19th Annual Tyee Tour 2005 Photo Page 3

Leif, Burdy & I witnessed some spectacular Humpback Whale activity in Estevan Sound. A pod of about 6 of these 50 foot long creatures were feeding for several days using "bubble netting" technique. This involves one or more whales diving beneath a school of fish and then swimming upward in a spiral, while releasing streams of air from their blowholes creating bubbles. The bubbles rise in a cylindrical curtain around the fish forming a barrier through which the fish will not pass. The whales then swim up through the school of fish lunging out of the water with mouths open, engulfing the food. We’d observed an abundance of Pilchard (Sardines) elsewhere on our journey, and assumed the vast schools of feed we were seeing on the boat’s depth sounder where the whales were feeding were these. We watched the whales for about 45 minutes, during this time they dove continuously, resting only briefly between dives to regroup. The Whales obviously use a high level of communication between them to coordinate when to dive, which one will take a turn at lunging to swallow the fish, etc.     (Jeff Burdett photo)

Fortunately when we arrived at our private fishing hole we did so during a period that it was “Going off”! As in the birds were working, the herring were plentiful everything was alive. Burdy was red hot, boating his limit of superb fish in the 25 – 32 lb range & I managed the winning heavy weight of the trip… this 38lber.

One evening whilst Squire was chefing up Thai dinner, Leif's Salmon rod was hit by this exceptional 110lb Halibut.