It was a beautiful day as we left the harbour with two of our vessels. With no sightings to go off we started the search of the Salish Sea to see what we could come up with.

Both boats started by heading south in Northumberland Channel, heading towards Dodd Narrows. This path is popular for our tours, not only because the narrows are an absolutely stunning and biodiverse area, but also because it’s the easiest way for us to enter into the protected waters of the Southern Gulf Islands.

From here the two boats split, one heading south down Trincomali Channel, and the other down Stuart Channel. We searched all the way down each channel, with no luck. Each boat stopped to see some Harbour Seals that were hauled out in Active Pass.

Active Pass is a breathtaking natural channel located in British Columbia that separates Galiano Island and Mayne Island. This iconic waterway, known for its vibrant marine life and strong tidal currents, serves as a key pathway for ferry traffic traveling between Vancouver and the Southern Gulf Islands. With its stunning coastal landscapes, Active Pass attracts nature enthusiasts and photographers alike, offering panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and forests. Today we drank in the sights as we spent time with the Harbour Seals before it was time to keep searching.

One boat stuck to the inside of the Islands, heading North up Trincomali Channel while the other headed out into the Strait of Georgia. Heading out into the wavier waters of the strait led to an extra wildlife spotting, as Kula got to see a haul-out of Steller Sea Lions. Steller Sea Lions are magnificent creatures that can be found along the coastlines of the Northern Pacific Ocean, including the waters surrounding Vancouver Island. These sea lions, also known as Northern Sea Lions, are the largest species of sea lion and can grow up to 11 feet in length, making them an impressive sight to behold. With their distinctively muscular bodies, massive heads, and long whiskers, Steller Sea Lions have a unique and captivating appearance. These social animals are known for their energetic and playful behavior, often seen leaping out of the water and congregating in large numbers on rocky haul-out sites. Steller Sea Lions are highly vocal and their deep, resonating roars can be heard echoing across the coastline. As predators, they primarily feed on fish and are skilled hunters capable of diving to great depths in search of their dinner. Despite their size and strength, Steller Sea Lions are currently facing conservation challenges, making encounters with these majestic creatures all the more special.

After watching the Sea Lions both of our boats continued to the harbour. Unfortunately, this means that this was one of the rare-cases of no whales on our tours. While our success rate is quite high (over 90%) sometimes the whales just aren’t spotted in our range. On days like this, the guests who joined the tour receive our “guaranteed sighting voucher” which can be used to join another day for free!

Even without whales getting to explore the Southern Gulf islands and get to see some wildlife is a great experience, and we hope all our guests still enjoyed their time out with us!

The photos from today were taken by the onboard naturalists Carmen Murphy and Val Watson and can be viewed below!