On March the 5th 2013 the Orcas returned to Uepi!

Aeram was taking Steve for a dive outside & as they approached Elbow they saw 4 ORCAs frolicking about. They rushed back to yell " 4 Orcas at Elbow" & we threw camera, video & gear together, collected Katrina and in 2 boats sped back. The Orca were on the move by this time. We tried to see them on snorkel but just as they closed to about the range of the viz they dived unseen underneath. The kept travelling fairly close to the reef. We judged that there were 2 young adults, a larger female adult and a 'baby'.

By the time they had reached Tamalivi (Billy Ghizo Point) we had refined our tactics, getting in the water well ahead of them and getting the boats well out of the way. And we got lucky, the 'baby' became curious & swam right to us to us from below and around us for an all too short inspection. I even managed a few souvenier images. This was an 'ORSUM' moment for us all. For our last attempt the Orca had travelled away from the reef so Jill & I decided to don SCUBA & sit waiting at 10 metres.

Maybe we judged it right or maybe they were happier to approach us below the surface but in a tightly knit group they passed about 5 metres below us.

This was at the awesome Orca cruise velocity so there was not much time at all. On the way back to Uepi we were all lit up YEEEEOW