Saturday, June 28th

What a wonderful morning! The seas were calm and we had brilliant sunny skies. The crew of Captain Brad, naturalists Sean and Corey and a group of intrepid passengers headed west in search of orcas and humpback whales. Just off Beechey head, we encountered a humpback whale. It was a fantastic way to start the trip, and both passengers and crew to see this magnificent animal as it headed into magnificent cetacean. We were thrilled as many of our guests were able some nice pictures of the whale "fluking", showing us its massive tail flukes as it went on a deep dive. After this wonderful encounter, we headed to Race Rocks, where we had a rare encounter (for this time of year) of a large California sea lion and several harbour seals. With our wildlife tour not finished, we headed into Parry Bay to show our customers a large eagle's nest and were thrilled as one of its occupants gave us a fly by. To top off the tour, we watched a beautiful great blue heron sitting on top of a forest of bull kelp.

For our afternoon trip, we travelled just a short distance outside the harbour as the humpback whale we were visiting in the morning had travelled a significant distance east. As always, is was a pleasure to show our guests these magnificent mammals. Once a rarity in the waters near Victoria due to whaling, they are becoming quite common in the summer and fall. We decided to leave the humpback whale and made a circle out west to see what else we could find. Near a shipping lane marker known as Victor Golf, our sharp-eyed captain spotted a fin. It did not take us long to realize that we had found ourselves a killer whale. It turned out to be one of the most famous transient orcas on our coast, Pender or T14, as he is known to scientists. What a thrill it was to see this top predator - it was a delight for both passengers and crew.

On the evening trip, we encountered Pender south of Trial Island. Our delighted guests were awed by the size of this large orca and we were thrilled with several great passes. The weather was truly amazing this evening. It was warm, calm and quiet, nothing really to hear but the sounds of the whale's blows. We enjoyed our time with this incredible whale, but like this afternoon, we really wanted to show our passengers the whale "double header" - orca and humpback. We found the humpback about 6 miles southwest of Pender. It would prove to be a wonderful conclusion to our wildlife experience. We had our vessel, the Orca Spirit, stopped well away from the humpback whale and watched as it travelled in a circular pattern foraging when it did something spectacular, surfacing not more than ten metres off our port side. What a thrill! To finish our evening adventure, we stopped outside the harbour and were able to view the Tall Ships Festival. All in all, it was a great evening and a wonderful day.

Thursday, June 26

After 3 years working at orca spirit I figure I can pretty much know how the day is going to go by the time the 9am tour leaves the dock. But this is not the case, the wind, waves and wild animals still has a hand up on me. The morning tour was spent riding along the west shore of San Juan Island. We watched a few Dall's porpoises as they rode the wake of our boat and fed in the productive waters we stirred. From there we traveled north to Speiden Island where we found some long horned sheep graving on the barren, arid like slops. Keeping our eyes to the sea and skies we also watched many bald eagles as they flu over head and swooped down over the water looking for fish. We also went by D'Arcy Island and the Chain Islands to see many harbour seals hauled out on the rocks, trying to keep warm by the suns rays. Although no whales were found, it was a great time on the water.

The after noon trip had a direction right off the dock. We were notified of a group of resident orcas traveling north bound along the west side of San Juan Island. Once on scene, all aboard were pleased to get a fabulous look at J-pod. This high social group of 25 orcas were feeding off the many salmon that concentrated along this fruitful shoreline. Guests were thrilled to see Ruffles (J1, a 57 yr old male) as he surfaced several times given all a close look at his wavy 6 ft dorsal fin. We enjoy these large yet peaceful top predators of the sea as they just continued feeding as though no one were around them. From there we made our way back towards Victoria stopping at Discovery Island to see a dew dozen harbour seals on the rocks and another small group swimming amongst the bull kelp in search of food. Out last stop was at Chain Island to check out the large Double-crested Cormorant nest atop the highest point. These amazing deep diving (up to 200 ft below) sat perched looking for their next meal. Although I knew in the morning we were in for a great day, it’s never as great in my head as it is by the time the day is over.

Wednesday, June 25

Odontocetes and Mysticetes

‘Twas a fog filled morning on the west side of San Juan Island when we got the report of the Southern Resident orcas over in that part of the Salish Sea. Finding orcas in fog is definitely a challenge, as you often ear them before you see them. We knew they were around so dropped the hydrophone on a regular basis in order to pick up any vocalisations, but could not pick anything up. Time was running out and there were many boats in that area that still hadn’t found any. Suddenly we hear over the radio “I have contact” and sure enough passengers were shortly after able to witness members of J-pod (J16 and her four offspring) travelling close together. It’s awesome to be able to see a family unit side by side, and appreciate the social bonds these animals have with each other. A long search it was, but we were able to show passengers these amazing cetaceans in the end.

