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In November, 1997, a pod of orcas made its way into Dyes Inlet near Seattle where these killer whales ("killer dolphins" is a more accurate description) feasted on spawning salmon. I decided to observe these orcas from my kayak despite warnings from the fish and wildlife officers that they were unpredictable wild animals and were not familiar with humans as was Willie/Keiko of movie fame. Many other people had the same idea - the ferry that crossed Puget Sound was packed with cars carrying sea kayaks. Because the five ton orcas travel at 20 mph, faster than anyone can paddle, my strategy was to wait at a spot where I thought they would appear. My closest encounter with a killer whale was at 50 yards. Very impressive creatures. They are considered to be the top predator in the ocean which is fine with me so long as humans don't become part of their diet. A few months prior to this adventure, I had taken a whale watching trip out of Boston on a much larger ship and was able to observe a humpback whale mother and her calf up close (last two photos).
Note: Some of these photographs are not sharp and detailed because: (1) the orcas were far away, (2) my waterproof camera has a fixed focal length set at a wide angle, and (3) I was taking photographs with only one hand since I also had to maintain the stability of my kayak.
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submitted by:
George Y. Liu
Seattle, Washington