I have been fortunate to live on the west coast for most of my life, but I have seldom seen orcas in the wild. The Vancouver Aquarium has captive killer whales that perform in frequent shows each day throughout the year. Seeing killer whales anytime is a thrill, but seeing them in the wild is especially thrilling.

We have recently moved to a waterfront home on Vancouver Island. During our first dinner together there we had our meal interrupted as we all left the table and rushed out onto the deck to watch a pod of orcas go by. A number of small boats were on the water, but all fishing ceased and those in the boats stood up to better view the spectacle of those beautiful creatures moving past them, alternately submerging and resurfacing for air within a few meters of the boats. A very large male orca was in the pod, similar to that depicted in "Silent Passage - Orcas".

- Ron Parker