The afternoon tours headed out and back across to the west side of San Juan Island where we caught up with some more members of J-pod. Again we witnessed a family unit of four orcas travelling together as they angled back into the shore to join up with other members of the pod that were hugging the coastline. Passengers were extremely lucky to get some phenomenal pass-bys and thus some great photos for their holiday album. So now we’d seen some odontocetes (toothed whales), it was time to go and see a mysticete (baleen whale). We had got a report of a juvenile Humpback whale a mile just south of Victoria and so decided to go and check it out. Arriving on scene we had to find it and sure enough, we soon saw the distinct blow and then the hump on its back and its tail fluke up in the air. It went down for a few more dives, and we all had our eyes peeled then all of a sudden, it surfaced right next to the boat! And showed us its tail fluke! Absolutely unbelievable! Both Sean and myself (naturalists) were beside ourselves! What a treat! We then saw it surface further away and repeatedly slap its tail on the surface of the water. The splash was amazing!
This juvenile would have had to have been at least 10 metres long (can get up to 16m). To be honest this trip was bloody amazing as we saw two species of whale, all about half an hour from Victoria. Seriously, where else in the world folks can you see this kind of cetacean diversity from the capital city of a province? How lucky I am to be able to live here and work in this industry.
Check out the pic below I managed to snap one of the times the humpy presented its tail fluke for all passengers to see.

Here are some great photos taken by Penny Rogers on June 24th (morning tour).
Thanks Penny!

Monday, June 23rd

Heading out this morning we were instantly on the search for orca, and so headed south out into the Strait of Juan De Fuca and west towards the southern tip of San Juan Island in the hope of finding members of the Southern Resident Community. While searching we came across a bald eagle perched on a rock in an area known as Whale Rocks at the southern most tip of San Juan Island. Searching around this area we noticed an abundance of harbour seals swimming in the water, all popping their heads up and checking us out. It really was something unique to witness. We headed back west to Victoria still on the search but unfortunately nothing eventuated and the whales eluded us for the morning trip. Still, with the Orca Spirit Whale Guarantee I’m sure we’ll be seeing some of these passengers in the very near future.

The afternoon trip headed out with a determined and motivated crew but this time it was decided we would go south and west in the hope of finding whales. On our way towards Race Rocks we had gotten a report that the Southern Residents were way out west a few miles south of Otter Point, heading in a westerly direction. “We’re gonna go for it” Captain Brad stated. So with the rooster tail shooting out behind the Orca Spirit and a keen crew and passengers we made our way to the whales. It got a little choppy on the way out there but upon arrival on scene passengers were able to witness a couple of pairs of mother and calf, some breaches, tail slaps and a very nice pass-by from a juvenile male, with his floppy sprouting dorsal swaying from side-to-side in the choppy seas. As we had come a long way to view these orcas it was soon time to head back home. ‘Twas a long way to go this afternoon but we go where the whales are, and passengers certainly were pleased that they got to see the wonder that is Orcinus orca.

Saturday, June 21

This morning, we had another amazing tour aboard the Orca Spirit. With flat calm seas, we headed east towards the San Juan Islands in the hope of finding any or all of our three resident orca pods. Near Iceberg Point, we were in luck as we found a small group of orcas foraging for salmon. We were able to identify the whales as part of L-pod, and it was only a little while later that we heard the news that it was a superpod morning as J-pod and K-pod were only a short distance away heading towards us. Our passengers and crew were treated to a wonderful wildlife experience, as we witnessed some thrilling behaviours, including porpoising, breaching and spyhopping. The vocalizations through our underwater hydrophone were also amazing. All in all, it was another fantastic morning.

In the afternoon trip, we headed towards Eagle Point on San Juan Island where we encountered some K and L pod whales foraging and travelling slowly southward. Guests and crew alike were treated to some wonderful passes from many different whales, including aa thrilling encounter with Raggedy (K40). As always, we had a fantastic time, educating our passengers about the wonder that is the killer whale. To cap off this excellent afternoon, we stopped at Trial Island where we showed our guests several harbour seals.


Friday, June 20th

Well what a bloody unbelievable day today was. Days like these are few and far between and we were truly fortunate to be able to see the things we did.

