Humpback whales give guests the encounter of ‘a lifetime’ at B.C. lodge
Posted August 7, 2018 8:05 pm.
Last Updated August 8, 2018 6:27 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
PORT HARDY (NEWS 1130) – Guests staying at a lodge in Port Hardy got quite the show when two humpback whales began feeding within meters of the lodge’s dock.
The video shows the two whales “bubble-net fishing,” which is when humpback whales swim in a circle blowing bubbles to catch prey.
The video was taken at the Great Bear Lodge this past Saturday around 6 a.m.
One of the lodge owners, Marg Leehane, said it was a “once in a lifetime experience.”
“I’ve never seen humpback whales this close to the lodge before. Maybe 200 meters away is the best I’ve ever seen and I thought that was very exciting,” Leehane said.
She said whale sightings are actually quite rare, let along this close to the lodge.
“The whales did the bubble netting which is really cool, to catch the fish, and then once they’ve eaten the fish they take a final breath and then they just swam slowly away.”
“We were just in shock.”
She said they first noticed the whales from afar and woke up the guests so they could see them. Half an hour passed by and just when they were about to give up hope, the got a show they will never forget.
“Next thing we know we start seeing a circle of bubbles next to the lodge and we all rushed over there and the whales just exploded out of the water,” Leehane said. “All of the sudden I got the most spectacular shot I could imagine.”
