This turned out to be the adventure of a lifetime. We all wanted to see whales and our guide took that objective to heart and steered us toward the appropriate areas for whale viewing. At first, the whales were shy, and it looked like it was going to be a quiet day. We paddled toward several spouts, with no major sightings above the water. Then we spotted an area with 3 spouts and made a beeline in that direction. We were close, I could saw a whale, just off to my right, toward the horizon, as its back and dorsal fin glided above the waterline. My husband and I paddled toward the whale, I could see the water swirling where it was, and I started to wonder if we should stop paddling, that we might be getting too close. Just then, RIGHT IN FRONT OUR KAYAK, a whale shot up out of the water, higher and higher it rose, like a tower. I couldn't believe my eyes, it stay suspended in the air for a second, we had a clear view of its white striped belly directly in front of us, and then it flopped over on its side with a big SWOOSH. I assumed the show was over, but no. the whale breached 6 more times, as it swam away from our group. It was a gift and a privilege to be so close to such a magnificent animal. I will never forget this experience, it was sacred and transcendent.