Animal Ambassadors

Day two, after arriving in Vancouver and I'm on a small craft in search of killer whales in the Strait of Georgia. The weather was incredibly calm, resulting in the smooth seas that allow for easy spotting. Despite this and reports of earlier whale sightings, it still took us 45 minutes to find them. And then, there they were. A single dark figure, slicing stealthily through the water somehow instantly dissolved the chill from the cold air and the the tired eyes from nearly an hour of intense scanning. Shortly after, we were alongside a group of about six orcas: four females, one male on his way to maturity, and (to our delight) a calf. 

The calf was fast when surfacing, giving us very brief glimpses, but enough to reveal a remnant yellowish tint to the white patterns of its skin. The group was traveling leisurely, but in no apparent direction. Although we respected their distance, they didn't necessarily respect ours and several times appeared unexpectedly underneath or on any given side of the boat. It was exhilarating to hear the power in their exhales and humbling to witness the awareness in their eyes with the occasional sideways spy hop when the whales surfaced to breathe. 

At one point, another group unexpectedly joined the one we'd been observing and we were surrounded by at least a dozen whales for a few minutes. There was silence from the boat and silence from the water as the whales then separated just as quickly as they'd come together. To witness these animals in the wild and forested scenery of Beautiful British Colombia for the first time was truly special and so incredibly different from the way I'd encountered them in captivity. I fell in love all over again, but this time, I also came away with deep respect. On the way back to the harbor, I told the Naturalist onboard how grateful I was, not only for the experience, but for the footage I would now be able to share with others to hopefully instill the same love and respect for these unique animals. 

I also mentioned that I'd planned to visit the Vancouver Aquarium the next day and asked if she'd recommend it. "Of course I would," she said, "I work there." What are the odds? Her passion for the wildlife in the waters of BC became even more apparent the following day when I met her at the aquarium entrance for a VIP tour. Not only does the facility have many colorful fish and invertebrates on display, it is also home to an assortment of marine mammals. I was particularly fascinated by their pairs of Pacific White-Sided Dolphins (which I have never had the opportunity to observe in the wild) and their Harbor Porpoises (which at less then two meters in length, rarely allow anything more than brief glimpses of their tiny dorsal fins). 

She may have lost parts of her pectoral fins from entanglement in fishing gear,
but she kept a whole lot of her agility!

All four of these whales had been rescued and rehabilitated by the aquarium, but could not be re-released into the wild. It was obvious that my new friend and fellow Naturalist would have wanted nothing more than to see them roaming through the waters extending from the coastline where we'd seen the orcas the day before, but was happy that they were getting the best life possible while also serving an important purpose. I stood in front of the harbor porpoises and watched a couple of young girls excitedly rattle off facts that they'd just learned about the animals from another staff member. I suppressed a laugh as one of the porpoises responded to the girls, whose faces were now glued to the viewing glass, by quickly surfacing and swimming in a fast circle, then returning to face them and stare back just as intently. Meanwhile, the other porpoise was on the other side of the tank, seemingly much more interested in an object on the bottom than the girls. 

It was then that I was reminded of something I'd learned many times throughout my studies ... just as we cannot generalize about the individual animals (particularly intelligent ones), we can't generalize about their circumstances. Not all captive situations are the same. In the case of  these four whales, with little chance of survival in the wild, a positive alternative has been to serve as ambassadors to their species and to allow for research, with the ultimate goal of inspiring the understanding and love that forms the foundation of a conservation ethic in humans. However, today we know that many of these amazing animals do provide the incredibly special opportunity to be witnessed in the wild. 

These issues are not always black and white, they are more often grey and it is our responsibility, then, to hold aquariums, marine parks, research facilities, and even ecotourism companies accountable for their ethics and mission, and to distinguish what is carried out for the sake of education and research from what is purely entertaining and profitable. 

Last Chances

I am saying farewell to the warm waters the tropical Pacific for awhile to start new adventures in colder climates. But I couldn't leave without taking full advantage of my short time in Hawaii last week ...

