04 Jun 2016

Orca Overload in the Kuril Islands

We are travelling through the most productive areas for cetaceans and it is reflected in the number of species we see. The last ones to make an appearance were orca. While we did not see them at the usual hotspots in Bukhta Russkaya and Commander Islands, we had the most rewarding encounters with them along the Kuril Islands. For two days out of three so far we have been seeing them at least twice a day. The first encounter was along Paramushir Island, then we had another group in the Fourth Kuril Strait. 

Today, as we approached Simushir Island, we saw that we were followed by another group of orcas. It was great to see them as we were launching the zodiacs, but then they disappeared without a trace. But on the way back to the ship from our landing, we were surprised by yet another small group, who surfaced right among the boats, too fast for us to even get our cameras out. But it was an exciting and exhilarating experience.

Photo from File © LKotenko