July 22nd - Humpback whale soup and a large group of killer whales!
Another sunny day full of whales for the books! Both Keta and Kula set off the dock at 1pm and we headed south out into the Strait of Georgia where numerous humpback whales had been reported.
It was a little choppy when we arrived on scene but it was nice to cool down with some seawater! Humpback whales were feeding all around us and by the time we got in position to view one, we could see more blows and flukes off in the distance. There were at least 5 animals in the area and we were able to identify Heather (BCY0160) and her new calf, as well as Valiant (KEX0049). Valiant is also one of Heather’s offspring so it is very interesting for us to see them interacting!
Female humpback whales give birth to their calves down south in the warm waters of Hawaii and Mexico and then spend about one year nursing and teaching that calf everything it needs to know. After that first year, mom and calf separate and very little is known about their relationship after that. They no longer travel together and stay as a “pod”, but we have seen relatives and friends travel and feed together while here in their feeding grounds. Encounters like these leave us with more questions than answers!
While we were with the humpback whales we heard of killer whales reported nearby. We zipped into the Gulf Islands and saw a group of 7 orca, two pods, milling and traveling together in Trincomali Channel. The T46Bs and T68s were going on long dives but then coming up as a beautiful group and spending a long time catching their breath on the surface. There was a mix of fins big and small! Most noticeable was the large bull, T68A “Ken, who was born in 1984 to his mom T68 “Yakataga”.
Here are some of the best photos taken by marine naturalists Rebeka Pirker and Ryan Uslu.
Photo by R.P.
Photo by R.P.
A juvenile cormorant. Photo by R.P.
Look at the fetal folds on this newborn pup! Photo by R.P.
Photo by R.P.
Photo by R.P.
Photo by R.P.
Photo by R.P.
Photo by R.P.
Photo by R.P.
A group of 7 traveling together is a beautiful sight! Photo by R.P.
Photo by R.U.
From this photo you can make out the “H” in the top left of Heather’s fluke. Photo by R.U.
Humpback whale “Valiant” showing off its scarred fluke! Photo by R.U.
Photo by R.U.
Photo by R.U.
A male’s dorsal fin can get up to 6 feet tall! Photo by R.U.
Photo by R.U.