This fantastic day started with clear skies, flat calm waters, and snow capped mountains as a backdrop as we headed out of Victoria Harbour and east in the search for all things cetacean. On our way east we had gotten a report of orcas on the west side of San Juan Island and thought we would go and investigate. Sure enough upon arrival a few miles south of Kellet Bluff we spotted a huge male dorsal fin. It was J1 (aka Ruffles), the big 55 year old male and believed to be the oldest male in the Southern Resident Community. We watched him surface a few times, ever so slowly (he is old for an orca so we gotta give him some credit!) and then about 200m in front of him we noticed another male surface. This was a sprouter male, and identified as J27 (aka Blackberry) who is a 17 year old that is almost fully grown (still a couple of years to go). Further north we noticed various groups together and so decided to investigate. As Captain Rick re-positioned us so we could get a good look at these family units I dropped the hydrophone in the hope of picking up some vocalisations. And vocalisations we heard! We were extremely lucky enough to be in a position where various matrilines of J-pod were converging and vocalising and echolocating like crazy. It was phenomenal! The sounds these creatures make truly are breathtaking and we have only scratched the surface as to the complexity of these calls. We know they are a form of communication, but what these calls mean exactly remains a mystery to us. It is one of the true fascinations I have with these cetaceans. While listening to these calls and clicks, and passengers getting some fantastic pictures and witnessing tails slaps, pec slaps and calves porpoising, it certainly made for an unbelievable trip and every single passenger thoroughly enjoyed themselves. What a great start to the day. I can’t wait for the afternoon trip!

Leaving for the afternoon trip I knew J-pod (and some of L’s) were heading in a northerly direction but exactly where they had got to we did not know. Upon leaving the harbour with Captain Rick and some keen passengers we learnt that they were only just north of Kellet Bluff. How could this be? It had been almost 3 hours since we left them this morning? When we arrived on scene the answer was obvious. They were resting. Now when a pod of orca rests they all bunch tightly together and slow their movements right down while shutting off one hemisphere of their brain at a time, as they must be partly conscious in order to take a breath. These orcas rest about 13% of their time over an entire day so to see over 25 individuals all lined up side by side, all surfacing in almost perfect sync is truly spectacular, and extremely lucky! Dorsal fins of all shapes and sizes, all breaking through the surface of the water followed by a blow and spray of water is something to be marveled at. Such graceful creatures they are and truly a wonder to behold, especially when resting. As passengers were watching these animals we noticed they began to spread further apart, and do the odd tail slap. They were waking up! Awesome! We positioned ourselves ahead of the animals and got caught off guard when a group split from the pod and surfaced right off our stern! Unbelievable! Passengers were ecstatic as we watched a few individuals surface near our vessel! Sometimes this happens, as they are wild animals and are unpredictable under the water, and so sometimes you do get lucky. Then as they headed away from us a calf breached! And then again! Absolutely spectacular! After all this excitement and telling all the passengers about these majestic creatures it was time to head back to Vic. On the way back I noticed that you could not wipe the smiles of the passenger’s faces, which is truly what I love about my job. I love seeing the orca, but to see the happiness and excitement they bring to people’s faces is truly rewarding. An extremely lucky day to be out on the water, and a great Father’s Day present for one of our guests! See some photos below of our excited passengers on the trip home, and also one of Captain Rick and myself, Aussie naturalist Tim.

Wednesday, June 18th

I love that each day on our waters is so unique and we can never predict what we will see. Although we spent time with orcas yesterday, days tours were spent looking at 2 large Minke whales. We traveled into American waters to an area called Hein Bank, the water depth is much less then most of the surrounding strait, providing a lot of nutrients and wildlife in the area. We sat back and watched the whales as they surfaced and filter fed on the small fish. As well, we stopped at Trial, Chain and Chatham islands to look at the seals, bald eagles, cormorants, arbutus trees and bull kelp that add to the beautiful surroundings of water and snow capped mountains. I am pleased each day to share our spectacular home with guests.

Tuesday, June 17th

It surprises me that even with a cool start to our tour, the Victoria weather changed and gave us another amazing day on the water. Today’s tours were spent traveling around the straits of Juan De Fuca and Haro looking for as much wildlife as possible. We were very pleased to come across many harbour seals hauled out on rocks along the shores of such islands as Trail, Chain and Chatham. These cute, yet intelligent, animals spend their time between the seaweed covered rocks and the bull kelp forest in the fast moving waters. We also were fortunate enough to see a few large mature bald eagles as they sat high atop rocks scanning the waters for fish to feed on. After getting a great look at these animals we traveled to the west side of San Juan Island. Once there we spent 45 minutes watching the 25 members of J-Pod, a local pod of resident orcas, forage for salmon along the shore lines. We had a great look at many individuals such as Ruffles (J1), a 57 yr old male, as he feed off shore. It was great to see other adolescent males as they trailed behind him in hopes to learn form our oldest living male. We also had a good look at Faith (L57), a male from L-Pod that has out lived his immediate family and is often found traveling with pods other then L. He adds to the experience as he seems to always be looking for females to mate with and not to mention that he has a very unique looking dorsal fin. By the return to the harbour the guests and crew felt very fulfilled with all the wildlife and sun that the day offered.

