Today we got an unexpected sight during our tour…a grey whale! This year seems to be the year of the grey, as we have already had the same amount of encounters as previous years and it’s only April!

Grey whales aren’t as common a sight during our tours since the environment that have locally isn’t very good for their feeding strategies.

Grey whales are known for their impressive filter-feeding abilities, which allow them to extract tiny prey from the muddy ocean floor. These gentle giants can grow up to 50 feet long and weigh as much as 80,000 pounds, but they subsist on a diet of small crustaceans, plankton, and other tiny organisms that they filter through their baleen plates.

They are also known for their unique feeding behaviour in shallow waters. In these areas, they use their flippers to stir up the sediment on the ocean floor, creating a cloud of mud and sand that helps to dislodge their prey. A combination of suction and biting is used to scoop up large mouthfuls of sediment and water from the ocean floor. They then use their tongue to push the sediment and water out through their baleen plates, leaving only tiny crustaceans trapped inside.

Another feeding strategy that grey whales use is called skim feeding. During this feeding method, grey whales swim just below the surface of the water with their mouths open, collecting large quantities of tiny prey along the way. This technique is often used in areas where prey is found near the surface of the water but is very rare to see from grey whales.

As you can see, grey whales are true masters of the ocean when it comes to feeding. Their unique strategies and techniques have helped them to thrive in the waters off Vancouver Island for centuries. If you're interested in learning more about these gentle giants and witnessing their feeding behaviours in person, we invite you to join us on one of our whale-watching tours. Our expert guides and naturalists will take you on an unforgettable adventure, giving you a front-row seat to the incredible world of whales.

Our onboard naturalist Aly Kohlman got some amazing photos of our experience with this grey whale which can all be viewed below.