August 23rd - Orcas in Nanaimo!

What a lucky day! We barely had to leave the dock to locate a pod of killer whales that were traveling and hunting in Nanaimo harbour right next to Protection Island!

At first we found a group of three whales, the T65Bs, and we watched this mother with her two offspring hunt and kill most likely a seal. Killer whales are very stealth predators and work together as a family unit to trap and exhaust their prey before growing and then consuming it. After these three had their lunch, they joined up with another pod of killer whales!

The T18s, a pod of four killer whales, were spotted in Northumberland Channel near Harmac and traveled north to meet up with the T65Bs. Seeing two pods of killer whales join together is always interesting. For the most part transient killer whales live with their immediate family in close knit groups called pods. In order to mate and to socialize, multiple groups of transient killer whales will join together and form what we’ve nicknamed a “T Party!” With an abundant prey supply in the Salish Sea, the transient killer whales can afford to burn energy socializing and hunting with other pods, and we love to see it!

Here are some of the best photos taken from that day:

Jilann LechnerAugust 29, 2020Comment