Tankers and Whales

I lived on Vancouver’s North Shore for eight years. During that time, our family took the ferries across to Vancouver Island and up the coast on a regular basis. Always, we eagerly watched and hoped for a whale sighting and occasionally were rewarded.

Orca, humpback and fin whales (all species at risk) travel to the waters of the Northern Pacific coast every summer. When water temperatures and atmospheric pressure force coastal waters to move eastward, a phenomenon called upwelling, moves nutrient and krill-rich water from the deep ocean to the surface attracting all manner of sea life.

Those who live and work in this area have shared their experiences with these magnificent creatures of the sea.  Pictures speak much louder than anything I could say about them.

The Pacific Northwest Whales:

Orcas

Humpbacks

The Rare Fin Whale

These magnificent beasts deserve consideration when we make plans to put their habitat at risk of a crude oil spill. Is there another option?

We must reinvent a future free of blinders so that we can choose from real options. David Suzuki