My very first whale watching
A story about my dream encounter.
When I was six years old, I saw the Free Willy movie. Orcas! Such a beautiful and majestic marine mammal that lives in families led by the oldest female, a matriarch. They are one of the top predators in all oceans and most seas.
Since then, I have known that I want to study killer whales when I grow up. Who cares that I lived in Central Europe, where the closest sea is a one-day ride in a car away, and we couldn’t afford a trip even to see these animals.
My interests have expanded to other animals as years went by, but killer whales have stayed close to my heart.
The idea of my trip to Canada became more realistic many years later. One of the things I added to my To-do list was a whale watching tour, a tour to observe whales and other marine wildlife in their natural habitat.
In British Columbia, the whale watching season starts in April and ends in October, and even though I got used to almost persistent Vancouver rain, I waited for better weather.
The waters of BC are pretty rich in marine wildlife thanks to migratory routes of humpbacks…
