Friday May 9
J Pod returns!

Well what a fantastic day to be on an Orca Spirit boat! ‘Aquatic Dancer’, one of our zodiacs, captained by Cheri and trainee driver Tim, headed south out of Victoria Harbour on a 9am trip determined to find the wonder that is orca. We got an unconfirmed report that someone on land had spotted “critters” on the west side of San Juan Island, so we cranked the wheel to port and headed to San Juan Island, hoping to confirm the sighting. As we arrived on scene we could see blows off in the distance, and they were quite spread out. Transient killer whales (mammal-eating) don’t seem to travel this far apart we thought, could our beloved Resident killer whales (fish-eating) returned after being away for just over a month? There was only one way to tell. We needed to get a visual on a saddle patch (at the base of the dorsal fin) to see if it was “open”. Sure enough, after positioning ourselves offshore from the whales and out of their path, a female individual surfaced and we noticed a little open whisp at the top of the saddle patch. Yes, it was a resident, and yes, it was a member of J-pod (J11, aka ‘Blossom’), and yes it meant that J-pod had returned to our waters! Cheri and I couldn’t contain our excitement! Passengers were somewhat stunned as to our enthusiasm, but this truly was a wondrous occasion. Being the first whale watch boat on scene was very special, and the passengers certainly appreciated watching these amazing creatures forage, tail slap, pec slap, and even witness a breach off in the distance. Then came a familiar dorsal fin about 200m off our port stern, a male orca that is iconic in these waters and the most photographed killer whale in the world – J1, aka “Ruffles”. It was fantastic seeing Ruffles and his well over 5ft tall ruffled dorsal fin again, after he and the other 24 members of J-pod had been away for a month. After explaining the threats of salmon decline and environmental contamination facing these amazing, yet Endangered animals, it was time for us to head back to Victoria. Upon arriving back to the docks we had a boat load of passengers (and drivers!) with grins from ear to ear. What a fantastic morning trip it was. Stay tuned and read the next blog of our afternoon encounter with J-pod.

(See photos of driver Cheri “displaying” J-pod and their return, and also of passengers on the zodiac watching these graceful dolphins at play)

The afternoon trip on the ‘Orca Spirit’ headed out of the harbor with an eager Captain Brad and marine naturalist Tim, and a bunch of passengers that had no idea as to what sort of excitement they were in for. We headed back across to San Juan Island in the hope that J-pod were still around, and sure enough, they were! As a marine naturalist it really is incredible to witness passenger’s reactions the first time they see killer whales, and this afternoon’s trip certainly had some “in awe” passengers. We were very very fortunate enough to witness several breaches, by both juveniles and adults. It really is spectacular to see an animal that can weigh up to 6 tonnes propel it’s entire body a few feet out of the water, turn it sideways, then come crashing down with an almighty splash. We were also able to observe tail slaps, reverse tail slaps, pec slaps and some close travelling by the various members of the matrilines. With a hydrophone deployed and plugged in to our onboard speakers, passengers were able to hear the calls and clicks of these majestic creatures, and from personal experience and studying these vocalisations first hand last Fall, they really are fascinating and intriguing. Below are a couple of pictures of the passengers watching and filming these killer whales.

We left J-pod and headed across to Discovery Island where we saw over 30 Harbor Seals hauled out, plenty of which were looking very pregnant. These females are due to give birth in the coming months, at which time these haulouts will be littered with pups, but after 4-6 weeks they are left to fend for themselves, so some are often stranded, and as a result taken to refuges, rehabilitated, and released back into the wild.

Well what a fantastic day it was to be out on the water. Our resident J-pod returned after being away for just over a month, and there were some very lucky passengers onboard our zodiac in the morning and covered boat in the afternoon.
Welcome back J-pod, we certainly missed you, and hope to see you again very soon!

Thursday, May 8

An amazing Elephant seal sighting today. Once at Race Rocks, south west of Victoria's Harbour, we came across a record number of elephant seals hauled out on the top of the rocks. 11 individuals were counted. This is rare because elephant seals only come ashore for 3 months total in a year, for mating and moulting only, so to get this many at once was a really treat for the guests and crew alike. We also saw many harbour seals and stellar sealions on the rocks and fishing the same waters around Race Rocks. We then headed off shore to the middle of the Strait of Juan De Fuca. There we came across a large group of Harbour Porpoises. They were spread over a large area but were estimated at 50+. We watch and enjoyed them as they swam and fed all around the boat. Trial Island was our next stop. The 100 year old light house sets a beautiful back drop to view more harbour seals and 2 large bald eagles. The calm seas, warm sunshine and the marine wildlife made for another great day on the water!

