Being close to a whale has to be one of the most fascinating experiences in nature. We were returning from a trip to Kruzof Island to climb Mt. Edgecumbe, when a whale broke the surface nearby. We cut the engine and drifted in the rolling swells, watching the whale rolling in the water nearby. It gasped breaths in slow surfacing motions, boiled the water with its tail when it dove, and rolled sideways repeatedly, slapping the water with its fins. After twenty minutes or so it dove and surfaced a long ways away, so we headed back home.

I do not own a boat, so getting close to whales is a rare treat for me. I once had a whale pass right beneath me in a kayak. We are used to seeing whales in profile, but watching a whale surface from directly behind it gives a true understanding of its immense size. It was so much wider than I imagined. It is not scary at all, but it is absolutely awe-inspiring.