On the 3rd of September our boats found 8 Humpbacks throughout the Strait of Georgia.
We found Divot and her calf traveling with Graphite, Slate’s calf from 2019. These 3 were traveling and feeding as Humpbacks do. It’s not uncommon for juvenile whales to hang out with other juveniles or even adults to learn from them. It can be hard to learn everything you need to in one short year, so hanging out with a mom and calf pair is an excellent way for a young whale to learn things they didn’t get to when they were with their own mom. Every whale will develop its own unique foraging techniques and learn new things, so just as humans branch out and learn things from each other, whales do the same thing. Spending time with others can also be a great way to get more food, as Humpbacks do cooperative feed, meaning they are able to locate food easier, and work together to increase the amount of food each whale is able to eat in one gulp!

Divot and calf. Photo by Ryan Uslu (10:30)

We also spent time with Corona and Delta, the Covid duo, as they traveled and dove around Thresher Rock. A popular feeding spot for Humpbacks every year.

A little further north, near Halibut Banks, we found Zigzag and her calf. As we approached seen Zigzag and her calf dove and we watched as the calf repeatedly surfaced and would dive again, but we never saw mom come back. It’s entirely possible Zigzag surfaced further away when we weren’t looking, before diving down again. As Humpback calves grow, mom starts to put some more distance between them, teaching them to forage on their own, practice diving and not rely so heavily on her. Given Mom’s long dives, and the calves attitude, it seemed as though mom was trying to get the calf to dive longer and practice holding their breath and they just weren’t having it that night.

Even further north was an energetic little whale by the name of Trooper. Trooper also goes by the name Slice. We spotted this whale in the distance, breeching and pec slapping. One of our boats raced over to try and capture the action, but in true fashion, the whale stopped splashing as soon as our boat got close. They were close enough to ZigZag and Calf that this could have been an attempt at communicating with the mom and calf. Trooper has a very large gash scar on his back from a boat strike injury. This wound is all healed up, but a constant reminder of the dangers Humpbacks face on the water.

Below are the photos of our whales from the tours today taken by our Marine Naturalists Ryan, Brad and Beka.

Divot and her calf. Photo by Brad Farrow (10:30)

Cormorants in flight. Photo by Ryan Uslu (10:30)

Cormorants at the Gabriola Bluffs. Photo by Brad Farrow (3:30)

September 3rd - Humpbacks, Humpbacks and more Humpbacks!

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