Wednesday, May 7

Today's tour was spent on the south east side of Vancouver Island. We left the Victoria harbour due south in search of whales, porpoises and other marine wildlife. Our search lead us to the amazing islands located between Victoria and the San Juan Islands (a group of American Islands south east of Victoria). As we toured along we were pleased to find a large haul out of Harbour seals on the north tip of Discovery Island. 20+ individuals covered the rocks while basking in the sun and keeping an eye out for the next opportunity at some lunch. From there we continued north to Spieden Island. The unique history of this island gave us much to look at, and to the surprise of the guest, usual animals. On the island there are many long horned sheep and a unknown variety of asian deer. On our way passed Sydney Island we came across a large mature bald eagle as it enjoyed the beautiful view and sunshine. Even with out any sign of whales, the guests and crew all had a fabulous time.

Friday, May 1
First day in May, what a whale of a day!

This morning, the first day in May, Orca Spirit had both covered boats head south out into the Salish Sea, and what a lucky couple of boats they were! The ‘Ultimate Bachelor Orca’ known as “Pender” (T14) graced us with presence this morning in Beecher Bay, just west of Race Rocks. He had appeared to be foraging when we arrived on scene then began to make his way east along the coastline towards Race Rocks. Our Spanish tour group passengers were on a tight time schedule so being able to see an orca, and to have him just south-west off Victoria was certainly a treat. Although ‘Pender’ is typically a lone transient orca that travels in these waters, he truly is a sight to see. He is one of the biggest killer whales we get in this region, estimated to be around 10m in length, a dorsal fin about 2 feet wide and 6 feet high, and weighing in around
6-7 tonnes, he certainly gives passengers that “wow” factor. He even gives the naturalists that “wow” factor!

Attached are some photos of this mornings trip, with passengers on the ‘Pacific Explorer’ getting a great view of ‘Pender’, marine naturalist Sheenah and Captain Brad aboard the ‘Orca Spirit’, and a single shot of the wonder that is the big lone male ‘Pender’ (T14).

What a great afternoon it was to be out on the water, with passengers certainly getting a great experience aboard the ‘Orca Spirit’. We headed southwest out of Victoria Harbour into calm waters and only a few miles from the entrance we came across ‘The Big Man on Campus’ killer whale known as “Pender” (T14). Conditions for viewing this lone magnificent male orca were perfect, and passengers certainly were surprised to be seeing a killer whale so early in the trip (as were the naturalists!). ‘Pender’ was displaying what we believe is a typical dive pattern, with 3-5 shallow dives and then a longer deeper dive, often up to 10 mins, and of course, knowing where he was going to surface next was really anyone’s guess. He appeared to be zigzagging north towards the entrance to Victoria Harbour, and in doing so the passengers were able to get some great photos. We decided to leave ‘Pender’ to do whatever it is almost 40 year-old male orcas do, and head towards Race Rocks. At Race Rocks we were lucky enough to witness around 20 Stellar Sea Lions hauled out on the rock, with a few male Californian Sea Lions resting among the big males. I did notice a couple of female Stellar’s on the rock, which indicates that it definitely is the time of year when they head further north to breed on the offshore island beaches. We normally only see males hauled out, but as there were some females, it let’s us know that soon the Stellar’s will be gone for a couple of months, and so to see that many in this region at this time of year certainly is a treat to passengers. There were also a couple of juvenile Elephant Seals hauled out, and plenty of fat Harbour Seals (aka “rock sausages”) on the lower rocks. It’s pupping season at the moment for the Harbour Seals, so there are quite a few pregnant females out there, soon to give birth. I’m sure ‘Pender’ is aware of this as he loves to feed primarily on Harbor Seals. Perhaps this is why we have been seeing him somewhat regularly these last couple of months? After leaving Race we headed out into the flat calm waters of the Strait of Juan De Fuca and looped around to where Pender was, this time only a mile or so south-east of Victoria. The water around here must be pretty good if we are getting killer whales right off Victoria! Passengers were able to view Pender in all his glory a few more times before it was time to scoot back into the Harbour. A fantastic trip this afternoon, with passengers thoroughly enjoying themselves. What a great day to start the month! We hope to see you again soon Pender. Take it easy mate!

