries, right off the bush. A real treat was the opportunity of a lifetime for many – seeing the northern lights ignite the sky for over half an hour. A truly special experience for us all! August 17 - 24, 2002 Inside Passage There were lots of killer whales around this week; we were lucky to have a close encounter with three pods, totaling around twenty whales as they entered Johnstone Strait. They had just left the Robson Bight ecological reserve, which has been set aside as a no-boating zone for the orcas, who enjoy rubbing along the pebble beaches in the small bay. On our last evening while fishing, four guests had a surprise visit by a northern sea lion that passed within ten feet of their kayaks! A foggy morning created a magical atmosphere for our last paddle. With a low tide and mist in the air, we explored the intertidal life by kayak and said our goodbyes to this enchanting archipelago. Spirit Bear A group of Dall’s porpoises were bow riding on the first day and on the second day we came across a group of 32 orcas! Some were spyhopping and tail slapping, while others took their time resting at the surface. We also spotted, throughout the week, many other sea mammals including Dall’s porpoises, harbour seals sunning on rocks, a river otter, and a northern sea lion. Other whale encounters included a minke whale, a lone humpback, and a humpback with a calf. Bird life was fantastic this week! We spotted many different species, including common loons, northern phalarope, fork-tailed storm petrel, and a lot of bald eagles and their nests. We even spotted a young eagle learning how to fly. Guest Larry caught two coho salmon, which were returned to the sea after the exhilarating catch! In 2000, Northern Lights sponsored whale adoptions for our returning guests; many people have continued to support their "adopted" orcas over the past couple years. Guests Ann and Ray saw the whale they adopted, along with her young calf. It was a highlight of the week for all of us! August 4 - 10, 2002 Inside Passage Very warm sunny days bathed us as we paddled, ate seaside meals, and relaxed on the beach. Starry night skies showered us with twinkling above while nighttime bioluminescence sparkled in the sea below us. Sea life is one of the things many of us don't get to see back home. Here it is plentiful and this week we had encounter after encounter! Two pods of orcas were seen from camp; we saw two breaches on our first day. We had a close encounter with two minke whales one afternoon. Porpoises and seals were spotted frequently. One day we drifted slowly in our kayaks for about 20 minutes while four Dall's porpoises foraged around us. As we enjoyed the experience of just resting and taking it all in, the porpoises came to within 10 yards of us. Northern Lights' operations manager, Andrew, has spent many summers guiding on this coast. He enjoys spending his time off on his boat, catching fish and crabs to deliver to unsuspecting guests. We were lucky enough to be on the receiving end this week; Andrew brought us a fresh salmon, which we cooked on traditional cedar planks over the fire. It was absolutely amazing! Thanks Andrew! July 20 - 27, 2002 Inside Passage Our killer whale encounters were certainly a highlight of our adventure. We spotted them on the first day from shore, where eight whales traveled directly in front of our camp. Also from camp we saw seals and porpoises - all on our first day! Also in store for us were encounters with a sea lion and Harbour porpoise, and awesome encounters with bird life. We saw over ten Great Blue Herons together on a kelp bed, and ten bald eagles sharing a point near our second camp. We often see herons and eagles, but seeing them together like this was quite extraordinary! Kingfishers were also seen in great numbers this week. The combination of guests and guides was a hit . . . Guide Tobi's knowledge of everything from intertidal life to insects and birds was greatly appreciated, as were the treats from our guests. Guides were individually serenaded around the campfire on the last night and another guest shared a native legend about how the raven stole the light, which had been memorized before the trip. Our final whale encounter took our breath away as we watched the pod's blows for some distance against a spectacular sunset. We all came away from the trip having our expectations far exceeded! July 22,
2002 The orphaned orca, A73 (nicknamed "Springer"), who was transported from the Puget Sound region back to her home in the Inside Passage last week, appears to be adjusting well to the move. Her last VHF radio tag has fallen off, as was planned, so tracking her movements is now more difficult, but researchers spotted her among a very large group of killer whales in the Johnstone Strait on July 18. She was swimming closely with two orphaned orcas, A51 and A61, who are brother and sister. Researchers believe they could make excellent companions for Springer. There is still some concern about Springer’s physical condition and her ability to keep up with the other whales, but researchers are hopeful she will make a full recovery and successful reintegration into the population. For more information,
check out the following websites: Photograph by Lance Barrett-Lennard, Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre.
