Well, Steemians it can be an **“exciting challenge”** when a thick fog rolls in over the ocean and limits your visibility to only 100 ft | 30m around you.  This can happen within the span of about 20 minutes when operating in the Pacific North West.  At the end of the day, it can kinda suck – especially, when you know there are whales there but the fog is rolling in and you know that they will soon be gone.  Well, not really gone, as you can still hear them but hard just can't see them.

This one day at “work” (I describe it with quotations marks due to the fact most people don't believe its really work) we had orca all day right in front of the harbour whilst slowly heading west towards the Pacific ocean.  It was our Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKW), which at the time was about 80 individual animals, consisting of 3 families/pods: J, K & L.

![IMG_7786.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmVoPRGqkwRfTzhVmTiN6p44uPhBdxseZwkiuHqDJGw1AC/IMG_7786.jpg) *This is the visibility you have at the best of times when driving around in fog looking for wild animals*

I had a few international guests that were only going to come if we saw orca.  I might have said the words such as “No problem, we will definitely be seeing killer whales today!”.  I'll note here that at that specific time i had no idea about a huge fog bank that was rolling in.  Furthermore, I still had no idea about the fog bank until I was leaving the harbour and started to hear radio chatter that they lost all of the SRKW, which was 80 whales due to the fog.  **SON OF A B*#%H!!!!*

![IMG_7897.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmfEuxcWYHXpTfqvLSvGEi8iFHPoupr9vMPxG6DKNjf7Vi/IMG_7897.jpg)*Male and female orca surfacing in fog*

This is somewhat of a slight concern. *DEEP BREATHS*... *DEEP BREATHS*... *DEEP BREATHS*...  **F*^K IT!!*  I am going to go for it.  I can only hope that somehow it was going to work out.  If it doesn't then I was going to have a few very irritated European guests, whom I had promised orca encounters to earlier that day.  

So, I got the last GPS locations of where they were last seen. The areas where other vessels had searched for them with no luck, as well as, how fast they were moving prior to them being lost.  I made some calculations in my head of where they might likely be, which was based on their usual route they take in that area and how far they would have moved in that time since they had been lost.  From this highly scientific calculation I marked a waypoint on the GPS and started heading that way.

I also had my co-worker on another vessel who was keen to go on this wild goose chase that seemed impossible.  We worked as a team and stayed in contact via VHF radio

![IMG_7855.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmVnP7ENzu2ncqQxyhhEXKJmzheGATsXeF7xmac4mTTfJ9/IMG_7855.jpg)*The magnificent bastard, Onyx aka L87*

Enter the fog. My visibility during the initial search was around 100 ft | 30m around the vessel and I slowed down as we were approaching the area I predicted that they might just be.  Out of nowhere I saw something big and black in my peripheral vision.  My first thought was that my eyes were just playing tricks on me, which happens quite a bit when you are straining them, praying that something is going to just pop up in front of you at any moment.  Then heaven behold a beautiful, black, 6ft | 1.8m dorsal fin bursted from the ocean surface, which belonged to large male - L87 aka Onyx.  All I could manage to say through a huge grin to my non-native english speaking guests was *“Onyx, you magnificent bastard!”* 


Called out to my co-worker via radio *“Contact, contact.  Black & whites”*. Gave him the GPS location and we both had the SRKW all to ourselves in somewhat better visibility to before, as the fog lifted ever so slightly.  It was this moment that I  looked at my waypoint I marked earlier on the GPS as I was departing the harbour.  I was  about 200 yards away from my original estimate.  Not going to lie. I was pretty happy with myself about that.

![IMG_7810.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmfTLFutTw3WUEhpUxvWKBHCdEvG2A4f7fAMeCBqHyugsK/IMG_7810.jpg)*A surfacing male orca - L87 aka Onyx, whom is one magnificent bastard!*

I honestly, don't know how it worked out so perfectly but hell I'll take it.  However, a really important **LESSON** about guiding was thoroughly reiterated for me.  Never promise a thing when it comes to guiding.  Especially, when you are relying on wild animals and weather conditions.  To be honest over the years I've had fog banks roll in during whale encounters and as a result lost whales instantly.  This one encounter was a one off and it appeared that the stars alined perfectly.  Yet I still scratch my head wondering just how the hell it all worked out.

![IMG_7864.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmYubJ6UCzRD47Wa9B3X7eyyw8dc6nq68SbdWSbmzMSscV/IMG_7864.jpg)*L87 aka Onyx will always be one of my favourite orca to encounter after this lucky expedition I had*