June 1st - Hanging out with the T101's

Once again our trip took us across the Strait of Georgia to Howe Sound where we found the T101’s again! This pod of four orca is comprised of T101, the matriarch, and her three sons. This pod is frequently found in Howe Sound because it is great hunting grounds for them. They typically will break into two groups and travel up either side of the passage, looking for food along the way.

Having three large males in the group make this an impressive pod to see. The three males; Rush, Lagoon, and Beardslee; are each about 9m long and could weigh 5500Kg! They also have very large dorsal fins, which can be up to 6 feet tall!

Reef, the female of the group, is a bit smaller than her sons. She is about 7m long and only weighs about 2700Kg, but although she is smaller than her sons she is still one of the larger female orca found in this population.

this photo is a little tricky. Reef is in the foreground and the dorsal of one of her sons is in behind her. It’s a good example of the size difference.

We were lucky enough to spend plenty of time watching these guys travelling through the green waters in Howe Sound. Check out more pictures from the day taken by Alanna Vivani below.

Some Sassy Steller’s Sea Lions!

A couple of bald eagles keeping watch over us.