Monday 16th June

“A J and L-pod Special”

The morning trip with Captain Brad and marine naturalist Tim zipped across to San Juan Island as we had both heard clicks on the Orcasound hydrophone (www.orcasound.net) earlier that morning, and sure enough when we got to the west side there they were, very spread out and moving in a northerly direction. The first individual we came across was a male, and upon looking more closely we realised it was in-fact L57 (aka Faith, just over 30 yrs of age). Did we have L-pod here? I thought they left out west a few days ago. Mmm. Upon closer identification of the females L57 joined up with, we realised it was J-pod, and Faith was travelling with them. This has been seen before where members from one pod will split off and travel with members of another pod, and it’s common in the case of L-pod members splitting off and joining J’s and K’s. We were able to get some really great passes and see the J16 matriline with 5 members al travelling together. Passengers were thrilled and able to get some great photos of these majestic black and white dolphins.

The afternoon trip was certainly an exciting one, probably one of the best “orca activity” trips I’ve been on so far this season. It was a bit of a trek to get to the J’s and L’s as they had really picked up pace over the last couple of hours and were right up in Swanson Channel heading for Active Pass. But the long journey certainly was worth it when we got there. There were a group of about 10-15 orcas spread out (mainly J’s, some L’s) and they were being exremely active. Cartwheels, breaches, and an insane amount of tailslaps. It was almost as if it was a competition between members of the pod to see how many tailslaps they could do in a row. It was amazing! It appeared to be the juveniles that were being very active, rolling over each other, spyhopping, pec-slapping and exhibiting what truly looked like playful behaviour. They certainly seemed to be enjoying themselves! It’s a very secial occasion when you go out on a trip and get to see these highly social creatures being so active and displaying all these unique behaviours. It seemed as though they were having a party. I wish I was an orca and got invited! Although the trip home to Victoria was a long one it was one talking about the awesome creatures we had seen and how some days you just get lucky. I could literally watch these animals do their thing all day. How lucky this Aussie is to have a job like this ;-)

Sunday 15th June

A two whale day!

The morning trip headed out with Captain Brad and marine naturalists Tim and Sean in the search for whales. We hadn’t got any report of orcas and so it was up to us to get out there and find them. We headed east to San Juan Isand then south along the west coast of the island down to Hein Bank where we sometimes see baleen whales feeding in this shallower body of water. Captain Brad’s keen eye then spotted a small hook-like dorsal fin. Boom! We had a minke whale! The minke whale is the smallest of the baleen whales and comes to our waters to feed during the summer months. There are believed to be only 8 or 9 of these elusive creatures found within the waters of the Salish Sea so to be able to see them is pretty lucky, especially as they are sometimes referred to as the “slinky minkes”. We were the only boat out there and the keen eyes of our crew and passengers meant we were able to spot this creature everytime it surfaced and were able to get some unbelievable pass-bys. It was just luck that passengers could get a great look at this mysticete as it’s often the case that you see a minke then you don’t. A photo of a minke is somewhat of a rare thing as their surfacing is very unpredictable, but every passenger on board this morning was able to get one. What a great morning trip.

The sunny afternoon trip headed out with an almost full Pacific Explorer and upon leaving the harbour we had gotten a report of a group of 4 transient killer whales (the mammal-eaters) heading east in the Strait of Juan De Fuca. Upon arrival on scene we were able to identify them as the T30’s, which are a family group of mother and her 3 offspring, the oldest being a male with an almost 6ft dorsal fin, and the youngest a calf of less than 2 years old. We followed this family of delphinids as they went into resting mode (equivalent of the human sleeping mode where the orca shuts off one hemisphere of their brain at a time). It was awesome to be able to see them all so close together, and with the snow capped mountains of the Olympic Peninsula in the background of each photo, it really made for some ‘National Geographic’’worth photos, and some extremely satisfied passengers. I even snapped a few photos for my own personal memories! (See photo below). ‘Twas an awesome trip that’s for sure!

Photos taken by biologist Corey on Saturday's tours.

Saturday, June 14

This morning Captain Brad, naturalists Sean and Corey and an eager group of guests headed east towards San Juan Island in the hopes of finding orca whales. Our tour eventually took us further east into Rosario Strait, as we were hoping to find a group of whales that had headed north towards Vancouver last night. We hoped that we would find them travelling south towards us, and just as we were about to turn around, we received word that some resident orcas had been found a short distance ahead of us. We arrived on scene east of Thatcher Pass and had a wonderful encounter with a large number of these magnificent predators.

