I picked up dear friends from Hartley Bay a few days ago, wanting to share with them the glorious beauty of this area. As we drove the boat on the glass top water, amazed this was an ocean and not a lake, we spoke of Enbridge and the possibility of massive oil tankers disrupting the majestic quality of this pristine ecosystem. It is amazing to me how many people in BC are not aware of the intention of this company and the risk they are willing to take in regards to an oil spill in one of the last untouched areas left on this planet. A place for our children’s children to explore and experience what the earth was meant to be. To step back in time and understand how nature alone can pull every single heart string within us all; to remember the bliss of stillness. This was the conversation taking place on the boat when the echo of a blow turned all our heads towards to west. A dorsal, dark and tall broke the surface, then another and another. Even I, after all these years of spending time on the water with whales could not believe this sight. Over 30 orcas were approaching the boat in a resting line. Mothers, calves, old males with 6 foot towering dorsals and a group of young juveniles breaking the pattern with spy hops and tail slaps captivated the moment. When you realize pods of orca are close knit families, spending every day of their lives together, traveling side by side, your respect and admiration for these whales leaves you speechless. We stayed with this traveling wonder of whales until in the distance we saw even more blows. These blows were very different, reaching the height 30 feet. I knew right away these were not orca blows, but the blows of humpbacks and there had to be at least 10. Could it be possible that we were about to encounter a large feeding group of humpbacks while being escorted by 25+ orca! Yes, this was really happening! As we approached the humpbacks the orcas took a turn to the south, we gave thanks in our own way, and then turned the boat towards the humpbacks. One cannot ignore the tonal blow of even one humpback, let alone 10 tonal blows at once. This group of resident humpback whales were feeding and soon I was able to identify each individual by their flukes. They dove, one after the other, taking position to form a large net of underwater bubbles that would force all the herring to the surface. Then their massive mouths, wide open, broke the surface with sounds of thunder. There were loud gasps on our boat; this family had never seen such a sight in their lives. The feeding frenzy went on for hours, but eventually we had to travel home, the beating sun was taking a toll on us all. To say we were grateful for this day would be an understatement. For me, I felt blessed that one more family and their children were able to experience the magic of this place. I hope they will take this memory home and share with their friends just how vital it is that we protect this coast for whales and every other species that deserves to call this home.