July 26th 10:30 - Barracuda and Delta the humpbacks, and the T37A Transient orca pod with T124C!

Our morning tour found two humpbacks just East of Lantzville on July 26th. This pair was ID’d as Delta (MMX0076) and Barracuda (BCY0649). This duo has been seen travelling together in previous years, and is a great demonstration in how we do not know the complexity of Humpback social structures. Are these two best friends, siblings, maybe aunt and niece or uncle and nephew? Neither have been confirmed as male or female, so their relationship will remain a mystery for now!

Commercial whaling of Humpbacks came to an end in 1943 when British Columbia closed its final Humpback whaling station, but Humpbacks continued to be hunted whenever they were encountered. By the time whaling was banned in 1966, it was estimated that less than 1,500 individuals remained in the North Pacific waters.

Our vessels also spotted the T37A’s Bigg’s orca pod travelling around Beaver Point. This pod consists of 6 members: Matriarch Volker (T37A), Inyo (T37A1), Inky (T37A2), Spinnaker (T37A3), Crinkle (T37A4), and T37A5. Inyo was not travelling with it’s pod today, but that is a common behavior for this particular whale. Volker appears to be a very successful mother - only around 50-60% of Orca calves survive until their second year of life. At this point, every one of her calves has made it! The group also was travelling with a large bull orca named Cooper (T124C). Cooper is known as a lone male as he no longer travels in a pod. His mother is deceased, and while he does have two surviving sisters (Kittiwake (T124A) and Field (T124C)) he does not typically travel with them.

Photos taken by Marine Naturalists

Jilann LechnerJuly 31, 2021Comment