July 3rd was a strong start for our company! Right as we left the harbour, we got word of whales travelling south from Dodd Narrows. This narrow waterway is a common place to spot whales since it funnels the whales close to shore. We are fortunate to work with such a tight-knit community and get a lot of shore-based reports alongside reports from other vessels on the water. We quickly headed south in hopes of picking these guys up, and it didn’t take us long before two large, black fins cut through the water in front of us. It was two bull males who have been travelling together quite frequently! Today’s whales are:

T087 Harbeson ♂ (~1962)
T124C Cooper ♂ (1992)

These two were travelling just west of Ruxton Passage, another narrow waterway just south of Dodd Narrows. These two were travelling very close together at relatively slow speeds. These guys enjoyed a lazy pass through the area and appeared to be sleeping at one point. Orcas, like other cetaceans, utilize unihemispheric sleeping to get some rest. This process involves resting one half of the brain while the other half remains active, allowing the animal to continue swimming and regulate their breathing without drowning. This process is absolutely crucial for our air-breathing orca, as they take conscious, deliberate breaths and need to be able to return to the surface while sleeping.

As they got to the end of Tree Island, they suddenly made a turn and switched their southbound journey to a northbound one, heading through the Gabriola Passage into the Strait of Georgia. We decided to leave the boys to their adventures in the Strait, and left to go search for wildlife in the Gulf islands instead. There’s always lots of wildlife to see on our tours, and today was no different. We saw Steller Sea Lions at stinky rocks up to their usual antics, some Harbour Seals at Norway Island, and the Baby Bald eagles and their parents along Gabriola Island. It was a great morning!

After such an exciting morning, we were eager to head out on the afternoon tour. Our goal was to catch up with Cooper and Harbeson in the Georgia Strait, so we headed that way to see if we could relocate them. Unfortunately, this elusive duo had disappeared! Luckily we had a plan B, the T069s that were all the way at the south end of Saltspring Island! The T069s consist of the following family members, who travel together:

T069 Komox ♀ (~1974)
T069C Kye ♂ (1995)
T069E Kodiak ♂ (2004)
T069F Kin ♂ (2010)

We caught up with these four as they were travelling north, heading deeper into the channels of the Southern Gulf Islands. We got a little bit of surface activity from them, with a single tail slap from an unknown member. We travelled with the family for a while, and love to watch members of a family interact with each other. Even though we were enjoying our time with the T069s, eventually it was time for us to start the return journey to Nanaimo.

It was dinnertime for a lot of the species we saw this evening! Guest were treated to the sights of a Bald Eagle beak-deep in its catch of the evening, an unidentified mammal. For squeamish readers, we recommend skipping these photos, as they are a little gory. However, it’s a wonderful example of the food chain hard at work here in the Salish Sea, with a Turkey Vulture also hoping to steal a bit of dinner. Top predators such as the Orca and Bald Eagles are important in regulating the populations of prey species in the area, and ensure that populations remain stable throughout the entire ecosystem.

We were also lucky to spot a Rhinoceros Auklet, with several fish in its beak. These seabirds are a close relative to the puffin, and dive for their dinners underwater, where they can carry several fish at a time. The beak of this species is highly adapted to this lifestyle, and sports a number of interesting features! Similar to its puffin cousins, Rhinoceros Auklets use special spikes in the back of their jaw, to skewer the fish, allowing them to continue fishing without losing the slippery dinner they have already caught! These spikes are called palatal denticles and are not found in the other members of the Alcidae family, such as guillemots. Another cool adaptation is the “horn” present on the beak of the bird, prompting its name, Rhinoceros Auklet. While scientists were puzzled for many years about the function of this horn, in 2019 they discovered that it is actually florescent! While grey to our eyes, the Rhinocerous Auklet is able to see ultraviolet colours, and expresses bright coloration on this horn in this wavelength, presumed to be used when fishing in the dark waters or during breeding. These birds deliver most of the food to their nests at night to avoid theft from other birds, so this may prove to be an advantage to them. Super cool!

After a quick stop to see the local Harbour Seals along the way, we continued on our way, past views of Mount Baker. At almost 10,800 feet, it is the third largest mountain in Washington, and easily seen from our waters on clear days. There’s always lots to see on our tours besides whales, and we sure do love where we live. There were lots of great photos from both the morning and afternoon tours which can be enjoyed below!

Photos were taken by naturalists Aly Kohlman, Carmen Murphy, Ella Hillbrecht, and Val Watson.