In Maui, I kept up with my tradition of going out on a boat with the Pacific Whale Foundation. Not ten minutes out of the harbor, we encountered humpback whales that were also making the most out of their last days in the islands. Three males seemed to have been short of luck with females this season and were aggressively competing for the attention of one of the few remaining females with a calf. 

Fighting with bubbles and brute force, the victor will escort the pair to their feeding grounds in Alaska. For the other competitors, better luck next year! Because for both the whales and I, it's time to say goodbye (for now). 

Late season competition.

South Pacific Treasures

Sooty Shearwater joining us in the Equator crossing.

Crossing both the International Dateline and the Equator on a cruise across the South Pacific Ocean is still difficult to process ... but I can't ponder the amount of ocean I've covered without feeling majorly "one-upped" by the incredible birds and whales that regularly travel such distances by their own strength and inherent abilities to ride winds and waves. While we must prepare for weeks for such a voyage, often needed a few days to adjust to the conditions found on the open sea, these incredible creatures (that I've had the joy of rattling on about onboard the immense Celebrity Solstice cruise ship) are perfectly at home in even the roughest weather.

Meet the locals.

In New Zealand, we were greeted by the robust figures of Bottlenose dolphins leaving the blue green surface of the waters surrounding the bay of islands. Having arrived after a large storm, we were amazed by the color and variety of shells that had been thrown up to cover the shorelines. Many of the treasures we inspected reminded me that even the small creatures that we can easily overlook are amazingly adapted to their habitat.

The spinner dolphins of Moorea went along nicely with the romantic profile of all things Tahitian, as they carried on swimming close and rhythmic, sometimes turning belly to belly, even in our presence. The magic continued with rays, fish, coral, and other reef life we found in abundance in the lagoon of Bora Bora. On the last days at sea before our arrival in Hawaii, we were joined on our equator crossing by the some of the same species of birds that we'd seen in the distance spanning between New Zealand and French Polynesia! What a feat indeed!

One man's turkey vulture ...

Driving through Northern California in the rain, approaching the Shasta National Forest, my eyes were drawn (more like yanked) from the road as two golden eagles swooped in low over the freeway. Time seemed to slow for those few seconds that they were flapping wildly, apparently paying no attention to the speeding cars below. I was mesmerized, but the moment was broken by my mom's exclamation: "Those birds were so big!!!!". I laughed. She'd seen them too, as if anyone could have missed them. Her excitement was yet another reminder of where my own enthusiasm comes from. I proceeded to tell her everything I knew about the raptors and we remained in awe for awhile. Back on land, for the past month or so, I have been getting my wildlife "fix" by searching for birds of prey at all times. Not just eagles, but I get overly excited every time I see an American Kestrel or a Peregrine Falcon. Maybe too excited?

I hadn't thought so until I was back in the car with a friend on the Central Coast, when I spotted a Red-tailed Hawk perched stoically on the top of a lone pine. It was my first "spot" of the day and I may have shouted. My friend smirked. "There are hawks evvvvrywhere, you know." She was obviously not impressed. I was slightly annoyed. Sure, there's nothing like the first time you see something, but that doesn't mean the 200th time you see it, you're over it! I decided to keep the rest of my sightings to myself.

About a week later, I was on the road again (alone this time), when I had to stop abruptly to avoid hitting a man standing in the middle of it with an expensive-looking camera. I followed his lens up to the top of a telephone pole where it was focused on a turkey vulture. The bird had his wings spread out and was equally focused on its audience. I heard a short sigh escape my mouth that clearly expressed my feeling of impatience. It's just a turkey vulture, I thought. As I swerved around him and looked back at him in my rearview mirror, subconsciously hoping he'd realize how silly he was and get back in his car. I saw the vulture fly away and the man's camera drop from his face to reveal a look I was all too familiar with.

I had to laugh at myself for being a hypocrite. Maybe the novelty of things can wear off, even for me.  The previously cliche saying that 'one man's trash is another man's treasure', now made sense. His  vulture was my hawk or my mom's eagle. While you may not go out and buy a book about ground squirrels to find a reason not to overlook them after reading this, at least for me, I am going to try and be grateful that there are wild things that are common. After all, it seems that only when they are rare do we really understand why they are worth appreciating.

