The weather was my good fortune. With cold rain hitting my face and wind chasing behind me, my family and I left our cruise ship and strolled along the long wooden pier bundled in our raincoats, hats and scarves and stepped foot into the beauty of Juneau, Alaska. Today is the day where were are going whale watching. Whales are the most beautiful giants of nature, and being able to see them in the wild is a dream come true. All my wonder and research done about Orcas could be shown right in front of my eyes.
We approach an old rickety whale watching boat and I was a little scared the boat was going to fall apart in the middle of the ocean, but I smile and confidently step onto the wobbly boat. I grasp the frozen metal railings surrounding the rocking boat. There are no guarantees we will be lucky enough to experience seeing a gigantic mass appearing from the depths of the ocean to make the water quake as it surfaces. I took a deep breath, inhaling the salty sea air which drifted in through the open windows in awe of the beauty around me. The horn blasted, and we were off!

As we approached a gulf surrounded by tall mountains with waterfalls at great heights, we scan the surface and waves of the powerful, deep blue ocean looking for anything breaking the surface of the water. As we arrived at the whale-watching location, we waited... and waited... but no whales appeared. Finally, I hear the captain yell “Look over here, it's a humpback whale!”  In excitement I run to the back of the boat. “Wow,” escapes under my breath. A 45 foot whale gracefully peeks its head out of the water and dips back down leaving his tail to stick in the air as it makes its way back into the water. 

As our trip was coming to an end, I feel secretly let down. Although rare, I was hoping we would be lucky enough to witness the natural beauty of an Orca. I have always admired the intelligence and beauty of Orcas. As we were bouncing across the water, cutting through the waves, heading back to the dock, a mighty splash splintered the air behind us. We all turned and the boat captain raced to catch the whales. A black mass cutting the water moved in our direction, heavily, yet gracefully, as we rushed to the edge of the boat to catch a glimpse of this natural wonder. I take a sharp inhale and hold my breath as two Orcas swim right next to our boat. There smooth bodies glide through the water as they simply come to the surface and dive back down into the ocean. Looking into the dark eyes of the mother and the curious eyes of the baby, I realized how we have no control over nature. It can change at anytime, even when we least expect it.