September 16th - HBs all over the place as per usual!

After 2 days of high winds cancelling tours everyone was eager to get out and find some whales, and on the 16th we got to do just that! It was a beautiful sunny day with much calmer winds when we set out on the water to find our wildlife.

Our boats departed the Nanaimo harbour, fanning out to cover as much ground as possible. It wasn’t too long before 2 of them stumbled upon 2 Humpbacks just outside the Nanaimo Harbour. These whales were initially doing some dives, presumably feeding on small fish and krill, but it wasn’t long before one of them got a bit restless with feeding and decided playing at the surface would be more fun.

These 2 whales turned out to be a mom and calf pair. Tempest and her new calf, whose only about 8 months old at this point. While Tempest continued to do some short dives, her calf was clearly not interested. They rolled around on the surface for nearly an hour. They’re preferred activity seemed to be practicing their back stroke, and occasionally their side stroke! Mom seemed content to let them play at the surface while they continued to feed, but every now and then Tempest would collect the calf and they would both disappear for a feeding dive.

At this time of year all our Humpbacks are gearing up for their migration south, including the calves. Calves only get one year with mom, so it’s vital they learn how to dive and forage by watching her, and sometimes they even begin fishing on their own before they head south. Tempest was being a good mom today, making sure their calf got in those vital diving and foraging lessons between their play time.

Below are some of the photos taken by our marine naturalists Rebeka Pirker, Brad Farrow and Rebecca Stirling.

How many different species can you identify in this photo? Photo by Rebeka Pirker.

Swimming Stellar Sealions. Photo by Brad Farrow.

Jilann LechnerSeptember 18, 2021Comment