Juvenile Red-tailed hawk

Battle of the Bulls

Every winter, Northern Elephant Seals will make their way to the Central California Coast in order to mate and give birth. A large portion of these massive marine mammals will find refuge on the six-mile stretch of beach near Piedras Blancas.

Females that arrive will give birth within a week of their arrival. Meanwhile, males will filter in and begin to battle it out for dominance over a harem of females. Watching the drama unfold is more entertaining than any reality TV show ... from gulls tearing at the still-attached placenta of a newborn, rumbling battle cries of competing males, bulls engaged in a bloody duel at the water's edge, successful mating by the victors, to the happy gurgles of nursing pups. If you're in the area, now is the time to pay these unique seals a visit. You are bound to see lots of action!

December to Remember

What is it about sunrises and sunsets that make us all stop for a few moments and watch? Is it intrinsic that we are all drawn to the arrival of a new day or the colors left behind as the day comes to an end. Whatever it is, there seems to be something magical that distracts us all. I feel so blessed to have enjoyed many incredible sunrises and sunsets over the past two months at sea onboard the Celebrity Century.

Collectively, the hours of staring at the horizon has allowed me some time to reflect on the wonderful people I've met and all of the amazing things I've been able to experience. Whether on land, just off shore, or several miles out to sea, the flora and fauna in Hawaii never cease to amaze or inspire me. I continue to learn new things with every visit. From an epic flight around Oahu on a tiny airplane to being surrounded by the biggest school of yellow tang I've ever seen in Kona to Bottlenose dolphins greeting Humpback whales in Maui ... 

This month was a wonderful way to complete the past year of adventure since graduating from HPU last December. My attempts to come up with the right words to describe what I have encountered over the past few weeks have failed, so I will leave you with just a few pictures that really are worth so much more. Happy Holidays and all the best for the New Year! Aloha.

'Tis the Season

It’s barely December, but it is impossible not to know the end of the year is approaching. Christmas lights and decorations cannot be escaped on land, nor can they be avoided in any public area on the ship. But not only are people preparing for a holiday … the Humpback Whales of the North Pacific are on the move to their tropical winder breeding grounds of choice.

Sailing toward Ensanada, Mexico last week, a small group passed right in front of the ship, heading South.

Then, four days later, two hundred miles from Honolulu, I was elated to see a group of about five (based on their spouts) about a quarter of a mile off our port side. Within minutes of sighting the whales, a male Great Frigate Bird soared overhead. Two wildlife sightings at once was almost too much for me to process, but I was momentarily distracted from the water and followed the black angular figure of the frigate as he effortlessly climbed higher into the sky. As if things couldn’t get any better, he was joined by what appeared to be a female, as I could make out white markings on her chest instead of the distinct red throat pouch of the male. One of my favorite features of many seabirds is that they mate for life. Looking more closely at the markings on the photos later, I realized the other bird was probably immature. Although unclear, I’d like to think it was a female.

Soon, the pair disappeared over the horizon and I was back to scanning the water for the group of Humpback Whales.

They were breathing quite frequently, and so were clearly on the move. Although they were also heading West, we passed them in just a few minutes. I wonder if it frustrates them to not be able to get to Hawaii faster! I thought this sighting was a good sign for our chances of encountering whales in the islands. 

Sure enough, just before weighing anchor off of Lahaina, Maui on Thanksgiving, just as the sun was rising over Haleakala, three spouts were visible simultaneously. This not only advertised their arrival, but the fact that one spout was much smaller than the other two indicated that the birthing season had begun! Perhaps the female could sense that her due date would require getting to Hawaii a bit early this year. It seems she made it just in time as calf’s health was indicated by its playful behavior. I smiled as I watched it repeatedly slap the water’s surface with a uniquely marked pectoral fin and I was filled with gratitude for an ocean teeming with life.