May 2nd - Transient Orcas in the Strait of Georgia

May 2nd, 2018

Today we took a ride on our zodiac “Cascadia” to explore the Georgia Strait for whales! Early on we were lucky to find a pod of 4 Transient Killer Whales travelling just east of Gabriola Passage and identified them as the T36As.

Mother Leland, T36A, swimming ahead of one of her offspring. Photo by Val Watson.

This group consists of the mother, nicknamed Leland, and all three of her offspring, a very exciting find!

T36A1 surfacing infront of two younger siblings. Photo by Val Watson

We noticed that one of her offspring, T36A1, has a new nick on their dorsal fin. These types of markers help make identifying the individual whales much easier and allow us to update our catalog. The nicks can be made from sea lions or seals who are engaged with orcas during a hunt. We can also identify individual whales by looking at the saddle patch, the area just under the dorsal fin that is usually whiter in colour.

T36A1 in the background, notice the nick halfway down the dorsal fin! Photo by Val Watson.

We ended our day by stopping off at Entrance Island to see the Stellar and California Sea Lions and Harbour Seals on one of their haulouts. Always a fun stop to make to see some cormorants and bald eagles as well!

Give us a call anytime to join one of our daily whale watching tours!