Orcas on the Canal

A couple weeks ago we had an extraordinary group of guests at Alderbrook Resort and Spa. They travel together in “pods”, are considered the largest member of the dolphin family, and starred in the movie “Free Willy.” That’s right, it was a pod of Killer Whales or Orcas.

These sea creatures reach well over 10,000 pounds and 20 feet long. They put on quite the performance cruising through the smooth Hood Canal waters at 30 miles per hour; doing big tail slaps with six foot tall dorsal fins thrashing through the water.

This particular pod was of “transient” orcas, which eat seals, compared to the chinook salmon eating “resident” killer whale pods. Orcas are known for their tight-nit matriarchal communities, commonly living their entire lives with the same pod. Each pod has different dialects in their communication patterns, making them astoundingly similar to human languages.

Fortunately for us, this mammal of the sea that belittles a Great White Shark doesn’t have us on the menu. There has never been a recorded case of a Killer Whale killing a human in the wild. Although I’m sure an encounter, like the one seen here of a paddleboarder on the Hood Canal earlier this year, would still scare the bejeebers out of me.

It is somewhat rare for orcas to be traveling in the Canal, so be sure to track them by checking out our friends at the Orca Network to plan your trip to Alderbrook accordingly.

We hope to see you soon!

-MS