It is wonderful how a brief interaction with a beautiful being can illuminate your whole day. This happened today at about noon, when a small pod of Dall’s porpoises came to ride our bow wave. Known to be able to swim up to 30 MPH in short sprints, they zipped to our bow to play. The clear water gave us perfect views of their sleek bodies and black and white coloring. Once thought to be baby orcas, these adult Dall’s porpoises have a maximum length of 2.4 meters. This small whale is named after the American naturalist William Healey Dall, who played a role in the founding of the National Geographic Society.
Later in the day, Cultural Specialist Sharon Granger presented a colorful and informative talk on the history of trade beads with beautiful examples to hold in our own hands. We wrapped up the evening with a visit from a humpback mother and calf pair. The young one delighted us by rolling over and slapping its fluke in a playful manner.
