Thursday, August 23
This morning was an excellent tour aboard the Orca Spirit. We started our adventure with an excellent visit with a female orca and two young calves, most likely L55 and her two youngest offspring. The whales were active this morning. We were treated to some breaching, a spyhop and some excellent percussive behaviour (tail and pectoral fin slapping). A highlight of the trip was a visit from Mega (L41), who thrilled our passengers and crew with a spectacular pass.! On our return journey, we stopped in the Chain Islets, for a wildlife tour where we saw several harbour seals, including some young pups.
Our afternoon trip aboard the Orca Spirit headed east to the southern edge of Lopez Island where we met up with members of all three pods as they met up in Rosario Strait. This was an absolutely amazing trip as guests were treated to some tremendous vocalizations and an incredible array of killer whale behaviour as the pods converged. For the first part of the trip, we spent some time with a small group of L-pod whales that included a young calf. The active group of whales were thrilling our passengers with some fascinating inverted tail slapping. We witnessed numerous spyhops as well along with a few breaches! Our time with the whales included a visit with Cappucino (K21), the large mature male in K pod (born 1986). To end our time with the whales, we had a wonderful pass with Alexis (L12), a matriarch in L pod that may be 74 years old!
Wednesday, August 22
As we headed out of Victoria harbour into the Juan de Fuca Strait, it was a dull and misty day, with a chill in the air. On the Pacific Explorer we travelled East towards San Juan Islands, and as the previous day had found no resident Orcas, we were on full search mode.
Our Captain, John, called one of the network of spotters on land for a report on any possible activity and was told we should head towards Lime Kiln Lighthouse, one of the best places on land to view the Southern resident whales. As we crossed the border into American waters the sun began to appear from behind the clouds and the flat calm waters made it easy to spot any movement on the surface. We heard John call down from the wheelhouse, "whales breaching ahead!!". Everyone moved to get a better look and we could see frantic activity from a number of Orcas close in to shore. We were still some distance away so it was obvious they were putting on a good display.
As we neared we could see individuals spread out over a wide area, giving us plenty of opportunities to just watch them as they passed by. There were various feeding behaviours being displayed, much thrashing about just under the water, along with the breaching we had first encountered and some tail lobbing to round it all off. We realised we were watching J pod when Nicole identified Ruffles and Granny, the old lady of the Southern residents at over 90 years of age. It seemed it was all too soon time to head back to Victoria, and as we left the pod behind still active in the late morning sun, the mist was clearing and everyone commented on what a great trip it had been.
The afternoon was full of expectation, we had a fairly good idea we would find our residents again as we had only been watching a small group of what had been a super pod. This is when all 3 of the resident pods are mixing together to travel or feed, and finds up to 90 individuals spread out of a large area. Again we headed East, this time to Salmon bank, an area where Minke whales are often found feeding. As we arrived the group on board were pointing out numerous spouts and fins as far as the eye could see in all directions. This time we were watching a mixed bag of individuals from pods J and K, and they tended to be in small groups of just a few whales, less to share around when do find that all important catch! The whales would change direction and quickly dive, then the tip of the dorsal fin would skim the top of the water, churning it up as they seemed to dart after the fish that were just below the surface. The odd fish would jump clear of the water at times, possible a last ditch attempt at freedom! We encountered a full range of behaviours, but less frequently than on the morning trip, which often caught our photographers on board off guard, and there were more than a few lovely photos of the splash left behind by an active Orca.
As we departed, the whales were headed South away from shore and further out into the Strait. On the way back to Victoria we had a chance to stop of at Chain Islands, where we spotted the Cormorants, and there nest of sticks, but only a small number of harbour seals today hauled out on the rocks.
When we headed out for our evening trip, the whales and changed direction and were heading more North, still towards the direction of the San Juan Island group but a little closer to Victoria. We neared False Bay and again were greeted with the signs of Orcas all around. At first they were at quite a distance, but as patience often rewards in wildlife watching, John switched off the engine and we just watched as the Orcas travelled across the water. The Hydrophone picked up the clicks of their echolocation, only now and again did we hear the odd squeak of communication as feeding still appeared to be the number one aim. We heard the clicks getting louder so we knew the whales were getting closer so it was just a case of when one would surface, and suddenly it seemed they were all around! We watched one male as he came in our direction towards the stern of the boat, and looking to see where he would next appear, we were given a display of a perfect spy hop in close proximity. We observed another pair of whales take a dive beyond the boat, and as we looked in the water, saw the big white patches glide past the length of the boat and the larger of the 2 turned on its side looking up at the surface. Maybe it was more a case of people watching than whale watching! One boy spotted bubbles under the boat, and as we looked, another whale surfaced just off to the port side.
This was L pod on full display, and we spotted a very small juvenile, which may have been the newest addition to L pod at less than one week old. John was reluctant to leave such and active group on a beautiful evening, but it was time to return at the end of the day. As we left the whales behind, there were a couple of them playing about in the bull kelp in the shallows, tail lobbing and lifting the seaweed out of the water. It was the perfect end to a great day of wildlife watching.
