Here are beautiful photos of the Humpback tail taken by onboard biologist Corey on Monday's tours.
Monday, July 30
Today was a humpback day as passengers aboard the Orca Spirit were fortunate to see these magnificent animals on all three trips. This morning, we spent time with a humpback whale out in Juan De Fuca Strait a few miles offshore of Port Angeles, Washington. As mentioned in previous blogs, we have had a mother and calf pair hanging out in this area for quite some time now. We were fortunate to get several nice views of the young humpback whale, which was a thrill for both passengers and crew. After viewing the humpback whale, we travelled to Race Rocks for some truly amazing wildlife viewing. When we arrived at Race Rocks, we found several Steller sea lions swimming in the strong currents. A close look at the rocks revealed several harbour seals, including a few pups! An elephant seal was found swimming near the boat ramp near the lighthouse. All in all, it was an excellent trip.
The afternoon trip was very similar to the morning trip, as we travelled south to spend time with the young humpback calf. As we arrived on scene with the young humpback whale, some astute passengers noticed another blow off our starboard side. It was the mother humpback! This afternoon was truly amazing as the large female gave us a spectacular show, highlighted by some great passes and an even more amazing cartwheel! The unpredictable nature of humpback whales makes viewing them thrilling to watch. After watching the humpback whale, we again travelled to Race Rocks, where we again found sea lions and harbour seals along with other wonderful wildlife.
For the evening trip, we travelled further east to a location several miles south of Discovery Island where we spent time with yet another humpback whale! It was a great trip. When diving this whale was not hesitant at all to show us its massive flukes, which made for some spectacular photographic opportunities. The highlight of the trip was a spectacular pass by the whale to conclude our time with him (or her), as it swam by our boat right before fluking! The wildlife stop for this trip was a scenic trip through the Chain Islets to look at harbour seals, cormorants and other wonderful bird life. We concluded our tour by educating our guests about the wonderful bull kelp forests that help sustain and support much of our local marine life.
Dear Sirs:
We really enjoyed our "whale adventure".
When we first learned that my 2nd cousin (age 16) would be visiting from Germany, and that her dream was to see whales, we thought of just going to the Vancouver Aquarium. However, we had never seen whales in the wild and decided to take her with us on the Orca Spirit.
What an incredible experience! We couldn't believe how exciting it was to see whales up close. Your naturalists provided an informative commentary and were all very friendly.
Please pass on our thanks to your staff!
Regards,
Muriel Wilson
This afternoon aboard the Orca Spirit, our guests were able to see two amazing humpback whales in Juan De Fuca Strait. Our first humpback whale was a young whale that was most likely still travelling with its mother that was less than a mile away. The little humpback was logging at the surface, but we were able to get some good views of the magnificent little whale. After watching the little whale for several minutes, we travelled to the much larger mature humpback whale. We were thrilled by a spectacular pass from this large whale. The choppy waters definitely added to the adventure, one that our passengers will not forget.
Saturday, July 28
This morning, we toured the coastline of
This afternoon we headed to the waters off of Dungeness Spit to view two magnificent humpback whales. We watched as the two whales slowly travelled west, and were fortunate to see one of the two humpbacks show us its tail flukes, and we were able to identify it as one of the same whales we have seen in the same area over the past couple of weeks. On the way back towards
Friday, July 27th
Today on our morning tours we made out way up to Turn Point where orcas were spotted. This area is on
In the afternoon we met up with orcas along
For our evening tour we met up with a group of orcas at Hein Bank, a bit more offshore from
Thursday, July 26
Throughout the day we saw feeding behaviour (they are feeding on the running salmon) but also got a few glimpses into their social and playful personalities as we saw a breeches, spyhops and many tail slaps.We also saw Harbour seals, Bald Eagles and many more sea birds when we stopped at the
Wednesday, July 25
Whales, Whales, Whales! Another great day on the waters surrounding southernThe afternoon’s tour started with reports of Orcas coming east up the Strait of Juan de Fuca towards
On our evening tour we were heading to the west
Tuesday, July 24th
This morning, we searched the waters of Juan de Fuca Strait in search of the humpback whales that have thrilled our passengers over the last couple of weeks. Unfortunately, this morning we were unsuccessful but we were able to show our passengers some of the other wonderful wildlife in the area. We stopped in Whirl Bay to show our passengers a huge bald eagle nest. We travelled next to Race Rocks Ecological Reserve, admiring the scenic beauty of the historic lighthouse. Steller sea lions were resting in the morning sun and several harbour seal pups were also seen. We also noticed a mature bald eagle perched just a short distance away from the sea lions. It did not seem the least bit bothered by the large predators around it. It was a great way to end a nice morning tour.
