A family of seals plays happily in the harbor as our whale watching tour ship pulls away, the vibration of the motor numbing my core and deafening my ears. One brave pinniped twirls out of the water beside us as if to catch a better look before splashing back into the boat’s wake. I nuzzle into my husband and hold tight to my toddler, bundled in his life jacket, as three loud horns indicate the start of our journey into the Pacific Ocean.