Wednesday, April 30

Both the our large vessels, the Orca Spirit and the Pacific Explorer, headed east after a report of orcas came in earlier that morning. Right away we found ourselves enjoying harbour seals and a large bald eagle as they utilize the shore line of Trial Island for hunting and resting. After getting a great look at the 100 year old light house, on the southern tip of the island, we continued east in our search. We stopped to view the many sea birds that use the Great Chain Islands (a protected bird sanctuary) as a home and feeding ground. We saw such birds as pigeon guillemots, cormorants, Canadian geese and gulls. From there we headed north east to the Chattam and Discovery Islands. These two islands offer much in the way of beautiful scenery, but top the charts with their amazing historical significants in our area (both were named after boats first used to explore our area between 1792 and 1794). We then headed out into the middle of the Haro Strait looking for other larger marine life. We were unable to find any whales but all the guests on board were thrilled with all the animals and fabulous coast line that British Columbia has. We made our way back along Ogdan Point and into the Victoria harbour and called it a day, until tomorrow.....

Tuesday, April 29

On today's tour we headed west of Victoria in search of the many marine wildlife that the west coast of Canada has to offer. We began by searching the shoreline in the hopes to locating transient orcas as they patrolled the area for food. We made our way as far west as Beacher Bay where we saw many harbour seals hauled out on the rocks enjoying the beautiful sun. We were even lucky enough to get a good look at a new pup. From there we headed into a near by cove called Whirl Bay. We had a good look at a large bald eagle's nest (about 6 feet deep and 9 feet across). As we were getting ready to leave this nice little cove a bald eagle came flying in, what an amazing view. From here we headed off shore looking for resident orcas humpbacks and porpoises. With little in the way of large marine mammals, we found ourselves close to a marine park called Race Rocks. Once inside the small passes and islands we were very happy to find some large elephant seals (about 5) and many stellar sealions in the water and on the rocks. We had a great time as they all swam, fought for space on the rocks and made much noise. All in all another great day on the water.

Saturday, April 26

Well what a fantastic morning to be out on the water this bright sunny Saturday. Conditions were great, with bright blue skies and flat calm waters. The 'Orca Spirit' went out with Captain John at the helm, marine naturalist Tim, and a bunch of eager passengers enjoying this Victorian Spring sunshine. We headed south out of the Harbor to the Strait of Juan De Fuca and looped around to Race Rocks where there was an abundance of Harbor Seals hauled out on the southern rocks. On the middle rock we observed around 20 Stellar Sea Lions that were quite active, and in amongst them was some very noisy Californian Sea Lions, barking to let us know they're not the only eared seal on the rock. A rare and exciting sight was in fact half a dozen juvenile Elephant Seals that were hauled out on the top rock, but instead of seeing them laying there lounging around, they actually had their heads held high showing off their proboscis and were giving each other a few snarls and nips on the neck. 'Twas certainly a pinniped infested haul-out!

After Race we proceeded to head further west along the spectacular coastline and were able to observe Bald Eagles in flight and perched on a rock, and we were lucky enough to see a raccoon on the rocks. Passengers certainly didn't expect to see land mammals on a marine wildlife tour! All in all though a great trip on this sunny spring Saturday morning.

After our fantastic morning wildlife tour, we received word that a large group of transient orcas had been located moving southbound in Haro Strait. Heading east, we travelled to Zero Rock, a harbour seal haulout and known transient hunting locale. We arrived on scene to find a group of whales that included Pender (T14), probably the most well known transient on the coast of BC. Fortunately (for the harbour seals anyways), the orcas did not appear to be hungry and were content to swim slowly southbound.

We travelled with the whales for almost an hour travelling slowly south with them and we were treated to some excellent passes. Besides Pender, we saw members of the T36 and T49 group, including at least one young calf, about eight orcas total. It was a sight to behold as these whales travelled in a resting formation. As an additional stop on the tour, we travelled to Chatham Island, where we viewed many harbour seals hauled out on the low tide. It was a great way to conclude the trip as our guests were able to see the majestic transient orcas and their favourite prey. After a nice cruise by Trial Island and a majestic bald eagle sighting we headed back to the harbour. It was another great day on the Orca Spirit.