In the afternoon, we spent time with two humpback whales that were found north of Port Angeles. It was a pleasure to spend time with these enormous cetaceans that were thrilling our passengers with some spectacular fluking behaviour. The humpback whales met up about half way through our time with them. A highlight of the trip was near the end of the trip when both whales dove in unison raising their massive flukes together. It was a thrilling experience.
For the evening trip, we travelled across Juan De Fuca Strait to Freshwater Bay where we found two different humpback whales about a mile offshore. As we arrived on scene, we were greeted with two enormous tail slaps! We watched the humpback whales as they made their west. It is absolutely amazing to see humpback whales as at one time, they were not seen in nearshore waters of BC, having been extirpated from the area during the days of whaling. It is great to see them returning to the area and the numbers seem to be increasing! As a conclusion to our evening tour, we stopped at Race Rocks where we watched some Steller sea lions jousting for position on their favourite rock. It was a great way to end another wonderful day on the water.
Recent humpback whale sightings have been absolutely amazing! Here are some of favourite photos of a whale feeding.
Monday, July 23
This morning, we travelled just south of Victoria where two humpback whales were feeding southeast of Race Rocks. It was a fantastic morning as both passengers and crew enjoyed watching one of the humpbacks engage in some spectacular feeding behaviour, in which it used its massive tail flukes to coral food before it lunged through the food at the surface. We watched in awe as one of the humpbacks did an amazing cartwheel! After watching the humpback whales, we travelled to Race Rocks where we were surprised to see a large number of Steller sea lions had already returned to the area. At least 8 were seen hauled out on the rocks. We also noticed many young harbour seal pups!
The afternoon trip was very similar to the first trip of the day. We found the humpbacks in approximately the same location and they were engaging in the same spectacular feeding behaviours. We were also able to see another cartwheel. After watching the humpback whales for almost an hour, we travelled to Race Rocks to show our guests the historic lighthouse, Steller sea lions and other fantastic marine life.
Sunday, July 22
With the continuous foggy, rainy weather that Victoria has been experiencing this week, we managed to continue using the newest addition to our fleet, the Pacific Explorer. Fortunately this vessel (with large, indoor seating) kept the crew and guest very comfortable during our trips. We managed to find a humpback in the afternoon just north of Port Angeles. And we were happy we did! He/she was incredibly active, continuously pushing the water around with his large fluke and sometimes his pectoral fin. Every now and again he would come up to lunge feed and we managed to have some great views of his mouth and baleen plates. We finished the trip by heading over to Race Rocks where we were greeted by a few Stellar Sea Lions, who are beginning to make to way back to the area after the breeding season.
Friday, July 20th
My (onboard biologist Nicole) first super pod! This morning’s trip, despite the fog and a small amount of drizzle was a fantastic trip, one of the best of the year! We left the harbour and not too long after our departure we encountered whales. We began observing the whales and soon realized that we had more than just one pod. We first identified Faith and Mega from L-pod. Then had an amazing pass by Cappucino, so we knew we had L and K-pod but were surprised when Ruffles (J1) made a pass which confirmed our presumptions that we had superpod. Superpods occur when all three pods get together. When this occurs the whales are extremely social and active. On top of our fantastic observations of orcas we also had some great passes by a Minke whale that seemed just as excited as the crew to see the orcas. What a fantastic morning on the Victoria waterfront.
For the afternoon tours we headed back to our super pod. Fortunately the weather cleared up and we had some great views yet again. The whales appeared to be moving more quickly and were spreading out more so probably beginning to travel again. They travelled from Trial Island to Haro Strait during our trip. We had some nice passes from Raggedy and Cappucino from K-pod. After we left the whales we stopped by the Chain Islands where we observed a number of Harbour Seals sitting out on the rocks.
Our final trip of the day brought us over to Lime Kiln Lighthouse where we had a number of orcas spread out in the area. We had a nice pass by one of the adult males from L-pod, Gaia. It appeared that the superpod finally split up. Although just as we were leaving, we had a final pass from Mike, a sprouting male from L-pod, so it appeared that the pods were still a bit mixed together. What a great way to end the day!
