Nature’s greatest predator under my kayak: How I met orca whales at sea

Kartiki Gonsalves is a documentary filmmaker and photojournalist. Writing in

Times Evoke Inspire

, she discusses her thrilling adventure, finding orca whales in the wild seas:

From childhood, I’ve been fascinated by marine life. My grandfather gave me ‘Free Willy’ to read — this book inspired a deep love for the orca whale in my mind. This awe inspiring creature remains an enigma. The largest member of the

Delphinidae

or oceanic

dolphin

family, orcas are the most widely distributed of all cetacean species. Their natural home extends from the icy Arctic to the Antarctic seas, an adult orca measuring over twenty feet and weighing upto 8,000 kilograms. Orca pods or families, led by a matriarch, use highly sophisticated communication techniques, including pulsed calls, low frequency signals and echolocation, wherein sound travels through water and bounces back from prey, the vibrations giving the orcas details like the proximity of a species, their size and the depth of the water around them. I’ve seen orcas in marine parks but these magnificent creatures seemed lost in captivity.

KAYAKING INTO THE DEEP SEA: Kartiki embarked on a challenging boating adventure to meet the orca whale. Photos Courtesy: Kartiki Gonsalves


In 2007, I signed up for an ocean kayaking expedition along

Canada

’s

Pacific coast

. There are few better places to see marine life than this archipelago of untamed beauty. A unique biosphere on the North American continent, the landscape features a rocky coastline, cut into by long, deep fjords, surrounded by emerald-green coniferous forests. I spent days weaving through the tiny islets of the Broughton Archipelago, camping with two team members and a guide on scattered islands, where, in fact, we were far from alone.

WHEN WHALES HAVE FUN: The expansiveness of the sea lets the orcas play freely. Photos Courtesy: Kartiki Gonsalves


One night, driven by restlessness, I headed towards the sea. As my eyes adjusted to the dark, an astonishing beauty revealed itself. I saw a bright blue glow shimmering beneath the water’s surface — this was phosphorescent life that lit up at night. The bioluminescence came from algae in the water which emit gleaming light when jostled by the tides. I was simply stunned to see the ocean glowing thus in the dark.

MANY STARS IN THE SEA: Starfish species dot the rocky Salish coast. Photos Courtesy: Kartiki Gonsalves


But my dream was still to see orca whales in the wild — and this would soon come true.

Killer

whales (Orcinus orca) are the most intelligent predator on Earth and are among the fastest mammals in the sea. When you see wild orcas, you can sense what no marine reserve can capture — their tremendously free spirit and their incredible love for the ocean. In 2017, I headed to

Cowichan Bay

, a coastal village on Vancouver Island by the

Salish Sea

, one of the most diverse marine ecosystems in the world. Apart from orcas, it is home to the grey whale, the humpback, minke and fin whales, sea lions, harbour seals, starfish, porpoises and many other marine beings. We would soon enter orca territory on our kayaks — this meant dealing with the whales on their terms, in their environment, amidst freezing weather, strong winds and powerful tides. I would, as the guide emphasised, often be less than one foot away from an orca — and I couldn’t wait.

Heading out one morning, about twenty minutes in, the captain slowed down. Quietly, we scanned the waters for a six-foot dorsal fin. Somewhere — perhaps right under us — were these magnificent whales, swimming around their home. Suddenly, the water parted and towering fins came slicing out, graceful, magnificent and beautiful! A whale pod, with seven orcas, was less than a foot away, gliding through the water, swimming straight at us. A big male came so close, I could have touched him. He took a deep breath and went under our boat, followed by the others. My heart was in my mouth. I looked into the water where I could see their black and white forms shimmering under the vessel. Peacefully, the pod swam away towards the horizon.

I was awestruck. But I managed to follow them and took pictures of the two bulls, four cows and a whale calf. They looked incredibly happy — and they fit beautifully into the wild expansiveness of their habitat. Unlike whales confined in marine pools, here, under the open skies, the ocean stretching to eternity, the orcas were free. And I too could exult in their exhilarating freedom.

All of a sudden, the sky turned dark grey — foam began whipping up on the ocean surface, the wind rose and the cold grew biting. Waves higher than four feet tossed our boat about. One really high wave almost threw me into the sea. We had to rush back but, even as we escaped a raging storm, I longed to see more of the spell-binding orcas.

The seas remain Earth’s greatest mystery — 90% of deep-sea depths are still unexplored. I am fortunate to have seen one glimpse of what the waters hold. That sight made me realise how important it is to protect marine ecosystems where some of our most amazing fellow beings swim magically through the grandness of Earth’s life.