Moments like these inspire nature lovers to return year after year to the San Juan Islands . caitlin o ’ brien photo
A
SOUTHEASTERLY
OCEANIC BREEZE
BLOWS your hair in multiple directions on the boat with echoes of the winds displacing the previous early morning stillwater canvas of the open ocean . Periodic clusters of stratus clouds blow in unison across the sky . Around the intermittent space of the clouds , the sunlight ’ s rays penetrate on the water revealing an endless cerealan blue canvas for miles to see . A sudden disturbance on the surface draws attention off the starboard bow . It triggers instinct , curiosity , and congregates others around the front of the boat . Water is sent a hundred feet into the air . As the gush of water peaks midair , a 30-foot Orca leaps gracefully in a 60-degree angle from the depths below into the Hemlock-enriched air . At its highest point , he rotates his massive pectoral fins equivalent in size to the latest smart car in conjunction with the rest of his body . Seconds pass followed by a loud kaboom .
In a last-second moment , eager tourists simultaneously reach into their pockets to grab their waterproof digital cameras . Others are prepared with their high-powered DSLR ’ s wrapped around their neck like prized jewelry . A series of clicking sounds is insinuated followed by flashes . One after another , the jim maya photo kenmoreair . com
41