Friday, April 25

I believe spring may have finally arrived in Victoria! After a slow start to spring, we enjoyed a beautiful sunny morning as we headed out on our newest adventure. We had word, from local fisherman, that a group of approximately 4 transient Orcas were heading east towards Victoria in the Strait of Juan De Fuca.

After a search involving 3 boats, we came across not 4, but 8 Orcas off Vancouver Island's Beechy Head. Traveling together were mature females (4 tons, 23 feet in length), juvenile males (3 tons, 18 feet in length) and 2 calves ( at birth 400lbs, 6.5 feet in length). As the view continued, the crew were able to identify the group as the T49A's and the T36's. We enjoyed these large graceful mammals as they traveled the shore line in search for food, generally smaller marine mammals such as Seals, Sealions and Porpoise. All the guests on board were able to get a great understanding of the behavour, while capturing photos that will last a life time.

Once a great view was had by all, we traveled back towards Victoria, only to visit Race Rocks where we stopped to take a look at other marine mammals. We were able to see the Seals and Sealions, giving the guests a better understanding of our circle life on this coast. All the animals hauled out on the rocks were also the major food source for the previously viewed transient orcas. What a great way to end an amazing tour.

Wednesday, April 23

Our guests and crew had another great day out on the water. We started our search for wildlife by heading east out of the Victoria Harbour. We quickly meet up with some amazing harbour seals hauled out on the rock surrounding Trial Island. We were happy to see a variety of young and old, ranging from newborns (25 lbs, 2.5 feet in length) to mature males and females (300+ lbs, 5.5 feet in length). All the while enjoying the beautiful view of the 100 year old light house that marks the most southern tip of the island.

From here we headed off shore in search of any other marine life we could find. This brought us to a marine park south west of Victoria's harbour, known as Race Rocks. It too has a large light house (lite in 1860) but even more spectacular was the abundance of marine life found here. We were able to view California Sealions (1000lbs), Stellar Sealions (2000lbs) and the amazing Elephant Seal (5000lbs) in their natural habitat as they lay in the sun anf fish in the bull kelp rich waters. We were even able to get a great look at an immature Bald Eagle as it perch its molted brown body with its early stages of white head feathers while over looking the waters in search of a big fish for lunch.

All in all another successful day of wildlife viewing in the waters surrounding the sounthern tip of Vancouver Island.

Tuesday April 22nd

With a full boat load dominated by passengers from ‘Down Under’ we headed out to the Strait in search of some Pacific Northwest marine life. Conditions were somewhat choppy but passengers enjoyed it, not as much as the complimentary hot chocolates though! We scanned the open Strait and the coastline and managed to track down a Harbor porpoise just south-west of Race Rocks. We looped around Beecher Bay and came across a Bald Eagle perched up on a rock, and were lucky enough to see it take off and soar through the air with its almost 7 ft wingspan. We then headed across to Race Rocks where there were around 20 Northern Sea Lions being quite playful and vocal. We were fortunate enough to witness some aggressive behaviour and also a few hauling out and moving about the rock. There were a few Californian Sea Lions on the rock, as were 4 juvenile Elephant Seals and plenty of Harbor Seals on the neighbouring rocks.
‘Twas a pinniped fiesta, with true seals and eared seals galore! It’s truly amazing the species richness in this region of the world, and the passengers certainly were able to appreciate this.

Monday April 21st

The Pacific Explorer headed out of Victoria Harbor early this morning with Captain Brad at the helm and marine naturalist Tim on his first solo trip. The decision was made to head south towards Port Angeles as it was relatively calm.
We made it past the Canadian/US border but fortunately no US Customs officials were there to check our passports. We headed west up the Strait of Juan De Fuca with eyes peeled and constantly scanning the horizon. We looped around inshore to Whirl Bay where there were a few lone Harbor Seals sunbathing on the rocks and then headed across to Race Rocks to see what may be hauled out there. We were in luck, with around 30 male Stellar Sea Lions with heads held high and being quite vocal. It’s great to still see them this time of year as we know very soon they will leave us for a few months to go further north for mating.
There were also 3 juvenile Elephant seals on the top of the rock, no doubt here to moult before they make their long migration out to sea over summer. A few male California Sea Lions were also amongst the Stellar’s, and were also quite vocal with their distinctive ‘dog-like’ bark.
A very pinniped dominant trip, and the passengers sure were impressed with the diversity of seals and sea lions they saw.

