Saturday, September 8

This morning, we headed south of Victoria in search of orcas, humpback whales and any and all of the other 5 species of cetacean found in the waters of Juan De Fuca Strait. Our search took us south past Race Rocks and then west towards Sooke. Although we searched far and wide, we did not see any of the larger species of whale this morning. We did however, have several sightings of both harbour and Dall's porpoise. During our journey, we went into Beecher Bay, a known hangout for transient orcas. After Beecher Bay, we travelled towards Race Rocks, where we found large numbers of California and Steller sea lions, as well as several harbour seals. The antics of the sea lions, the cute young harbour seal pups, and the scenic beauty of the historic Race Rocks lighthouse are always a treat. After Race Rocks, we travelled back east across Constance Bank towards the Chain Islets. At Great Chain Island, we examined the double-crested cormorant colony. Although we did not see any whales this morning, the wildlife did not disappoint. It was a fantastic tour.

With news of a grey whale sighting, both our covered whales headed out into Juan De Fuca Strait to view the large cetacean. On the Orca Spirit, we travelled to Race Rocks to show our passengers the sea lions which were entertaining as always. After a lovely experience at Race Rocks, we travelled southeast across the strait to Green Point, just east of Port Angeles. There, we watched the grey whale foraging in the shallow water. After our visit, we continued east towards Dungeness Spit and then ventured back across Juan de Fuca Strait towards Victoria. We saw several harbour porpoise and Dall's porpoise along the way. We even had a quick visit from a small group of Dall's porpoise, although this time, they did not seem interested in playing with us. The calm waters and sunny skies made for an enjoyable afternoon.