July 29th - Transient orca hunting just south of Nanaimo!

July 29th was a nice and sunny day out in the water. We were fortunate enough to find three killer whales near Wise Island. They were identified to be the T018’s. Esperanza (T018) , the matriarch of the pod was first sighted in 1955, making her at least 65 years old! Her daughter Nootka (T019) who is at least 55 years old and her grandson Spouter (T019C), who us 19 was travelling with her. Nootka’s eldest son Galiano (T019B) was not travelling with them at the time. When we first found the T018’s, Nootka and Spouter were hunting seals that were hauled-out on land. Their hunt was unsuccessful though and they carried on south after re-grouping with Esperanza.

We can identify killer whales from their dorsal fins. Each killer whale has a distinct dorsal fin where it varies in size and shape, often with distinct nicks and scars. Male killer whales have a tall and triangular dorsal fin that is proportionally larger than the dorsal fin of the females. The dorsal fins of killer whales can reach up to 1.8 m in height!

Check out some of the photos our naturalist Ryan took below!

Some cormorants and seagulls enjoying the view.

Nootka (T019).

Spouter (T019C).

Esperanza (T018).

Mother and son swimming along.