August 23rd - A lunch with the T101's
Today we crossed the strait of Georgia to the mouth of the Burrard Inlet, where we met up with the T101's and T102. Three males and one female make up this pod, and two of the males, Reef and Rush are sons of the female, born in 1993 and 1997 respectively. It is also thought that T102, or "Beardslee" as he is also called, is the first born son of the T101 female. The female mother was born in 1973 and Beardslee was born in 1984, so this is quite plausible.
The mama killer whale as she surfaces. Photo by Rodrigo Menezes.
T102 as he surfaces. Photo by Rodrigo Menezes.
These guys were primarily travelling, right until the latter half of our visit. This is when a seal hunt began. After they caught the seal, they celebrated with tail slaps and cartwheels. One large male even wore the intestines of the seal on his dorsal fin, like a badge of honour!
Photo by Mike Campbell.
One male killer whale showing off his new intestine bling, while another swims close by. Photo by Mike Campbell.
In the afternoon we visited the same whales, but by this time they had travelled all the to Tsawwassen, very close to the ferry terminal.
The female orca as she descends back into the water. Video by Rodrigo Menezes.
Video by Rodrigo Menezes.
Our guests loved seeing these huge dorsal fins and we had perfect conditions for viewing! We are still running daily tours at 10:30 and 3:30, so book a seat if you want to see some incredible wildlife!
Photo by Rodrigo Menezes.
Photo by Rodrigo Menezes.
A close call! Sleeping sea lions don't realize the potential threat of this male killer whale as he swims right by their chosen nap spot. Luckily he didn't notice them! Photo by Rodrigo Menezes.
Photo by Val Watson.
Photo by Val Watson.
Whales traveling in opposite directions. Photo by Val Watson.