June 13, 2023 10:30 - T Party off Saturna!
It was a bit windy in the Strait this morning, so instead our crew headed south to begin our search. We had two open boats out this morning, and each set off in a different direction to maximize our search area. One boat headed down through Stuart Channel, and the other around through Trincomali Channel. With no clear target in mind, each group took advantage of the wildlife spotted along the way. Naturalist Cheyenne’s boat stopped at Norway Island and found a few shy seals lounging on the rocky outcrop. While snapping shots of the sweet seals, they also stopped to admire a majestic Bald Eagle nearby, and an impressive Turkey Vulture. After spending some time with the local wildlife, this zodiac continued on its search south!
Meanwhile, Naturalist Desarae’s boat toured the Gulf Islands and made it all the way to Sansum Narrows off Salt Spring Island. After a short break to appreciate the beauty of the area, they continued on their way, skirting between the cliffs of Vancouver Island and the rocky tree lines of Saltspring. They pulled over to observe a Bald Eagle perched on a small rock outcrop, with the calm waters around them, before continuing south towards Swartz Bay.
Both groups got a report of several orca near Saturna Island, so we adjusted course to meet up together between Saturna and South Pender Island. Our long trip paid off! We came upon two different families, including some loners who decided to stop in for a little reunion! The T123s, T124A1, the T124As, and T124C were all in attendance. The breakdown of these pods includes:
T124A Kittiwake ♀ (1984)
T124A4 Sabio ♀ (2010)
T124A4A (2021)
T124A6 Kasuun ♂ (2016)
T124A7 (2021)
T123 Sidney ♀ (~1985)
T123A Stanley ♂ (2000)
T123C Lucky ♀ (2012)
T123D Darcy ♀ (2018)
T124A1 Bonapartes ♀ (1996)
T124C Cooper ♂ (1992)
Stanley and Cooper are familiar whales for us, and the size of these big boys dorsals allows for quick identification in the field! We feel so fortunate to be able to observe interactions between different pods, and it was lovely to see all the females and their little ones travelling together today.
While the whales we saw today were free to socialize while we observe at a respectful distance, this hasn’t always been the case in the area. Saturna Island is the capture site of the infamous Moby Doll, a southern resident J pod member who was cruelly harpooned off of East Point, Saturna in 1964. Moby Doll was a juvenile orca (thought to be about 5 years old), who was hunted with the intention of capturing and killing an orca to be used as a reference specimen for a new sculpture, commissioned by the Vancouver Public Aquarium. It was believed that a live animal would not be a suitable model for the new sculpture, so a harpoon gun was used. When Moby and his pod swam off the coast of Saturna, the youngster was hit with the harpoon and injured. Members of his pod continued to tend to Moby as he struggled against the heavy line, even lifting him to the surface so he was able to breathe.
Recognizing the unique opportunity to house a live orca for research purposes, the Vancouver Aquarium descend to keep the injured whale, and instead he was towed across the strait, to a dry dock in Vancouver. Moby Doll, originally misidentified as female, became the first orca to live in captivity, and only the second to be available for public viewing. Visitors flocked to see the newly on display whale, with over 10 000 people lined up to see the animal, who at the time, was deemed a vermin species and was widely feared. This was incredibly short-lived, as Moby’s poor health led the Aquarium to put an end to public viewings, choosing instead to study the animal. A more permanent enclosure was organized at Jericho Beach, and Moby Doll lived there until his death a few months later. While Moby provided researchers with a unique research opportunity, leading to groundbreaking research on the calls, vocalizations and echolocation used by orca, he was deeply distressed. Moby Doll didn’t eat for the first two months of his captivity, but eventually staff were able to hand-feed Moby, and his health appeared to be on the mend. Sadly, Moby passed away on October 8th, with necropsy reports believing a combination of emaciation and various infections, eventually leading to weakness and drowning. While the circumstances of Moby’s capture, captivity and eventual death are a tragic story, Moby’s legacy helped change the publics view of a misunderstood species, and led to scientific breakthroughs, even in death that left a lasting impression on the scientific community.
After spending some time with these delightful families, we said goodbye and prepared for our long journey home. The weather held nicely for us and were able to stop for another group of Harbour seals on the way back, this time just off Thetis Island. After snapping a few pics, both boats headed back to the Nanaimo Harbour through Dodd Narrows. All in all, we had an incredible day, and then geared up for the afternoon tour!
Bald Eagle on the marker near Norway Island. Photo by Cheyenne Brewster.
Turkey Vulture on the Lichen encrusted rocks! Photo by Cheyenne Brewster.
Harbour Seal on the rocks. Photo by Cheyenne Brewster.
T124A4 Sabio and T123 Sidney. Photo by Cheyenne Brewster.
T123 Sidney and T124C Cooper. Photo by Cheyenne Brewster.
T124A4 Sabio, T123A Stanley, and T124C Cooper. Photo by Cheyenne Brewster.
T123A Stanley alongside his mom T123 Sidney who is just out of frame. Photo by Cheyenne Brewster.
T123A Stanley. Photo by Cheyenne Brewster.
T123A Stanley in the foreground and T124A1 Bonapartes in the background. Photo by Cheyenne Brewster.
Charge! T123 Stanley towers over his friends. Photo by Cheyenne Brewster.
T123D Darcy moving through the waters. Photo by Des Poier.
A barge pulling around some houses in Plumper Sound. Photo by Des Poier.
Some Harbour Seals hauled out on the rocks! Photo by Des Poier.
Posing for a photo. Photo by Des Poier.