October 26th - Still Plenty of Humpbacks!

Today we finally got a break from the wind and rain and were able to get out in Kula, our heated covered boat for our tour! The tour crossed the Strait of Georgia, heading over towards the Sunshine Coast where it seems “humpback land” has migrated to. During our search another vessel told us they had found some whales! Communication between vessels is a very important part of the whale watching industry, as whales are relatively small compared to the ocean that they live in and searching for them ourselves can be difficult. When all the companies and vessels share sightings it makes it so more people can enjoy watching these amazing animals in their natural habitat!

So, when we heard there were whales we headed over there. The first whale we saw was Graphite (BCX1210 calf 2019)! Graphite has a beautiful dark underside to their tail flukes with just a light brush of white to the trailing edge. These white spots can be used to easily ID Graphite. Today, Graphite was spending time feeding at the mouth of Howe Sound, doing sporadic dives, chasing their food beneath the water’s surface. Since watching whales who are currently feeding can be a bit tough, we headed over to another report of whales nearby.

This group was larger, with 6 whales travelling in close proximity! These whales were Niagara (BCY0057), Fallen Knight (BCX0915), Magpie (BCY1124), Harpy (BCY0458 calf 2020), Viking (BCY1063) and Trooper (BCX1854)! This is a very interesting group of whales! Fallen Knight has a unique fluke with the right side of her tail fluke curled, making her very distinct from the other humpbacks. We know she is female since she has brought back at least two calves to the Salish Sea. Niagara on the other hand is thought to be male! He was born to Houdini in 2000 making him 22 years old!

Humpbacks have been recorded travelling in pods on their migration to their breeding ground, so these whales may be forming bonds to prepare for migration. Viking, Fallen Knight, Niagara, and Trooper have all been cross-matched to the Hawaiian breeding grounds, while Harpy and Magpie haven’t been cross-matched to either Hawaii or Mexico. Harpy’s mother, Raptor, has also not been cross-matched to either breeding ground. Usually, humpbacks will have site fidelity with their breeding and feeding grounds, and calves will travel to the same general area as their mothers.

As we were watching this large group of Humpback Whales, the blows of other humpbacks in the distance painted the horizon. These animals tend to be found in areas of high productivity, so they have the opportunity to eat as much as possible before starting their southern migration. Did you know that when humpback whales migrate south they mostly survive off the fat reserves that they build in the feeding grounds over the summer? As they travel and breed they will only feed opportunistically.

It was hard to know where to look on a day like today when there were so many different whales around, but our Naturalist onboard, Vanessa Vereschahen, was able to capture some amazing photos during this tour which you can see below!

Fallen Knight diving, You can clearly see the bend in her fluke from this angle!

Fallen Knight.

Niagara, named for the white “waterfall” from the middle of the tail flukes.

Harpy!

Trooper, Viking, and Magpie surfacing together.

Troopers distinct dorsal fin.

Magpie swimming right at the boat!

The beautiful speckled top side of Magpie’s flukes. You can see a gnarly scar on the leading edge of the fluke, likely from entanglement.

Another head-on humpback! Look how round they are.

Viking fluking!

Magpie getting ready for a dive beside Trooper. You can see another two humpbacks in the background.

Magpie (left) and Trooper (right).

Viking’s tail flukes.

Trooper, Viking, and Magpie travelling close together.

The front of Viking’s fluke as they dive.

Viking diving.

Viking, Trooper, and Magpie travelling together.

How many humpbacks can you spot in this picture? We spotted 8!

Harbour Seals hauled out on the rocks.

An adult Bald Eagle soars overhead.

A California Sea Lion having a nap on the rocks.

A curious harbour seal gives us a look.

A very photographic gull in Dodd Narrows.

Two California Sea Lions have gotten onto the buoy!