For the afternoon trip, the whales were much closer to Victoria, as we encountered the whales offshore of Eagle Point on San Juan Island. It was another amazing encounter with some L-pod whales. Today was this naturalist's first visit with L-pod this year, a fantastic afternoon in calm seas and beautiful blue skies. We visited with several different whales and even saw a couple of breaches. Passengers also saw some fascinating research in action as we watched some scientists following a few whales with net in hand in the hope of finding whale feces or scale samples of fish the whales are preying on. This fascinating research will help scientists determine what salmon runs are vital to the survival of these orcas.

On the evening trip, both our covered vessels, the Pacific Explorer and the Orca Spirit were out at Hein Bank watching members of L-pod. It was a great evening in the calm waters of the Salish Sea as we enjoyed the presence of Mega (L41) and other members of the L-12 matriline. Mega is a spectacular 31 year old male, and it was a pleasure to see him again. We were able to conclude the evening tour with a visit through the Chain Islets to view harbour seals and stopped at Great Chain Island where we watched an eagle causing chaos in the cormorant colony. It was a thrilling end to a wonderful day.

Wednesday, June 11th

J-pod had left us on Monday evening to head out west to the Pacific Ocean, and we were unsure as to exactly when they would return to these waters. Little did we know that it would only be just over 24 hours before they graced us with their presence! The morning trip (with Captain Brad and marine naturalist Tim) headed out with a report of J’s up past Turn Point on Stuart Island. They had made their way in last night and were northbound towards the Fraser River.
Could we get there in time before they got too far? That was the question Brad and I asked ourselves… Bugger it, let’s go for it! We made the long journey north up through the calm waters of the Haro Strait, through Johns Pass (between Stuart Island and Johns Island), into Boundary Pass and headed north-west to East Point at the south-western tip of Saturna Island. Here is where we found J-pod, very spread out, all still heading north towards the Fraser. We managed to find J1 (aka Ruffles, ~57 yrs) as he was travelling solo like he typically does. Passengers got some great shots of this ‘Free Willy’ movie star (look for that ruffled dorsal fin of the wild shots of orcas next time you see the film). After seeing this old guy cruise along doing his thing we headed over to check out the J16 matriline (aka Slick and her four offspring). Big brother Mike (J26) was cruising by himself, Keet (J33) and Alki (J36) were travelling together and the little calf J42 was with mum Slick (J16).
All of a sudden we saw J42 and mother Slick porpoise out of the water! When orcas porpoise they can reach speeds of up to 50km/h, so it was awesome to see mother and calf travelling at great speeds. Perhaps they were foraging? It appeared more so that Mum was testing the calf’s ability to accelerate, as she is going to need to get pretty fast to chase those salmon when she’s a bit older. After seeing this family unit pass-by, it was then unfortunately time to head home. On the way back though the Haro Strait we were very luck to observe half a dozen Dall’s porpoise, including a calf, foraging in the deep waters.
Upon arrival into Victoria Harbour the decision was anonymous… it was a fantastic trip!

Sunday, June 8th

The sun managed to shine on us for the whole trip this Sunday afternoon, and we were graced with the presence of whales! The Orca Spirit with Captain Brad and marine naturalist Tim got a report that our resident orca pod, the one and only J-pod, with 25 dolphins strong, were heading in a south-westerly direction around 4 miles west of Hein Bank. We arrived on scene and they were extremely spread out, so we positioned ourselves at the front of the group then all of a sudden, a breach off in the distance! We dropped the hydrophone and passengers were able to hear some echolocation clicks coming from the individuals travelling towards us. We then managed to find a group of seven individuals travelling very close together, three of which I was able to identify as J17 (aka Princess Angeline, 31 yrs) as she has a distinctive whisp in her saddle patch. She was travelling with her two daughters J28 and J35 (aka Polaris, 15 yrs, and Tahlequah, 10 yrs). J28 has a distinctive nick in her dorsal which makes it easier for her to be identified. The other orcas with them appeared to be females, with at least one calf travelling with them. It looked like a “ladies afternoon on the water”. We managed to get some great pass-bys from this group of orcas and passengers were able to get some excellent photos. This group, along with the other 18 individuals of the pod that were very spread out, continued to head in a westerly direction. I wonder if J’s will be leaving us for a couple of days. They typically do leave these waters for a few days at a time during the summer months, but it seems as though this season things may be different so we’ll just have to wait and see! We left these amazing animals and headed north to the Chain Islands where we saw at least 50 Harbour Seals hauled out on the rocks. We’re seeing more and more of these animals this time of year as females are about to give birth. Soon we’ll be seeing lots of little pups on the rocks as well! It really is amazing to be able to see such a diversity and a large number of species all within a short distance from the capital of British Columbia. This Aussie sure is enjoying his time here.

