When you see the tail of a humpback whale extend above the water’s surface and then descend vertically beneath it, you can be pretty sure she’s going to be down under for a while. Dives of 500 feet are common, and when these whales go that far down, it can take some time to get back up top again. I like to see these moments as a polite wave, not to say goodbye, but more like, “I’ll be back in a bit.”

I’m leaving this weekend for a week in the San Juan Islands. Sea kayaking, mostly the eastern portion of the group, just enjoying this amazing part of the Salish Sea at a pace and from a perspective that makes it all that much more beautiful. A deep dive, if you will.

I’ll be back in a bit.