OUTWARD BOUND
We soon learned that the lack of natural predators on the islands make the animals blase about the presence of tourists. In fact, some creatures were more curious than afraid of us, the interlopers! We snorkelled among grouchy-looking turtles, gliding eagle rays and schools of rainbow-coloured fish. Playful sea lions fearlessly approached us, their noses touching ours, their eyes intently studying our faces before they swooped off to play with their extended family. The abundant marine life was astonishing, but what excited us more was something we witnessed topside, during a yacht excursion. “Orca, orca,” came the cry from the captain’s deck and as we turned toward the water, a pair of jet-black dorsal fins rose before sliding back in. This rhythmic movement continued for a few minutes, the fins like a conductor’s baton leading an imaginary symphony. Our naturalist guide quickly loaded us onto pangas (motorised dinghies) so that we could get a closer look. Justin and I were surprised when the orcas swam beneath and around the pangas, checking us out as we did the same to them. Being so close to a pod of wild orcas—killer whales that can grow to 9m and weigh six tons—was the most breathtaking, and spine-