Saturday, June 7

Evening Trip

I am running out of superlatives to describe the whale watching this season. Our evening trip took us to the waters of Boundary Pass, where we were treated to another stupendous show by the whales of J-pod. As we arrived on scene near Monarch Head on Saturna Island, we were greeted with a couple of huge breaches in the distance, which was only a taste of what was to come! We had whales playing and foraging in the strong tidal currents near our vessel, including Mike (J26), an almost mature male. Customers and crew watched the west coast icon Ruffles (J1) foraging. We witnessed lots of percussive behaviour. We saw several spyhops and some exciting chase maneuvers. A highlight for our passengers was the awesome vocalizations picked up through our hydrophone. The whales were definitely chatty this evening. This trip was truly a gem, one that are customers and crew will remember for a long time!. Other wildlife sightings included both Dall's and harbour porpoise, and a mature bald eagle which soared over us as we passed the beautiful Turn Point lighthouse.

Afternoon Trip

On the afternoon trip the crew of Captain Brad and naturalists Sean and Corey travelled with our passengers aboard the Orca Spirit to San Juan Island where we watched J-pod travelling slowly northbound against a strong ebb tide. It was another thrilling adventure as we watched all 25 of the resident orcas pass by, but we were especially fortunate to spend some time watching Ruffles (J1), undoubtedly the most photographed and well known orca in the southern resident community. We witnessed some amazing behaviours this afternoon, included spyhops and tail slapping. We had an amazing pass from a large group of orcas, including Mike (J26) that thrilled both crew and passengers alike. It was a fantastic afternoon, one that I hope will inspire our guests.

On the return to Victoria, we had another treat in store, as we stopped at Trial Island where our keen-eyed Captain Brad noticed an eagle perched on a rock. Below the large raptor, seemingly without a care in the world were several harbour seals. We look forward to seeing these cute marine mammals giving birth with the next few weeks. After an adventurous ride across the choppy Vicoria waterfront, we arrived our orca enthusiasts arrived safely back at the dock after another wonderful adventure.

Morning Trip

This morning, the Orca Spirit travelled towards San Juan Island with news of J-pod in the area. The crew of Captain Brad and this naturalist, Corey, were eagerly looking forward to showing our group of international passengers the magnificent animal that is the killer whale. We arrived on scene west of Henry Island where we found the large group of salmon-hunting mammals travelling slowly northbound. Shortly aftter arriving, we were greeted with a tremendous breach from a large sprouter male. We were treated to a thrilling visit from Granny (J2) and Ruffles (J1) and watched as Granny did the "backstroke", as she swam upside down behind our boat. The hour we spent with these lovely animals was wonderful, but it was time to see what else we could find.

A short stop near Chatham Island allowed our guests to discover the wonders of another marine mammal, the harbour seal. These cute little pinnipeds were hauled out on the rocks during the low tide. Our final stop was Great Chain Island, where our guests learned about the massive double-crested cormorants and the bald eagles that have been harassing the nests. Shortly after we left, with Great Chain Island in the distance, we noticed that the cormoreants, gulls and other seabirds took off and caught glimpses of an eagle that was readying for another attack. It was a fantastic way to start the day.

Friday, June 6th

The sun managed to poke its head through the clouds this afternoon to what was a very pleasant afternoon out on the water. The Pacific Explorer with Captain John and marine naturalists Tim and Sean cruised out to waters south of Victoria in the search of whales. We had got a report of a Minke whale at Constance Bank (~4 miles due south of Victoria Harbour) but alas we could not find the elusive creature when we arrived in the area. We then headed west to Race Rocks and here passengers certainly got an unexpected pinniped show. As we navigated our way around the ever increasing bull kelp beds we noticed a few juvenile Northern Elephant seals lounging on the top of the centre rock. As we came around the western side of centre rock we saw two male California Sea Lions that were “snuggled” quite close together, with the larger of the two being quite vocal, his distinctive barking sound echoing for all passengers to hear. Next thing we knew a large male Stellar Sea Lion popped his head up close to our boat and swam over to the Californians. The Stellar then proceeded to try and get up on the exact rock where the two Californians were hauled out, but these two sea lions weren’t going to have a bar of it. The larger of the California Sea Lions began to bark repeatedly as if to say to the Stellar “Get off our rock man, there’s no room here for you. Get your own rock dude” (spoken in my best Californian accent). The Stellar then hauled back into the water and surfaced only 20m from our vessel, getting a good luck at us and giving passengers an extremely good look at him. He surfaced close a few more times, checking us out each time, then went on a deeper dive and we lost track of him. Passengers also got to check out an abundance of Harbour Seals hauled out on the neighbouring rocks, and were easily able to notice the difference between the ‘true’ seals (Harbour seals and Elephant seals) and the ‘eared’ seals (Stellar and California sea lions). We then headed west to Whirl Bay where we saw a bald eagle perched up on its nest at the top of the tree, then out of the rich blue water a California Sea Lion popped his head out to check us all out, surprising passengers (and naturalists!). I guess he must have been fishing and thought he’d take a break to see what the passengers on the Pacific Explorer looked like. On another rock in Whirl Bay we noticed another bald eagle perched there, standing ever so still, giving passengers some great photos. We headed further west to the entrance to Becher Bay, and as it was a flood tide, we thought we might be able to head off something coming in from the west, but alas, nothing was spotted. It was time to make our way back to Victoria and although we were still scanning the horizon for the trace of a black dorsal fin, or any fin for that matter, unfortunately nothing was spotted. Still, it really was a lucky trip to be able to see the awesome pinniped show, and the sun stayed out for most of it which brightened the mood of all on board. At the end of a trip one of our youngest passengers said to me “That trip was fantastic, I had a really great time”. Although we unfortunately couldn’t find any whales, I think this little bloke’s comments summed up what really was a great afternoon whale trip.

