June 14th - Incognito the Humpback
On June 14th we found Humpback whale Incognito in Trincomali Channel, just south of Porlier Pass. Our lone humpback was doing some deep dives as they patrolled up and down the channel.
These gentle giants have started their return to the Salish Sea for the summer, spending their time gorging themselves on all the fish, plankton, and krill in our cold northern waters. Incognito, like all the humpbacks in the Salish Sea, will need to consume nearly 3000 lbs of food per day to build up enough fat stores to make their migration south in the fall.
Throughout the summer we love watching these whales feed, travel and mingle with their friends. It was once thought that, outside the breeding season, humpbacks were solitary animals. As the years go, we are seeing more and more social interactions between the whales and longer-lasting groups forming. We’ve seen bands of juvenile humpbacks hanging out for weeks on end, groups of adult females spending nearly an entire summer together just to return the next year, each with a calf in tow. Watching adults teaching unrelated juveniles how to bubble net feed, or mom and calf pairs being joined by seeming unrelated friends.
As their populations increase they seem to be spending more time in larger groups and less time traveling and feeding alone.
Another thing we must consider when we think about these animals as solitary is how sound travels underwater. Low noises are used by humpbacks to communicate over great distances, so while we may only see a single whale there could be any number of other humpbacks in the area that Incognito could be chatting with. 4 humpbacks spread out over 20 kms may not be visible to us, but they might be socializing in the whales mind, talking and staying in touch with one another through those low rumbles as they forage for their food.
Check out the photos of Incognito, seals, and sea lions on the tour taken by Marine Naturalists Janine Van Der Linden and Vanessa Vereschahen.
Photo by Janine Van Der Linden.
Photo by Janine Van Der Linden.
Photo by Janine Van Der Linden.
Photo by Janine Van Der Linden.
Photo by Janine Van Der Linden.
Photo by Janine Van Der Linden.
Photo by Janine Van Der Linden.
Photo by Janine Van Der Linden.
Photo by Janine Van Der Linden.
Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.
Photo by Janine Van Der Linden.
Photo by Janine Van Der Linden.
Photo by Janine Van Der Linden.
Photo by Janine Van Der Linden.
Photo by Janine Van Der Linden.
Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.
Is that a mountain? Is that a humpback?! Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.