Thursday, August 7

It was another exhilarating adventure with Orca Spirit Adventures as passengers aboard our covered vessels and our zodiacs were able to see whales on all three trips.

The adventure started with a thrilling transient orca experience as our Captain Rick spotted transient orcas west of Trial Island. Ahead of the orcas were some porpoise making a run for it. What happened next was a good indication that at least one of them didn't make it as the transients erupted in an aerial display that usually happens after a kill!! We saw breaches, some cartwheels and even a spyhop or two. The Orca Spirit travelled with the large group of orcas east towards the southern tip of Discovery Island where they met up with T20, a large bull killer whale, and T21 and the socializing began once again. The whales were breaching and spyhopping in the kelp forest and T20 was doing some headstands for lack of a better term. What an amazing experience! As a finale to our tour, we travelled along the east coast of Discovery and Chatham Island's, showing our guests some harbour seals and other wildlife.

On our second tour, we travelled further north to meet the same group of transients that included T20 and the T124's. We located the group near the south-eastern trip of Sidney Island and travelled with them as they made their way north. They seemed to be in a resting mode but were thrilled as they began to wake up, throwing in a half-breach or two and some other aerial movements. We had an excellent pass to finish our tour and headed for home.

Our sunset cruise was able find some resident whales near Salmon Bank where we spent time with some J-pod whales and also L57. It was a lovely whale encounter as we witnessed some fantastic behaviour from a young orca calf, including a half breach. A couple of males, probably Riptide and definitely L57 thrilled our guests with an exhilarating pass. It was another wonderful day on the Salish Sea.