July 9th 10:30 - A morning with Slate and calf, Europa and calf and 3 others!

Our boats Keta and Cascadia left the dock at 10:30 heading north in search of whales. First we found 3 humpbacks near Texada Island. After Keta spotted these humpbacks, we saw one of them breach as we were approaching them. We also saw them do continuous pec slaps for a while before they went to sleep. Breaching and pec slaps are thought to be a way for humpback whales to signal distant groups. After they went to sleep, we left to see what else we could find.

Showing off its pecs! Photo by Ryan Uslu

Keta found a mother humpback called Europa (BCX0854) and her calf just north-east of Gabriola Island. This mother-calf pair was foraging in the area. Meanwhile, our other boat Cascadia found Slate (BCX1210) and her calf just south-east of Entrance Island. Passengers on this boat were lucky enough to get “mugged” by this humpback calf. A mugging occurs when a humpback whale comes close to a boat and spends an extended amount of time swimming around or under the boat. It was an exhilarating sight for guests. Check out the photos our naturalists Cheyenne and Ryan got below:

Double-crested cormorant. Photo by Ryan Uslu

Black Oystercatchers. Photo by Ryan Uslu

*All whale watching regulations are followed during the tour and photos are taken on a telephoto lens and cropped for detail. The health and safety of our whales is one of our top priorities during the tours.

Jilann LechnerJuly 13, 2021Comment