Our first morning on the Gallant Lady started with Silvia calling us to the deck at 7:30am. At first I thought she was 30 minutes early for the 8:00am breakfast, but instead it was to tell us that orcas were sighted and we needed to get in the boat now!
We could see a pod of orcas just ahead of us and within minutes, managed to get just 10 yards away from them. An adult and a baby swam up to us to check us out and we were directed to jump into the water with them. We were within a few feet of them and then as I looked down, I saw a whale shark emerge from the depths. The adult orca suddenly dove down and rammed into the gill of the whale shark, stunning it. The other orcas swarmed the whale shark and pushed it into the depths. Later on we saw the orcas feeding on the dead whale shark.
What an amazing start to the cruise. We spent the next few hours in and out of the water with a pod of five orcas, coming within a few feet of them multiple times. A truly magical and unforgettable experience with these majestic animals.
- Dan Hsieh, Los Angeles, USA onboard the Nautilus Gallant Lady