Thursday, July 20
Victoria's weather made for another interesting day on the water. Although this morning's tour started in heavy fog, we were still able to get a great look at the Race Rocks Light House (lit in 1860) and the marine animals it is home to. We enjoyed many harbour and elephant seals and a bald eagle perched on the rocky shore line waiting for the best opportunity to grab an unsuspecting fish.
We then received word that J-pod, one of our 3 southern resident pods, had been spotted on the west shore of the American San Juan Island. For the rest of the morning and the whole of the afternoon tour, we were able to watch a foraging (feeding on Salmon) J-Pod. We travelled from False Bay to Lime Kiln Lighthouse as J-pod's many members went after the abundant salmon. Ruffles (J1), a 56 year old male, Blackberry (J27) and Mike (J26), both 16 year old sprouting males, were seen rapidly changing directions after fish. We even got a look at Granny (J2), the 96 year old matriarch, Mako (J39), a 4 year old male calf, and Slick (J16), 35 year old mother of 4 (including Mike) and her newest female calf unnamed J42, who is only 2 1/2 months old.
We finished the day with a beautiful sun filled ride back to the Victoria harbour with enough time to spend checking our many of the other amazing site Victoria has to offer.
The fog and drizzling weather has not deterred our Resident Orcas!
These photos were taken by Captain John on July 17th and 18th.
These photos were taken by Captain John on July 17th and 18th.
Wednesday, July 19
This morning we headed to the rugged coastline of Stuart Island, where we found a large number of resting J-pod whales heading slowly northbound past the historic Turn Point Lighthouse. The rather dreary weather did not dampen the experience of viewing these magnificent cetaceans, as we continued our journey north with them. We soon noticed J16 (Slick) and J42, the newest calf. The young baby orca was in a playful mood, as our guests were treated to a breach by the newest southern resident. As we slowly left the scene, we noticed J1 (Ruffles) to the west of the other orcas. Our time with the big guy was a wonderful way to conclude our time with the whales and we headed back to the Victoria harbour.
A rare occurence made the afternoon trip a special experience. With most of J-pod already up north near Active Pass, we received word that another group of J-pod whales was located off of False Bay on San Juan Island. It is rare for J-pod to separate like this, but it allowed our afternoon guests to experience the majesty of the southern resident killer whale. We were privileged to see some spectacular behaviour from a group of whales that included one of our naturalists favourite whales, Blackberry (J27). It appeared that the whales were foraging for salmon. We saw a spectacular surface chase, some great percussive behaviour (tail slaps and pectoral slaps), and an absolutely amazing spyhop from J27 (see the photos above from Captain John!).
For the evening trip, we again travelled to Stuart Island, where the group of J-pod whales we were with this afternoon were resting and travelling slowly northbound as they made their way north towards the Fraser River. Shortly after we arrived on scene, the whales started to wake up. A fabulous spyhop marked this change in behaviour and we noticed the whales break off into two family groups. A highlight of the trip was an amazing pass from Blackberry and his family! It was a wonderful evening in the waters of the Salish Sea.
Tuesday, July 17
This morning, we travelled east to San Juan Island, where we had sighted J-pod the evening before. After an exhaustive search of the coast, we headed for Hein Bank to search for minke whales. Shortly after arriving on scene with a minke whale southwest of Hein Bank, we received that J-pod had been sighted in the fog near Albert Head off Victoria. We were able to meet up with J-pod in the rain near a navigational buoy known as Victor Hotel. We found the whales in a resting pattern and we were able to see all 25 of whales of J-pod surfacing and diving in unison! The light rain only added to our west coast adventure. It was a remarkable experience.
For our afternoon trip, we caught up with J-pod as they were crossing Haro Strait, swimming towards San Juan Island in the fog. The trip this afternoon was a surreal experience; calm winds and light fog made for an amazing time. We were treated to some amazing behaviour, including breaches and a magnificent spyhop! We travelled with J-pod as they made their way towards Pile Point on San Juan Island, spending time with several different groups of whales along the way. What an incredible tour! 
On the evening trip, we encountered J-pod near Pile Point again foraging for salmon. A highlight of the evening trip was a wonderful encounter with a young whale who was foraging, slapping its flukes and even breaching near our boat. We also spent some time with Mike (J26), who was foraging in the calm waters off San Juan Island. Today was a fantastic day on the water.
