Whales like me

Every time I paddle out now it seems like I have an experience of the whale kind.

My last experience happened yesterday (Sunday).  My son (15 years old) and I were out fishing off Humboldt when we were scarily interrupted from our fish focus by the snorting sound of blow-holes.  Cruising along side the kelp bed we were working was a very rowdy pod of killer whales. After a bit the male noticed us and started spy hopping  to see better.  At more than one point we made eye to eye contact......holy $hit!  They started flogging their flukes and pectorals on the water near us - at one point maybe 25 -50 yards away.  I don't know if it was in response to our presence, but it was friggin scary.  The male looked mean, especially when we made eye contact.

Nothing bad happened, and after about 20-30 minutes they split, leaving me with very conflicted feelings about having my son out on a 14' plastic boat in the middle of nowhere where large carnivorous animals are swimming around.  I'm really glad he saw this, maybe once in a lifetime sight, but it left me questioning my parenting decisions.

Strangely, this is the second time in 2 years I've run into killer whales while yak fishing - the other time about 2 miles offshore of Westport.  Scwafish and I ran into a humpback a few years ago - also a few miles offshore.  And last week Abking, Jonny and I ran into another humpy.

I'm attracting whales......man, I really gotta start losing weight.

Great post... that would be very conflicting.  Torn somewhere between amazed and scared half to death.  All's well that ends well I guess.

Scwafish and I ran into a humpback a few years ago - also a few miles offshore.

Remember it well...that thing startled the !@#$%^ out of me...then its effortless motion left me amazed...they are cool.

By !@#$%^ I assume you mean be-jesus? LOL

I guess its a good thing you didn't have any salmon aboard your yak!  They might have come in closer for a taste!  yikes.....

I guess its a good thing you didn't have any salmon aboard your yak!  They might have come in closer for a taste!  yikes.....

I'm just glad they haven't acquired a taste for man steaks.  Those "toss the sealion like a volley ball" wildlife films run through your head.