A "grayt" whale of a day
Friday April 11th, 2008

For the first time this season we had two boats head out on a 9am trip from Victoria. It was the first trip of the season for 'MV Orca Spirit', with Captain John at the helm and marine naturalists Sheenah and Chelsea aboard. 'MV Pacific Explorer' was captained by Brad with marine naturalists Cheri and Tim also aboard. So with full crew and full passengers we headed out to the calm waters of the Salish Sea, not knowing what the trip would bring us. We headed east to Trial Island where we observed several Harbor Seals hauled out on the rocks and a few playing around in the water. We were also were able to see a lone Bald Eagle perched up on a sign pole. We then proceeded to head in a south-westerly direction towards Constance Bank, with water conditions perfect for spotting whales. Once out into the Strait of Juan De Fuca we headed inshore to Beecher Bay. As we looped around the small island in the middle of the bay, with the water looking like glass, beautiful coastline and spectacular Olympic mountain ranges in the background, it really did look like a scene from a postcard. Very picturesque to say the least! As we headed back east to Race Rocks Ecological Reserve we hear the scream "whale!". As I looked inshore to confirm the sighting, we had indeed come across a gray whale, slowly making it's way along the coastline, westbound towards the Pacific. Being the only boats out on the water we were able to observe this gray whale forage and even show off it's tail-fluke for all to see. With the passengers on a high we proceeded to head to Race Rocks where we observed more than 10 male Stellar Sea Lions, a couple of Californian Sea Lions, a couple of Elephant Seals, and several Harbor Seals all hauled out on the same rock. Four species of pinniped on one rock, you can't get much more diverse than that! So with crew and passengers witnessing some spectacular marine life off this "species rich" southern coast of Vancouver Island, all in all it was a great trip.

(written by Tim, marine naturalist)

NEW FOR 2008
Lunch & Dinner Cruises Onboard the
MV PAcific Explorer

Orca Spirit Adventures is excited to be partnered with the Blue Crab Catering to offer group lunch and dinner cruises in Victoria's Inner Harbour. With a capacity of 70 passengers these cruises are a 'must do' activity for your group!
Here are some photos of our first lunch cruise this season - it was DELICIOUS!

The Season Starts with Transient Sightings!

Sunday, March 23

The Pacific Explorer left the dock on schedule this calm Easter Sunday afternoon, and the decision was made by Captain Brad to head North East towards San Juan Island. After naturalists Cheri and newcomer Tim chatted to the passengers about all things marine mammal we ended up about 3 miles west of Lime Kiln Lighthouse, and were fortunate to come across some Tansient killer whales! There was a group of 5 individuals, and a couple of lone individuals travelling in a northerly direction, and upon closer viewing we were able to identify the big male as T20. There were 2 calves present within the pod that appeared to never leave Mum's side, with the big male T20 trailing closely behind. They would do a couple of shallow dives and then a longer deeper dive, staying down for 3-5 minutes, then would surface again but not where we and the passengers were expecting. After a few more dives and the passengers eagerly awaiting their return to the surface for that magic photo opportunity, the killer whales surfaced quite close to the boat and gave the passengers (and the naturalists) a huge shock and burst of excitement! Cameras were going crazy as these ever so graceful creatures surfaced a few more times in good view of the passengers. Seeing killer whales this time of year is a very special thing, so we were very lucky to witness Transient killer whales going up their business in the wild, and so all passengers and crew were very excited (to say the least!).

Heading back to Victoria we stopped by the Chain Islands and observed a lone Bald Eagle perched up on a rock, and quite a large Cormorant's nest also. The trip back to Victoria was certainly an exciting one! The wind and waves made for an entertaining boat ride and we experienced some sea spray over the side of the vessel. The passengers loved it!
A great trip on this Easter Sunday, with passengers stepping off onto the dock with big grins and a mountain of knowledge to take home.

Friday, November 9th

This morning, we headed out into the Strait of Juan De Fuca in search of humpback whales, orca and other wildlife. For the first stop of the tour, we traveled to Race Rocks, the spectacular ecological reserve located southwest of Victoria. Here we watched several Steller sea lions jostling for their favourite spot on the rocks and practicing their territorial fighting behaviours that no doubt serve them well on their breeding grounds which they will return to next spring. We also observed a juvenile bald eagle on the northern most rock. We journeyed west of Race Rocks and than back south of Victoria but did not find any humpback whales. We were thrilled to encounter some speedy Dall's porpoise and had an excellent encounter with these fun little cetaceans before we headed back to the harbour.