Monday, July 16
This morning, we headed into the waters of the Strait of Juan De Fuca in search of our humpback whales and orcas. We received word of a humpback whale off Sheringham Point and headed west to view the large cetacean. We found the humpback heading west, and watched as it fluked several times showing us its distinctive markings. The tail flukes of humpback whales are unique to each individual animal, and it was apparent that this whale was different from the other whales we have seen over the past few weeks. On the way back towards Victoria, we stopped at Race Rocks Ecological Reserve where we saw several harbour seals and a few elephant seals. A couple of harbour seals were found near the boat ramp, including one massive male on the ramp itself. Seeing these large pinnipeds is always a pleasure, and it was a great way to end another wonderful trip.
This afternoon we headed to Hannah Heights on San Juan Island, where we found a group of J-pod whales foraging in the salmon-rich waters. It was a wonderful trip as we got to spend time with 2 of our favourite whales, Mike (J26) and Blackberry (J27), among others. These adolescent whales are always a joy to watch as we never really know what to expect from these rambunctious teenagers. A highlight of the trip was an absolutely fantastic spyhop!
For the evening trip, we again travelled to San Juan Island to find J-pod. Along the way, we noticed many Dall's porpoises foraging near Beaumont Shoals. We caught up with J-pod offshore of Lime Kiln Lighthouse, and journeyed with J-pod as they made their way south. The whales were travelling in several different groups, and we were able to spend time with many different whales. A favourite moment was a magnificent pass from a large group of whales that included Polaris (J28) and Speiden (J8). We could hear the distinctive blow of Speiden long before we could identify this incredible whale visually. Near the end of the trip, we made our way towards Kelp Reef, where we found a few whales foraging, including Mike (J26). Hunting killer whales, both residents and transients, are amazing to watch. We saw a spectacular chase astern of our boat, which was exciting for both guests and crew. Our time with the whales concluded with a nice visit with J1 (Ruffles), a wonderful end to another day of whale watching in beautiful Haro Strait.
Hi, My family and I joined you on the 9:00 trip on 15th July this year and had a wonderful trip. One of the other passengers asked if I would post my pictures to your blog site as, not having a digital camera herself, she was not sure if she managed to get any good pictures herself.
Many thanks to the crew for any enjoyable and informative experience.
Tarina
Many thanks to the crew for any enjoyable and informative experience.
Tarina
Sunday, July 15
This mornings trips brought us south towards Port Angeles where we observed a humpback in the water. The humpback continuously came up to breath and we had some great views of his large fluke as he dove down. After leaving the humpack, we headed over to Race Rocks. We were fortunate enough to see the large head of an Elephant Seal as he rested in the water. We also saw a number of Cormorants and Harbour Seals.
In the afternoon we headed north along the Haro Strait to catch up with J-pod who were spotted travelling south at Turn Point. We met up with them around Pender Island and were greeted with a breach in front of us in the distance. We observed a number of Js resting along the centre of the strait. After spending some time watching these beautiful mammals we had a nice trip back to the harbour.
This mornings trips brought us south towards Port Angeles where we observed a humpback in the water. The humpback continuously came up to breath and we had some great views of his large fluke as he dove down. After leaving the humpack, we headed over to Race Rocks. We were fortunate enough to see the large head of an Elephant Seal as he rested in the water. We also saw a number of Cormorants and Harbour Seals.
In the afternoon we headed north along the Haro Strait to catch up with J-pod who were spotted travelling south at Turn Point. We met up with them around Pender Island and were greeted with a breach in front of us in the distance. We observed a number of Js resting along the centre of the strait. After spending some time watching these beautiful mammals we had a nice trip back to the harbour.
Saturday, June 14
Our morning crew had a long trip out west where we had word that orcas we spotted past otter point. Our patient passengers were eventually rewarded when we finally spotted orcas way past our original destionation. The waters were calm and the orcas, both K and L-pod were extremely active with a lot of breaches and other splashing behaviour. A great way to start the morning!
In the afternoon we took another long trip out, but this time we headed east to see what J-pod was up to. We found them north of Cypress Island. We had an amazing pass by Slick and her newborn calf J-42 where we could see that the calf had that red coloring on its white areas. After a few tail slaps we said goodbye to the orcas and headed back to Victoria.For our evening tour we headed south straight out of the harbour. Not too long after our departure we encountered a humpback whale! These whales are not often found in our waters so it is always a privilege to see them, especially this one since he/she was incredibly active. We observed a number of fluke lobbings and flipper slappings as he kept to the surface during most of our time there. After some incredible views, we headed over to Chain Island where we saw some Harbour Seals and a Bald Eagle perched on top of a Cormorant nest.