Spirit Bear The Spirit Bear found itself continually in the midst of one incredible encounter after another. We spotted three humpbacks, on more than one occasion, including a mother and a young whale, also spyhopping, breaching, and tail slapping. A minke whale made its way into our sights, along with a group of Dall's porpoises that included a newborn. We spotted a Northern sea lion, harbour seals, also at one point including a mother with two pups. It's so exciting to see the young sea mammals - a sign of a healthy population and a good future on this coast. You can bet the memories made on this trip will not be soon forgotten! July 6 - 13, 2002 Inside Passage We spent afternoons sunning on beaches after delicious lunches prepared fresh at our mid-day stopping points. Guide Kelda shared native lore as we relaxed on crushed clam shell beaches where natives lived for thousands of years. We got a taste of what they lived on by snacking on fresh currants and a few ripe huckleberries. Guest Dean spent some of his free time carving a beautiful orca, which impressed us all. Under sunny skies, we enjoyed the best of what the Inside Passage has to offer. Update on
Springer (A-73) After a night of acclimation and reintroduction to her native waters, the A11 family and A73 contacted each other vocally on Sunday afternoon. The whole family turned into the bay where A73’s pen was located and all the whales excitedly swam, breached and spy-hopped, trying to get a better look at each other. That was the signal to scientists that there couldn’t be a better time for release. The net was let down and A73 quickly swam out to meet her relatives. Nine months have passed since their last meeting; no doubt there were lots of questions on each side and some awkwardness as they wondered quite what to do with each other. As of Monday evening, A73 was following the A11 family at some distance behind, but keeping in touch. As an orphan, A73 may not ever fully integrate into another family in her home waters; time will tell. There are other related families she should soon come into contact with who she may join up with. It is thought her chances of survival will be greater if she does integrate into a pod, but she could also live for a long time as a solitary whale. This is the first reintroduction of a whale in history, an exciting and promising experiment that holds promise for whales now in captivity, who could possibly look to a future in the wild. We will follow A73’s journey throughout the summer, as long as she remains in the area and as long as we are still there, through late September. Our reports on her progress will come each week; stay tuned. July 10, 2002 We've been keeping you updated on the orphaned killer whale A-73, nicknamed "Springer," and her progress toward relocation in her native waters of British Columbia's Inside Passage. Springer is now headed home! Researchers in Manchester, Washington (Springer's temporary home) have treated her ailments and determined her overall health is good and poses no risk to other northern resident orcas. On Friday, July 12, Springer will be loaded aboard a 144-foot catamaran for transport to a holding pen in Dong Chong Bay, an enclosed bay off Hanson Island, in the Inside Passage. Here she will wait until members of her family from the "A" pod arrive in the area, at which time the pen will be opened and Springer will be allowed to rejoin her family. Researchers are optimistic about the success of this unprecedented process. We all wish Springer a safe journey! More information can be found at www.projectseawolf.com or www.vanaqua.org. (Springer photo by Bob Wood - Project SeaWolf) June 29 - July 6, 2002 Inside Passage We were hoping to catch a King salmon for dinner, but were surprised to pull in a 10 pound Lingcod instead! Of course we didn't shy away from showing it off to our fishing guide friends from Farewell Harbour before cooking it up for a northwest feast. June 23 - 28, 2002 Inside Passage Dolphins and porpoises playfully greeted guests to the Inside Passage all week. Dall's porpoises were spotted from one group's water taxi on the first day. A few energetic porpoises surfed the wake of the boat as it headed out toward the first camp. Pacific white-sided dolphins swam to within 50 feet of one group. While we see great blue herons rather frequently in the Inside Passage, it was quite spectacular for us to see a group of seven all flying together. It was quite an exhilarating week for wildlife encounters! The wonders of nature were a-plenty for us. As we hit the water for a night paddle one night the skies cleared, revealing the sparkling stars as the sea quietly glistened below us. Another night, the wind picked up and we listened and watched as the water splashed on the rocks in front of our camp. We were lucky to receive a visit this week from Andrew and Luke, who delivered fresh salmon from their successful fishing adventure! We also enjoyed some fresh salmon berries; the sensations of this incredible area never stop - from the sounds, scents, and even tastes it's a true wilderness experience. June 18, 2002 Here’s an update on our reports on the orphan orca from our Northern Community, who somehow found her way to the Seattle area last winter. A-73 was successfully
captured by marine scientists on June 13 and transported to her
temporary home, a net pen in Puget Sound, Washington. Tests are
now being undertaken to assess her health in order to determine
whether she will be able to join her relatives in the Inside Passage.
The first step is to determine that A-73 can survive without human
aid and is free of contagious diseases. After that, the plan is
to transport her to the Johnstone Strait area, where her closest
relatives are already starting to arrive for the summer. A-73 is
eating only sporadically, is underweight and suffering from medical
problems, but scientists are still hopeful. The medical problems
are now being treated and scientists hope to make a determination
on her condition very soon. We are very excited with the possibility
that she’ll make it home and we may soon see her again swimming
freely with her own relatives. More information on A-73 can be found
at the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue & Rehabilitation
website, www.vanaqua.org/mmrr.
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The
new year has arrived, along with the greatly anticipated 2003 brochure!
We've been hearing from many of you who've received a copy - we
love to answer your questions and help you choose the best trip
for you. Our new Island Explorer trips are proving to be very popular;
with the limited offering, we suggest making plans early if you'd
like to join one of these three exclusive adventures.
While
on the subject of wildlife, we have some uplifting news from the
field this month. Researchers spotted a group of at least 1500 Pacific
White-sided dolphins in Inside Passage waters this month. These
social animals are usually spotted in groups, commonly between 20
and several hundred. It was once common to spot groups of over 1000,
but now it's a rare sighting. An awesome one as well; Pacific white-sided
dolphins are affectionately known as the area's most playful wildlife,
leaping from the water, doing flips, rolls, and even headstands!
