August 24th - A double species day in our backyard!

It was a sunny but breezy day as all three boats left the dock at 1pm in search of whales. We’d had a report of killer whales nearby at Mudge Island so we headed south to check it out.

It wasn’t long until another whale watching vessel located a group of killer whales just east of the Flat Top Islands out in the Strait of Georgia. The whales were traveling right up against the rocks and in pretty big waves so for the first little while they were tricky to spot! Out patience paid off, however, and as the whales traveled north the conditions evened out and we were able to get some stunning views of their tall black dorsal fins.

While this was going on, not too far away two humpback whales were sighted! Some of us left to check these guys out and some stayed with the orca. Then, when we thought the waters couldn’t get any more whale-full, our boat located ANOTHER humpback whale feeding near Thrasher Rock! This little guy was doing shallow dives and lunging right near the surface.

Humpback whale have huge mouths full of baleen which helps them to filter feed in our cold waters. These whales are migratory and are only here for the late spring, summer, and fall. We are very fortunate to have so many humpbacks returning to the Salish Sea!

Here are some of the best photos taken that day by the marine naturalists. We are still running daily tours from Nanaimo at 1pm - give us a call or book online to reserve seats!

Jilann LechnerAugust 29, 2020Comment