Here are some great Humpback photos taken by onboard biologist Corey:
Friday, July 13th
This afternoon, we headed to Kellet Bluff, where we found an energetic and playful group of southern residents heading northward along the bluff. Within minutes, we knew we were in for a special trip as the whales were spyhopping and breaching frequently. We identified the whales as K-pod, a group of about 20 whales, and we were pleased to see Cappuccino (K21) among others. Our hydrophone only added to the experience, as we heard lots of vocalizations and echolocation. We also saw lots of what is called percussive behaviour, in which whales use their flukes and/or pectoral fins to slap the surface of the water. The acrobatics continued throughout the trip, as we drifted in the current with the whales as they travelled northbound, before turning south. It was another wonderful experience aboard the Orca Spirit.
Thursday, July 12
In the morning we were fortunate enough to see a number of different species. Our trip brought us towards San Juan Island where we observed 3 Minke whales surfacing and diving in the waters. A number of bird species were scene on the surface collecting any food that the Minkes didn’t manage to swallow. Throughout the trip we observed a number of Harbour Seals swimming in the water. Our trip ended perfectly with a nice viewing of orcas.
In the afternoon we caught up with K-pod and had some nice passes by its members and then went over to visit J-pod who were a little bit further north. J-pod appeared to be resting and most of the whales were found close to the shoreline. In the evening we went and visited J-pod again. The pod was now awake from their resting and appeared to be hunting. Our hydrophone detected a lot of echolocation and talking among the whales which is always fantastic to hear. We had great passes from a number of whales including some of the sprouting males within the pod.
Wednesday, July 11
This morning, we headed east to San Juan Island in search of our resident orcas. We searched the waters of its western shore in the hope of finding J, K and L pod. Without success, we travelled to Hein Bank, which is where we often find minke whales this time of year foraging for small schooling fish such as herring. Although we did not find any whales, it was a birder's delight as we found several rhinoceros auklets and many gulls waiting for the whales as well. We concluded our adventure with a trip to the Chain Islets, where we found several seals and a bald eagle! Despite the lack of whale sightings, it was an amazing trip on the calm cool waters of Haro Strait.
This afternoon, we received word of a humpback whale east of Race Rocks. Our afternoon was spent admiring this majestic animal as we were treated to several amazing passes. It is always a pleasure to see a humpback, as at one point they were almost whaled out of existence. It is only in the past few years that they have started to rediscover our waters in abundance. On the way back to Victoria, we stopped at the always spectacular Race Rocks, where we introduced guests to the harbour seals and elephant seals that are found in abundance this time of year. It was another great trip aboard the Orca Spirit.
With our southern resident orcas still out of our range for the evening trip, we headed to the waters off Port Angeles, where we received word of another humpback whale. When we arrived on scene, we surprised to see a rare visitor to these waters, a lone Pacific white-sided dolphin! We watched the playful little mammal play with the boats, including ours, and would later enjoy watching him (or her) surf in our wake. At the same time, the humpback whale was thrilling our passengers with some spectacular lunge feeding behaviour and tail slaps, as it circled our boat. It was a truly fantastic experience, and it was something that this naturalist had not seen before. To end this already wonderful trip, we travelled to Race Rocks where we noticed some of our first young harbour seal pups of the season. We also saw a few elephant seals lounging in the evening sun.
My husband and I were on the 9am trip on Sunday when we saw the new baby. We were the ones touring around on the Harley.I got some pictures of the two of them. One of the pictures shows the mom's saddle patch pretty good. Please let us know the background of the mom and thank you all very much for the fantastic experience! Sandra & Ken Hill
Tuesday, July 10
Today was spent enjoying the calm waters, bright sunshine and one of our resident pods of Orcas, K-pod. We found the perfect spots for viewing, turned off the engines and let the whales pass by our boat as they pleased. We were able to identify many different individuals by their unique dorsal fins and saddle patches. As usual, Cappuccino K21, a 21 year old male, showed all our guessed the grace these amazing animals have. We also got a great look at a mother and her new calf that stopped near the boat on their way past. But that was not it for the day, as we headed out for our evening tour were got word that J and L pods were also coming into the area. As we arrived on scene we were greeted with many breeches, too many to count! We enjoyed the slow setting sun, while viewing many different individuals from all three pods….what an amazing day.