Saturday, November 3rd

This morning, we traveled to Constance Bank in search of humpback whales, the fifth largest whale in the world! Just south of Constance Bank, we encountered three humpback whales, including two that were travelling in a pair and being pestered by a mob of playful Steller sea lions. We were entertained by the antics of both the Steller sea lions and the humpbacks, after which we headed to Race Rocks. There we viewed several more sea lions, both of the California and Steller variety.

On our afternoon trip, we headed back to Constance Bank to find the humpback whales. Although they proved to be more elusive this afternoon, we did eventually find a lone humpback whale foraging in the nutrient rich waters among thousands of seabirds. After we watched the humpback whale, we travelled to Race Rocks and its resident wildlife. On our way back to the harbour, we stopped quickly for another look at the humpback whale, which was nice enough to give us a fluke shot!

Wednesday, October 31st

Today we travelled south and west, in beautifully calm waters in the Juan de Fuca Strait. We saw Harbour seals, Stellar and California sea lions, bald eagles, and a great variety of other sea birds. We stopped at Race Rocks to view the seals and sea lions on the rocks and there was a large number of sea birds (mostly cormorants and seagulls) on the rocks as well. On our way back towards Victoria we stopped to watch a couple of Humpback whales feeding. The conditions were great for watching them, and we were able to see their heads and fins as they were rolling around at the surface. The whales were also making noises - which is really interesting to hear! There were large groups of sea lions around them interacting with the whales.

Happy Halloween!

Monday, October 29

Today we went out southwest of Victoria harbour to find a humpback whale feeding along with a large group of sea lions and birds in the area. The whale was rolling around, and we saw a couple of tail slaps on the water. It was so neat to see the sea lions swimming around the whale. We also went to Race Rocks and viewed the sea lions and seals and seabirds on the rocks, as well as in the water around that area. The sea lions were quite vocal and there was a large number of them on the rocks. We enjoyed a smooth ride back from Race Rocks into the harbour, the weather was windy but the sun was out!


Sunday, October 28

Biologist Corey joined our Sunday morning tour. Here are a few of his beautiful photos.

Thursday, October 25

As we headed out of Victoria in a Southerly direction the sea was flat calm so we had a good chance of spotting whales that might be in the area. We were going out to the region where we had recently been spotting humpbacks. A passenger in the boat spotted some fins and a check with Brad, the skipper, confirmed that we had Orcas. When we stopped the boat we realised just how many, they were all around us! We were in the middle of a wide-spread group, which appeared to contain individuals from J and L pod. We saw juveniles in the group, some tail slapping and a spy hop. There was also a group of Stellar sea lions in the midst of it all, getting involved with one of the groups of Orcas, and it looked like there was a bit of playful interaction between them from all the splashing at the surface (luckily it was residents we were watching and not Sea lion eating residents - it might have been a different story!). We received a report of humpbacks and so headed out further in to the Strait, where we found 3 humpbacks, surfacing together. We had good views of almost the whole length of the whales, from the bumps on their heads to the undersides of the flukes. WE had a chance for a quick visit to Race Rocks, with only a few seals and sea lions hauled out, but with the sun out shining, flat seas and 2 species of whales in one 3 hour trip, everyone commented on what a great day they had.

Tuesday, October 23

The afternoon trip was a perfect for whale watching, it was a clear day and the sea was flat calm. South of Victoria we stopped to watch a pair of humpbacks at the surface, and spotted a third individual off to the front of the boat. After watching the whales on either side of us feeding for a while, they joined together and all three would surface a number of times before each would throw up its tail and take a longer dive. We also saw a fourth humpback in the area feeding, so there were a number of animals for us to watch. The group of 3 started to show a bit more activity on the surface, with a bit of thrashing from the tail and the fore flippers and a few little playful tail slaps. There were also some stellar sea lions in the area, swimming on the surface in small groups and sticking their snouts out of the water to breathe. We moved on out into the Strait to see if we could spot any other whales such as the Minkes or Orca, but were unsuccessful on this day. A stop off at Race Rocks found plenty more Stellar Sea lions hauled out along with the Californian Sea lions, lots of cormorants, but not so many harbour seals this time.