June 22, 2023 10:30 - T124A2s, T124A4s and T124A1.
Kula our semi-covered vessel left the dock bright and early this moody West Coast day. We headed off across the Strait of Georgia to the edge of Vancouver, with our fingers crossed hoping to locate the Orca that had been reported nearby. Luck was on our side today when we came across six Orca on a very exciting hunt. The Orca working together and teaching their young to hunt today were.
T124A2 Elkugu ♀ (2001)
T124A2A Agafia ♂ (2013)
T124A2B Litton ♀ (2016)
T124A4 Sabio ♀ (2010)
T124A4A (2021)
T124A1 Bonapartes ♀ (1996)
Orca matrilines are run by the matriarch and are comprised of her offspring. Today we encountered our matriarchs T124A2 Elkugu and T124A4 Sabio, along with their sister T124A1 Bonapartes teaching the young Orca some hunting techniques. It was thrilling to see such action in the pursuit of their favourite prey the Harbour Seal, usually most of the hunt happens under the surface, but today we got to see more than expected. Nature at its finest, the food chain on full display.
Sabio is an interesting Orca she has been seen travelling with different matrilines frequently away from her own mother 124A Kittiwake. This however is not that strange, it is speculated that she is on her way to becoming her own matriarch, and we expect to see her leading her own matraline in the future. This is how new matrilines are formed, once a female has birthed a few calves of her own (in Sabios’ case just the one so far). They then decide their matriline is getting a bit crowded and they will branch off just as we are documenting what Sabio and her calf have been doing to form their new matriline! It’ll be exciting to see if T124A2B Litton may do just this with calves of her own in the future! Keep an eye on our blogs to find out.
Photos today were taken by Marine Naturalist Aly Kohlman.
Photo by Aly Kohlman.
T124A4 Sabio and her sister T124A1 Bonapartes. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
Photo by Aly Kohlman.
T124A1 Bonapartes. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
T124A1 Bonapartes, T124A4A, and T124A4 Sabio. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
T1242B Litton. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
Can you spot the seal? Photo by Aly Kohlman.
A seal side-eyeing T124A4A. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
T124A4 Sabio. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
Can you spot the seal on the tip of this orca’s nose? Photo by Aly Kohlman.
T124A4 Sabio. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
On the hunt. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
Photo by Aly Kohlman.
Photo by Aly Kohlman.
T124A2 Elkugu. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
T124A2B Litton. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
T124A2B Litton. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
Look at that surface tension! Photo by Aly Kohlman.
Photo by Aly Kohlman.
Tail up! Photo by Aly Kohlman.
T124A2 Elkugu. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
Photo by Aly Kohlman.
Breach! Photo by Aly Kohlman.
T124A4 Sabio. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
Waterfall off of the tail. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
Tail waving good time! Photo by Aly Kohlman.
Stellar Sea Lions in an argument. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
I think he has a little size on the other one. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
Adult Bald Eagle. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
A Juvenile Bald Eagle. Photo by Aly Kohlman.