I just wanted to thank the entire crew and Staff of Orca Spirit with providing me with such a personal and meaningful experience while there. I feel like I have gotten to know all of you too well, as many of the Orcas, Cappuccino in particular, I got to see up close many a time. I will miss all of you as well as the Orcas terribly, and am only looking forward to my return next year. This experience was exactly what I had hoped for and more. With that being said, it is very hard to say goodbye today.
Thanks again to Nicolette (thanks again for the ticket), Sheenah (best of luck with the sharks, although you know I am prejudice to Orcas), Nicole (you taught we quite a lot of things that I didn’t know), and Captain Brad and Captain John (always very respectful to the Orcas and their surroundings). I know I am very forgetting many names, but thanks to all of you also.
The Orcas will be in my minds always, and I will do everything possible to return asap. That being said, thank you again, and say hi to J, K, and L pods for me. I will always be thinking of them………
Veena K. Wulfekuhle
Good Day Orca Spirit Team!
Here are some of the photos I caught of Cappuccino on 9 July 07.
Best regards, Owen Edwards
Thank you Owen - those photos are fantastic!
Cappuccino (K21) is a mature male known for his distinctive saddle patch and wide dorsal fin.
Monday, July 9
In the morning our group of passengers went to San Juan Island where we saw a number of whales near the shoreline by Lime Kilne Lighthouse. The orcas were initially heading north but began to turn around halfway through our trip and started heading back south along San Juan Island. In the afternoon we were fortunate enough to see two pods in one trip. We started off south of San Juan where we saw some members of L-pod traveling along the shoreline. We then went further north along San Juan and met up with what we believed was K-pod. Our beliefs were confirmed when Cappuccino, of the adult males from K-pod made a fantastic pass by our boat. On our trip back we stopped by the Chain Islands and observed the Cormorants fly off their nests in a hurry as two Bald Eagles flew in and landed in their spot.
After a beautiful day on the water, we headed out for one more tour. We met up with K-pod as they were moving off shore of San Juan Island. All on board were pleased to get a good look at K21 (Cappuccino) and an even better look at his younger sister k40 (Raggedy). Another successful day whale watching in Victoria.
In the morning our group of passengers went to San Juan Island where we saw a number of whales near the shoreline by Lime Kilne Lighthouse. The orcas were initially heading north but began to turn around halfway through our trip and started heading back south along San Juan Island. In the afternoon we were fortunate enough to see two pods in one trip. We started off south of San Juan where we saw some members of L-pod traveling along the shoreline. We then went further north along San Juan and met up with what we believed was K-pod. Our beliefs were confirmed when Cappuccino, of the adult males from K-pod made a fantastic pass by our boat. On our trip back we stopped by the Chain Islands and observed the Cormorants fly off their nests in a hurry as two Bald Eagles flew in and landed in their spot.
After a beautiful day on the water, we headed out for one more tour. We met up with K-pod as they were moving off shore of San Juan Island. All on board were pleased to get a good look at K21 (Cappuccino) and an even better look at his younger sister k40 (Raggedy). Another successful day whale watching in Victoria.
Sunday, July 8
Today’s tours allowed us to view several of our Southern Resident pods throughout the day. This time of year is so great because all three of our residents (J, K and L pods) are in the area. In the morning we went to San Juan Island to find K-pod. The whales were found swimming along the northern edge of San Juan and Henry Island. We had some nice views of the entire pod and even had a chance to see the new born baby! In the afternoon we left the harbour and were pleasantly surprised to see L-pod. The entire pod was coming back after a trip out west. We managed to see most of the pod including a number of their mature males and the female Surprise! with her one year old calf Pooka. We had plenty time after visiting the whales to check out Race Rocks where we saw a number of Harbour Seals and even a Stellar Sea Lion swimming in the water.
Our group of passengers went out to San Juan Island for the evening tour to catch up with L-pod who had managed to cross the Haro Street and go south to Lopez Island between our afternoon and evening trip. The water was calm and we managed to see a number of members of L-pod including a nice pass by Faith and Canuck, who are often spotted together. Further offshore from the island we watched 3 orcas playing which included rolling on their side, going on top of each other and spy hopping, what a great way to end the day.
