July 25th - A Thrilling Day at Sea with the T37A Orca Pod!

Our July 25th tour was one to remember. We had sunny skies, sparkling seas, and were joined by local celebrity and Iron Maiden “superfan” Guy Hartwig and the fam! Big thanks to Guy, Shelley, Jake, Liam and Ava for coming with us to see whales!

We headed south through the Gulf Islands archipelago in search of marine life, and we sure hit the jackpot. The T37A orca pod must have been hungry; we watched their formidable hunting skills as they stealthily followed their prey (an unsuspecting harbour seal) down Saanich inlet before surprising the seal with their planned attack!

The matriarch and leader of the T37A family is 26 year-old orca “Volker” (aka “T37A). Volker travels with 5 of her young offspring who are 13, 11, 7, 5, and 1 years old. Male orca often stay with their mother for her entire life, while females tend to branch off from their mother’s pod once they have offspring of their own. Since Volker’s offspring are still youngsters, they all stick together for now.

After leaving the whales we found harbour seals and Steller sea lions at their haulout spots, a majestic bald eagle, and the cormorant rookery at the Gabriola island bluffs. All in all, a beautiful day jam-packed with wildlife!

Check out the photos below from our amazing day at sea!

All geared up for the Salish Sea! Photo courtesy of Guy Hartwig.

The pod coming up for air as they quietly follow their lunch! Photo by Val Watson

One of the calves surfacing for a quick breath. Photo by Val Watson

T37A Matriarch “Volker”. Photo by Val Watson

BAM! Photo by Val Watson

Attack mode: activated! Hunting is some of the most exciting orca behaviour to witness. Families often collaborate with each other to hunt a single animal, and they almost always share the catch! Photo sequence by Val Watson

Can you spot the seal? Photo by Val Watson