On a warm summer day, Natasha closed the trunk of her car and slid into the driver’s seat. She looked at her friends in the backseat and asked them, “You guys ready for a good weekend?” The only response that she got was a round of applause. Called the Herby Squad after their high school mascot, they could not wait for their weekend reunion at Lake Crystal. They were ready for a weekend full of laughter, new memories, and good vibes. Back then, they had no idea that they would witness the most unusual thing!
Friends Were Enjoying A Weekend At The Lake When The Water Suddenly Started To Bubble
Stopping At A Gas Station
The friends had been halfway to the destination when Rich asked to stop over for a toilet break. After hearing that, the driver pulled up at a gas station nearby. However, Natasha noticed that there was an elderly man staring at her as soon as Rich left the car. The stranger was covered in grime and had a tangled mop of grey and brown hair. He waved at her, curling his fingers as he approached her career. A feeling of terror bloomed in the pit of her stomach as he got closer to where she was with every step.
Stopping At A Gas Station
There Was A Strange Elderly Man
“Where you guys off to?” he asked her. His breath reeked of alcohol. Even though she was hesitant to give details, she told him, “We’re off to a lodge nearby.” The old man asked, “Port Hardy?” She did not reply even though he got it right. Natasha did not feel comfortable telling him their destination. Based on the look on her face alone, he knew that he was correct. The old man gave her a crooked smile. “You just be careful in the water pretty lady,” he told her before he left her alone and returned to his spot.
There Was A Strange Elderly Man
She Drove As Fast As Possible
Soon enough, Rich returned and went straight to his seat. Natasha did not hesitate to hit the accelerator in her desire to get away from the old man as quickly as possible. It took an hour or so before they arrived at Port Hardy. Everyone was thrilled when they got to the lodge. None of them could wait to enjoy their weekend getaway. They had no clue what was in store for them…
She Drove As Fast As Possible
The Ideal Weekend
Once they unloaded their stuff, the girls undressed into bathing suits. On the other hand, the guys took out the drinks and food to start a BBQ. The sun had been beaming down on them as they relaxed. They all looked forward to a great time but had no clue that there was a surprise waiting for them.
The Ideal Weekend
Taking A Dip In The Lake
Natasha and the others had been in the water already when they noticed something they did not expect. Two meters from where they stood, the water began to bubble. She looked at the spot and felt anxiety take over her body. From the look of things, there was something in the water. Natasha did not care to find out what it was. She just wanted to get out of there. It looked like it was coming closer…
Taking A Dip In The Lake
Time To Get Out
She tried to get the attention of her girlfriends by pointing towards that part of the water. “There’s something in here,” she said. “Get out now.” Natasha swam to the shore as fast as possible. Her heart was pounding against her chest as she fervently swam towards the shore. They had to get out of there as soon as possible!
Time To Get Out
Watching The Water
Natasha was able to get out of the water quickly and then helped her friends go out. They all put on bathrobes and asked the men to come over. Together, the entire group stuck together and stared at the water. It was still bubbling in a certain part. All of a sudden, they witnessed something that not many people will ever see in their lives.
Watching The Water
The Big Reveal
They were shocked to see a grey object emerge from where the bubbles were. Everyone had been speechless as another one surfaced. The group of friends had been at the dock. Then and there, they knew that something amazing was happening right in front of them. What was going on? Curious, Natasha was eager to find out what those grey things were.
The Big Reveal
Learning More About It
On her phone, she started to look up bubbles and whales. In a matter of seconds, she finally discovered the answer that she was looking for. Natasha learned that they were witnessing the beauty of humpback whales. They were engaged in “bubble-net fishing,” which is not something that most people are lucky enough to see with their own two eyes.
Learning More About It
An Incredible Sight
When they left to go to the lodge, it did not occur to them at all that they would witness such a thing. They were all in awe as they watched the magnificent creatures. All of a sudden, the bubbling stopped. A stillness filled the air. The animals must have left! When Natasha turned to look at her pals, everyone was as surprised as she was. They were shocked but knew that they witnessed something incredible.
An Incredible Sight
Welcome To Great Bear Lodge
Where is Great Bear Lodge anyway? It is located on the coast of British Columbia, Canada. This floating lodge is located on the inlet, which gets water from the North Pacific Sea. The location of the lodge offers a great chance to look at wildlife. However, this was the first time the co-owner has heard of this!
Welcome To Great Bear Lodge
A Rare Sighting
While Marg Leehane, the co-owner of the lodge, had seen those regal creatures before, this was the first time they had swam that close. Mind you, she has worked in the wilderness for 17 years already! This was also the first time that she saw whales use the special hunting tactic. She was amazed as well.
A Rare Sighting
The Bubble Netting Technique
The cool thing about the bubble net technique is that these creatures learn it. Since it is not instinctual, not every group is aware of how to do such a thing. To Marg, it was incredible to witnessing something like that up close and personal. She explained, “One of them will swim in a circle around fish, and as it’s doing it, it will release air from its blowhole, and basically create a net of bubbles.”
The Bubble Netting Technique
For The History Books
“Then the fish get more and more concentrated … so [the whales] will get a lot more of them in each mouthful,” she said. She went on, “Our guests, who have never seen anything like this before … those people will go away with a memory they will never forget for the rest of their lives.” When the video was posted online, the reactions had been amazing.
For The History Books
It Went Viral
It was a good thing that Marg had her camera with her. This was how she captured it on video. She took to Instagram to post it. The caption said, “What an amazing morning – humpbacks came for breakfast! We’ve never seen them this close to the lodge before, and so fantastic to see them bubble netting. Nearly as good as the whales was the reaction of our guide, @Marlosha, who was pretty excited!”
It Went Viral
Good Publicity For Them
The video helped the Great Bear Lodge get good publicity. After uploading the video on Facebook and Instagram, it has received hundreds of comments and more than three million views. “Oh, that is wonderful!” a netizen said, “What an amazing spectacle for you all! If only you could promise that for each group of guests. Luckily, we all have our own special moments whether it be whales, bears or other wildlife. Every moment at Great Bear Lodge is special!”
Good Publicity For Them
The First Time
“It was so cool to see them bubble netting so close, to see the fish jumping out of the way as the whales rose up,” she gushed when she was interviewed. “This is definitely the first time we’ve seen whales feeding so close to the dock!” Marg also explained, “The closest I’ve seen them feeding before is probably 200 meters [220 yards], so it was quite a surprise to us when they decided to come so close!”
The First Time
Unbelievable Experiences
“We focus on bears out here of course, but we’re all wildlife geeks,” she shared with BNQT. She added, “So we get really excited about seeing anything to do with nature, as you can see from the video!” It was a truly incredible experience for her. She said, “Isn’t that crazy!! If only those two humpbacks knew how famous they were.” The guests were not the only ones shocked by what happened because the staff members were also blown away!
Unbelievable Experiences