Today’s tours allowed us to view several of our Southern Resident pods throughout the day. This time of year is so great because all three of our residents (J, K and L pods) are in the area. In the morning we went to San Juan Island to find K-pod. The whales were found swimming along the northern edge of San Juan and Henry Island. We had some nice views of the entire pod and even had a chance to see the new born baby! In the afternoon we left the harbour and were pleasantly surprised to see L-pod. The entire pod was coming back after a trip out west. We managed to see most of the pod including a number of their mature males and the female Surprise! with her one year old calf Pooka. We had plenty time after visiting the whales to check out Race Rocks where we saw a number of Harbour Seals and even a Stellar Sea Lion swimming in the water.
Our group of passengers went out to San Juan Island for the evening tour to catch up with L-pod who had managed to cross the Haro Street and go south to Lopez Island between our afternoon and evening trip. The water was calm and we managed to see a number of members of L-pod including a nice pass by Faith and Canuck, who are often spotted together. Further offshore from the island we watched 3 orcas playing which included rolling on their side, going on top of each other and spy hopping, what a great way to end the day.
Friday, July 6
This morning, we headed to the waters off Andrew's Bay on San Juan Island. We encountered a group of resident whales from L-pod who were travelling and foraging for their favourite food - chinook salmon. With the hydrophone down, we heard the echolocation and calls of L-pod and had an excellent pass from a female orca, and were able to see a very cute young calf. We also spent some time with a young"sprouter" male. It was an enjoyable trip in the sunny skies.
By the afternoon, the three pods of southern residents had all made their way to San Juan Island. As often happens when they get together, the whales were in a boisterous and playful mood. The vocalizations were amazing, as we heard the whales communicating with their enchanting calls. We watched some foraging behaviour and heard lots of echolocation. However, the highlight of the trip was a spectacular pass from a large group of whales with an absolutely extraordinary breach by a young male! We saw several breaches this afternoon an amazing spyhop. On the return trip to Victoria, we took our passengers for a tour of the Chain Islets, where we saw many gulls harassing a mature bald eagle and quite a few harbour seals. At Great Chain Island, we watched another eagle perched on the cormorant colony and then fly away with something in its talons. What a fantastic tour!
Thursday, June 5
This morning, we had reports of whales off the Victoria waterfront. When we arrived on scene, we found a group of L-pod whales heading west and spread out over several miles. The whales were making their way to Race Pass and we were pleased to see several whales foraging and travelling slowly west. As the whales were travelling west, we left them temporarily to explore Race Rocks Ecological Reserve where we found several bald eagles and lots of harbour seals! On the way back to Victoria, we stopped briefly in Race Rocks where we found a group of whales porpoising west at a high rate of speed. This is a spectacular behaviour to see as the whales jump clear of the water while travelling and it was a great way to end a wonderful wildlife experience.
Our afternoon trip was a fantastic one as we encountered a large group of L-pod whales offshore of San Juan Island near Salmon Bank. We had a great visit from Faith (L57) and were pleased to see the new L-pod calf. We travelled north with the whales as they made their way towards San Juan Island. It was an excellent adventure with a wonderful group of guests.
For our evening trip we went to San Juan Island to meet up with some members of L-pod. The waters were a little choppy but we still managed to get some nice views of one male and a few females. We believe the male was Flash (L73), who is a male with a similar dorsal fin to the well known Ruffles (J1) from J-pod. For most of the trip the whales were traveling but we did manage to get one breach from the group which is always exciting to see and a nice way to finish the day!
Wednesday, July 4th
This morning we headed out towards San Juan Island. While on the American side, we spotted some black dorsal fins back towards Vancouver Island. We began approaching that direction but nothing was appearing. After about 10 minutes two groups of whales surfaced and we soon realized why the long dive, they were transients, a subspecies different than our residents who are known to dive for longer periods of time. We observed 2 large males as well as a number of females and possibly juvenile males up to Darcy Island.
We decided to head north and see the transients again for the afternoon trip instead of visiting the L11s that were spotted off of San Juan Island and boy we were happy we did! We found the transients up by Meresby Island where we observed the group hunting. One large male eventually came up with a Harbour Seal, it was an incredible experience to see these transients in action (see photos).
For our evening trip we took a nice calm trip out to San Juan Island by Lime Kilne Lighthouse where the L11s were observed. We saw Mega and some females as they went back and forth along the shoreline apparently hunting on some salmon. We had some nice observations and on our way back to Victoria we managed to stop by the Chain Islands and see a Bald Eagle being mobbed by some gulls.