Tuesday, June 3

Super Pod.....back again!

Today was a great time to be on the water. We had an amazing trip, combine fabulous guests, calm seas and then super pod, how could we go wrong!! We started by heading northwest of Victoria to Stuart Island (an American island about 2 miles east of Sydney). Once on scene we were almost overwhelmed with action. This was not just any trip; this was our first of many things. We not only had the fortune of seeing J-Pod again, but we also had the first looks of the season of K-Pod and L-Pods. K and L pods, until today, were offshore feeding on the many schools of fish, not yet sure if we had enough fish in our waters for all of them. But not only did we have enough fish but all 3 pods were traveling together. Guests were not sure where to look...do they look at a male and female mating, a young calf trying to spy hop or the massive line of male orcas surfacing in unison. By the end of the tour, all 3 pods had changed behaviour and were in a resting mod. Resting is how our orcas deal with the issues that are associated with sleeping in water. These mammals have the ability to independently 'turn off' one lobe of their brain to let it rest while the other lobe reminds them to surface and breath, watch were they are going and to stay together as a pod. In doing this, the entire group, numbering in the 90's, formed a large tight group and just passed by the boat in one of the most peaceful moments of my life. I can only think of one thing to say about today’s trip....UNREAL!

Monday, June 2nd

The Pacific Explorer headed out early Monday morning in search of whales. We had got word that J-pod were up towards Vancouver and unfortunately too far for us to get to them, so the challenge was set by Captain John to find some Transients (mammal-eating killer whales). We stopped off first at Trial Island to view an abundance of Harbour seals hauled out on the rocks. Every time we head to this island we see more and more of these “rock sausages”. Soon these rocks will be littered with pups, which will make a smorgasbord for the transients. So now we’d seen the prey, it was time to find the predator. We headed into the Haro Strait, searching thoroughly for even the hint of a dorsal fin, then north up to the east side of Sidney Island where we spotted a bald eagle perched up on it’s almost 5ft wide, 2ft deep nest. From there we putted across to the bird sanctuary Mandarte Island and watched an abundance of gulls (variety of species), cormorants, and pigeon guillemots on the rock faces. The cormorants were collecting sticks and straw to add to their already large nests on top of the rock faces. We then looped around the west side of Sidney Island, still searching for some T’s, but alas, none were found. Upon entering Victoria Harbour we told passengers of our ‘whale guarantee’ (see homepage) and it certainly perked them up to know they could come out again with us to see the wonder that is orca. One thing we must remember, we are viewing wild animals, and wild animals are unpredictable, and there are some days when they are no where to be found. Let’s hope we get better luck for the afternoon trip.

The afternoon trip headed out with a bunch of keen passengers, and a determined Captain John and marine naturalist Tim that were ready and pumped to find some whales. We headed south-west to Race Rocks and then all of a sudden heard on the radio “Contact, contact, contact” and noticed a few miles south of Race a couple of big black dorsal fins. Transients! Woohoo! Upon arrival on scene we noticed it was in fact two lone male transient orcas, cruising west together in the Strait of Juan De Fuca. It was interesting to see two large males travelling together, as males are typically found with at least another female. Male transient orcas in these waters however have been observed splitting off from their pod when they mature (around 20 years of age). Passengers were stoked to be able to see these two large males, both with distinctive, slightly bent and wavy dorsal fins, cruising along together. We got some great pass-by’s from these two guys and then it was time to let them do whatever it is male transient orcas do together. We then headed a few miles to Race Rocks and saw a lone Stellar Sea Lion and a few California Sea Lions hauled out. There were also a few juvenile Northern Elephant Seals that had a bit of a “tiff” with each other and also an abundance of the transient killer whales’s favourite prey, the Harbour Seal, that were hauled out on the lower rocks. Passengers were lucky enough to see not one, not two, but three bald eagles perched up on the rocks (two juvenile and one adult). It was a great trip, one that all passengers thoroughly enjoyed, while having a good laugh along the way. I knew I still had another trip in the evening, so was pumped I was going to see these spectacular male orcas again.