This morning was an excellent tour aboard the Orca Spirit. We started our adventure with an excellent visit with a female orca and two young calves, most likely L55 and her two youngest offspring. The whales were active this morning. We were treated to some breaching, a spyhop and some excellent percussive behaviour (tail and pectoral fin slapping). A highlight of the trip was a visit from Mega (L41), who thrilled our passengers and crew with a spectacular pass.! On our return journey, we stopped in the Chain Islets, for a wildlife tour where we saw several harbour seals, including some young pups.
Our afternoon trip aboard the Orca Spirit headed east to the southern edge of Lopez Island where we met up with members of all three pods as they met up in Rosario Strait. This was an absolutely amazing trip as guests were treated to some tremendous vocalizations and an incredible array of killer whale behaviour as the pods converged. For the first part of the trip, we spent some time with a small group of L-pod whales that included a young calf. The active group of whales were thrilling our passengers with some fascinating inverted tail slapping. We witnessed numerous spyhops as well along with a few breaches! Our time with the whales included a visit with Cappucino (K21), the large mature male in K pod (born 1986). To end our time with the whales, we had a wonderful pass with Alexis (L12), a matriarch in L pod that may be 74 years old!
Wednesday, August 22
As we headed out of Victoria harbour into the Juan de Fuca Strait, it was a dull and misty day, with a chill in the air. On the Pacific Explorer we travelled East towards San Juan Islands, and as the previous day had found no resident Orcas, we were on full search mode.
Our Captain, John, called one of the network of spotters on land for a report on any possible activity and was told we should head towards Lime Kiln Lighthouse, one of the best places on land to view the Southern resident whales. As we crossed the border into American waters the sun began to appear from behind the clouds and the flat calm waters made it easy to spot any movement on the surface. We heard John call down from the wheelhouse, "whales breaching ahead!!". Everyone moved to get a better look and we could see frantic activity from a number of Orcas close in to shore. We were still some distance away so it was obvious they were putting on a good display.
As we neared we could see individuals spread out over a wide area, giving us plenty of opportunities to just watch them as they passed by. There were various feeding behaviours being displayed, much thrashing about just under the water, along with the breaching we had first encountered and some tail lobbing to round it all off. We realised we were watching J pod when Nicole identified Ruffles and Granny, the old lady of the Southern residents at over 90 years of age. It seemed it was all too soon time to head back to Victoria, and as we left the pod behind still active in the late morning sun, the mist was clearing and everyone commented on what a great trip it had been.
The afternoon was full of expectation, we had a fairly good idea we would find our residents again as we had only been watching a small group of what had been a super pod. This is when all 3 of the resident pods are mixing together to travel or feed, and finds up to 90 individuals spread out of a large area. Again we headed East, this time to Salmon bank, an area where Minke whales are often found feeding. As we arrived the group on board were pointing out numerous spouts and fins as far as the eye could see in all directions. This time we were watching a mixed bag of individuals from pods J and K, and they tended to be in small groups of just a few whales, less to share around when do find that all important catch! The whales would change direction and quickly dive, then the tip of the dorsal fin would skim the top of the water, churning it up as they seemed to dart after the fish that were just below the surface. The odd fish would jump clear of the water at times, possible a last ditch attempt at freedom! We encountered a full range of behaviours, but less frequently than on the morning trip, which often caught our photographers on board off guard, and there were more than a few lovely photos of the splash left behind by an active Orca.
As we departed, the whales were headed South away from shore and further out into the Strait. On the way back to Victoria we had a chance to stop of at Chain Islands, where we spotted the Cormorants, and there nest of sticks, but only a small number of harbour seals today hauled out on the rocks.
When we headed out for our evening trip, the whales and changed direction and were heading more North, still towards the direction of the San Juan Island group but a little closer to Victoria. We neared False Bay and again were greeted with the signs of Orcas all around. At first they were at quite a distance, but as patience often rewards in wildlife watching, John switched off the engine and we just watched as the Orcas travelled across the water. The Hydrophone picked up the clicks of their echolocation, only now and again did we hear the odd squeak of communication as feeding still appeared to be the number one aim. We heard the clicks getting louder so we knew the whales were getting closer so it was just a case of when one would surface, and suddenly it seemed they were all around! We watched one male as he came in our direction towards the stern of the boat, and looking to see where he would next appear, we were given a display of a perfect spy hop in close proximity. We observed another pair of whales take a dive beyond the boat, and as we looked in the water, saw the big white patches glide past the length of the boat and the larger of the 2 turned on its side looking up at the surface. Maybe it was more a case of people watching than whale watching! One boy spotted bubbles under the boat, and as we looked, another whale surfaced just off to the port side.
This was L pod on full display, and we spotted a very small juvenile, which may have been the newest addition to L pod at less than one week old. John was reluctant to leave such and active group on a beautiful evening, but it was time to return at the end of the day. As we left the whales behind, there were a couple of them playing about in the bull kelp in the shallows, tail lobbing and lifting the seaweed out of the water. It was the perfect end to a great day of wildlife watching.
