July 26th - T-party (T065A's + T037A's) plus Pawn and calf
We had a surprise T-party on the 26th near Porlier Pass with 2 familiar pods, the T037A’s and the T065A’s.
These 2 pods of Bigg’s orca are very familiar to us, spending a lot of time each summer in our range.
Last summer we encountered this particular party on 6 different days over 2 weeks. They travelled all over the Salish Sea with other pods on and off for what felt like months before the party finally fully separated. Recent research has shown that dolphins have names for each other and best friends. We’re fairly confident that Volker and Artemis are best friends given how often we see these pods interacting. Whenever they are together the matriarchs are always right beside each other while their kids splash around, socialize and hunt.
T037A - Volker (1994)
T037A2 - Inky (2009)
T037A3 - Spinnaker (2013)
T037A4 - Crinkle (2015)
T037A5 (2019)
T065A - Artemis (1986)
T065A2 - Ooxjaa (2004)
T065A3 - Amir (2007)
T065A4 - Ellifrit (2011)
T065A5 - Indy (2014)
T065A6 - Callisto (2018)
Today this group of whales definitely had plans somewhere else. They were moving very quickly heading directly towards the Sunshine Coast.
We also encountered a humpback whale and her brand-new calf. Pawn was showing her new calf the feeding grounds that they will return back to every year in the future. This little calf will still be drinking mom’s rich milk and growing 5-10 lbs a day until they reach the breeding grounds again. Baby humpbacks only have a few short months to learn how to forage and the best places to do so. Mom has her work cut out for her, feeding enough to supply her calf with milk while also putting on weight for her own migration. Being a humpback mom is not an easy task, even though they make it look so easy.
Enjoy the photos taken during our tours by marine naturalists Cheyenne Brewster, Val Watson, and Janine Van Der Linden.
Pawn (BCX1515) & 2022 calf. Photo by Janine Van Der Linden, 3:30PM tour.
Pawn (BCX1515). Photo by Val Watson, 3:30PM tour.
Pawn (BCX1515) & 2020 calf. Photo by Val Watson, 3:30PM tour.
Pawn (BCX1515) & 2022 calf. Photo by Cheyenne Brewster, 10:30AM tour.
Pawn (BCX1515) & 2022 calf. Photo by Cheyenne Brewster, 10:30AM tour.
Pawn (BCX1515). Photo by Cheyenne Brewster, 10:30AM tour.
Pawn (BCX1515). Photo by Cheyenne Brewster, 10:30AM tour.
Pawn (BCX1515)’s 2022 calf. Photo by Cheyenne Brewster, 10:30AM tour.
Pawn (BCX1515) & 2022 calf. Photo by Cheyenne Brewster, 10:30AM tour.
Pawn (BCX1515) (right) & 2022 calf (left). Photo by Cheyenne Brewster, 10:30AM tour.
Pawn (BCX1515). Photo by Cheyenne Brewster, 10:30AM tour.
Pawn (BCX1515). Photo by Cheyenne Brewster, 10:30AM tour.
Pawn (BCX1515). Photo by Cheyenne Brewster, 10:30AM tour.
Pawn (BCX1515). Photo by Cheyenne Brewster, 10:30AM tour.
Pawn (BCX1515)’s 2022 calf breaching. Photo by Janine Van Der Linden, 10:30AM tour.
T065A3 Amir. Photo by Cheyenne Brewster, 3:30PM tour.
Photo by Cheyenne Brewster, 3:30PM tour.
Inky (T037A2). Photo by Janine Van Der Linden, 3:30PM tour.
Inky (T037A2). Photo by Val Watson, 3:30PM tour.
Photo by Val Watson, 3:30PM tour.
Inky (T037A2). Photo by Val Watson, 3:30PM tour.
Inky (T037A2, left) and younger sister Crinkle (T037A4, right).Photo by Val Watson, 3:30PM tour.
Artemis/Fingers (T065A) and youngest daughter Callisto (T065A6, right). Photo by Val Watson, 3:30PM tour.
Photo by Janine Van Der Linden, 3:30PM tour.
Photo by Janine Van Der Linden, 3:30PM tour.
Photo by Cheyenne Brewster, 3:30PM tour.
Photo by Cheyenne Brewster, 3:30PM tour.
Photo by Val Watson, 3:30PM tour.
A young pup being incredibly adorable. Photo by Val Watson, 3:30PM tour.
Photo by Val Watson, 3:30PM tour.
Photo by Val Watson, 3:30PM tour.
Photo by Cheyenne Brewster, 3:30PM tour.