October 19th - Orcas and a humpback whale nearby!

It was pouring rain when guests ventured out on Cascadia towards reports of a humpback whale in the Strait of Georgia. Although it rained pretty heavily on guests as they were traveling, they were rewarded with a huge breach from the humpback whale once they arrived on scene! A breach is when the whale propels itself out of the water and scientists still don’t have a firm answer on why whales and dolphins do this. Some theories are that it helps to remove parasites and dead skin from their bodies, or that the loud noise helps them to communicate, or that it could just be for fun!

On our way back through Porlier Pass we found orcas! These were transient orca, the ecotype that feed exclusively on marine mammals such as seals, sea lions, porpoises, dolphins, and occasionally even other whales! These whales hunted right next to the boat and we watched on as each family member helped manoeuvre the prey into the centre and then exhausted it underwater.

Killer whales typically live in matriarchal societies, meaning the oldest female is the leader of the pod. Usually it is the mother orca and she will be followed around by her offspring and eventually their offspring. We watched matriarch T49A “Nan” work together with her offspring to take down another intelligent marine mammal, likely a seal. The largest whale in the pod is her son, T49A1 “Noah” whose huge dorsal fin never fails to amaze guests and staff. A male orca’s fin can get up to 6 feet tall!

Here are some of the best photos taken that day by marine naturalist Cheyenne Brewster.