Life Changer

In Haro Strait, the US - Canada border separates Vancouver Island, BC and San Juan Island in the US's San Juan Islands. On a flat calm, beautiful September evening this summer, I was out in Haro Strait, drifting with my motors shut off, watching as members of J Pod, our most prominent local killer whale pod, spread out and chased Chinook Salmon. As I drifted, and watched, I was surprised when suddenly two whales, J - 26 (Mike), and J - 8 (Speiden), popped up mere feet from me and proceeded to circle the boat for about 5 minutes. My 300 mm lens was too long for how close these whales were, so I only managed a couple of shots before I put my camera down and enjoyed the experience of making eye contact with a wild Killer Whale. One of the most memorable days of my life...