The evening trip headed back SW to Race Rocks and then west to an area a few miles south of Beechey Head. We got a report that the orcas were heading in a SW direction, but it was up to us to find them again. Luckily it was perfect spotting conditions (cloud cover and flat calm waters), and so we slowed down and scanned the waters of the Strait of Juan De Fuca. 15 mins went by and we had nothing. They have to be around here somewhere John and I thought, and just as we said that we noticed a black dorsal fin surface around 400m off our port. Contact again! Transient killer whales do tend to dive longer (around 10 minutes) than the residents (fish-eating orca), with travelling patterns being much more erratic, thus making them quite elusive at times. The two males had spread almost 500m apart, and as the trip drew to a close they finally met back up again, giving passengers some great photo ops. We left these two “blokes” to continue to cruise west. Who knows where they will be in the morning. On the way back to Vic we made a quick stop at Race Rocks to see a couple of California Sea Lions hauled out, and an abundance of pigeon guillemots on the rocks near the lighthouse. The temperature had cooled right down, so on the way home all passengers stayed inside, with their hot chocolates and coffees, and we discussed important issues surrounding these animals, and what the future holds for them. It’s great to get passengers that ask questions, and to meet ones that share the same passions I do about conserving whales and dolphins for the future. Although the day started without whales, the afternoon and evening trips certainly made up for it. See some pictures below from the trip.

Sunday, June 1st

The Orca Spirit and passengers, Captain Brad, marine naturalists Tim and newcomer to the OS team Sean, headed out to some bumpy waters of the Salish Sea on the morning of this first day in June. We had not got any reports of J-pod’s whereabouts so decided to head east across to San Juan Island and scan the coastline. Upon arrival to the west side, we scanned, but no luck, so Captain Brad decided to head further south. As we cruised south, constantly scanning the horizon, we had got a report that J’s were in Rosario Strait, southbound, but where exactly we did not know, so decided to chance it and try to get there to show passengers the majestic Orcinus orca. We got to the south end of Lopez Island and headed north into Rosario, still with no contact, and time was running out. Where are you J-pod?! Just when we thought we might not see them… off in the distance we saw a black fin. We had contact! Woohoo! The first individuals that passed us by were the sprouter male J30 (aka Riptide, 13 years) and younger sister J37 (aka Hy’Shqa, 7 years). Although J30 is only 13 years of age, his dorsal fin certainly is developing, and this can be noticed by the way it sways every time he goes to the surface. That cartilage has not fully matured yet, and won’t fully harden until he is around 20 years old. We witnessed a couple of tail slaps and watched another 8-12 individuals pass by, with passengers thoroughly delighted to be able to catch a glimpse of these animals. We witnessed a breach off in the distance, another pass-by by a mother and calf and then unfortunately it was time to make the long journey back to Vic. ‘Twas a bit of a bumpy ride home, with a few passengers braving the top deck and spray, while others sat inside watching a fascinating documentary on whales. Although a little bit late to the dock, we had a bunch of extremely content passengers that will certainly remember the first day of summer for 2008.

Saturday, May 31

It was with great excitement that the Orca Spirit crew of Captain Brad, naturalists Sean, and Corey and an adventurous group of passengers headed to the southern tip of San Juan Island to find J-pod, our most watched resident pod of 25 whales. It was another wonderful trip in sunny skies and calm seas to be viewing these majestic marine mammals. Each trip is different, you never know what to expect, and this one turned out to be great!

In the waters near Eagle Point, we encountered our first orcas, travelling in small groups swimming slowly southbound. We had many fantastic passes with several groups of whales as they made their way to Salmon Bank, a favourite feeding ground. When the whale parade ended, before we could reposition we noticed that the whales had turned around and we were in a great place to be and it was then that the action began to heat up. We witnessed some percussive behaviour (tail slaps) and were thrilled when we saw a whale come completely out of the water in a fantastic cartwheel manoeuvre, a magnificent way to end our time with the whales.

Shortly after, we made our back to Victoria. We stopped off in the Chain Islets, where we saw many harbour seals, food for the transient orcas that frequent these waters, and amazing little animals in their own right. Our wildlife tour also took us to Great Chain Island, where we noticed an eagle perched atop the cormorant colony yet again. Often thought of as fish specialists, bald eagles are incredible predators who are not immune from dining on birds as well and it seems the eagles are having quite an impact on our local bird life. What an amazing afternoon!