April 30, 2023 - T-party at the North Arm with the T036As, T049A1, and the Alaskan Brothers!

We left the Nanaimo harbour on an overcast day, but we were still happy to get on the water. Not only were we excited about the boat ride, but it wasn’t long before we got word that another boat had already found a group of orca travelling south near Vancouver. Our boat started heading in that direction and we soon saw the telltale signs of whales in the distance: blows and dorsal fins!

We found a t-party there waiting for us (well, actually they were moving swiftly south so not exactly waiting). This group contained 9 different whales, across three pods:

T036A Leland ♀ (1990)
T036A1 Tierna ♀ (2005)
T036A1A (2022)
T036A2 Kailas ♀ (2012)
T036A3 Storm/Mike III ♂ (2015)
T036A5 ♂ (2021)

T049A1 Noah ♂ (2001)

T128 Flotsam ♂ (1988)
T125A Jetsam ♂ (1998)

Flotsam and Jetsam, aka the Alaskan Brothers, are a relatively rare sight here in the Salish Sea. They typically spend their time in, you guessed it, Alaskan waters but they visit us about once a year. This year we haven’t seen them travelling solo, instead, they always seem to be partying it up with another group of whales. On April 21st we saw them for the first time, travelling with the T137s. On April 23rd and April 25th these two were part of a huge multi-day T-party that was making its way around the Salish Sea, and today only part of that party remained. The T036As were in the larger group before too, so it’s interesting that they were all travelling together still. We don’t know for sure why T-parties happen, but with these big male whales around, our theory is that they are helping to introduce more genetic diversity to our local population, if you know what I mean.

No matter the reason for their visit and for hanging around other groups, it’s always a pleasure to see these two whales. Let’s not forget about Noah too! He seems to be on the outskirts of all the groups we’ve been seeing lately, perhaps shyer than the others but still wants to be included in the socializing.

After spending some time watching these whales it was time for us to leave, so we headed back towards Nanaimo. On the way, we stopped at one of our favourite places right now, Stinky Rocks! This is where a large group of sea lions have been calling home lately. Today was no different as we saw a ton of Steller Sea Lions enjoying themselves on the rocks.

We were also lucky enough to see a couple of Bald Eagles keeping their eye on the water, preparing to catch lunch. This is the time of year that the local eagles will be having their eggs hatch, according to a local Wildlife Society, GROWLS. They will need to find plenty of snacks to keep their young nice and healthy!

After getting our fill of all the wildlife the Salish Sea has to offer, we returned to the harbour. Our onboard marine naturalist Vanessa Vereschahen was able to capture some amazing moments during the tour, which can be viewed below!

Photos were taken by Marine Naturalist Vanessa Vereschahen.

left: T036A1A and their mother T036A1 Tierna

The Alaskan Brothers - T128 Flotsam and T125A Jetsam

T036A1A rushing to catch up with their mother T036A1 Tierna

T036A1A’s little face popping out beside their mother T036A1 Tierna

T036A Leland (back) and T036A3 Storm/Mike III (front)

Left to right: T036A3 Storm/Mike III, T036A Leland (back), and T036A5

A pair of adult bald eagles overlooking the ocean.

Jilann LechnerApril 30, 2023WhalesComment