August 8, 2023, 10:30 - Europa and calf in the Strait
Another day looking for Humpbacks! Our best bet for finding these guys is always to head out to the strait, to a prey-rich area near Halibut Bank. Today we braved the waves and headed north to see who we could find. Our efforts were soon rewarded, and we came across a real treat- Europa (BCX0854) and her 2023 calf. Normally with Humpbacks, we observe them from 100M away, but when we come across a cow-calf pair, we observe them from 200M to give them some extra room. So we kept our distance and settled in to watch this sweet little calf.
This isn’t Europa’s first time bringing a baby back to the Salish Sea. She’s the mother of Seabird, born in 2017, Eeyore, born in 2019, and a 2021 Calf- what a super mom! Europa is one of our Hawaii whales, making the long trek from the warm shallow waters there to feed in our much colder waters. Once they leave our waters in the fall, they won’t eat again until they return to us the following spring, sometimes going up to 6 months between meals. With a baby in tow, she’s got to take care to protect her little one from predators like the Orca, all while nursing the calf and actively fasting. Supermom indeed! When communicating with each other, Females take care to “whisper” to their calves while travelling between destinations. Researchers have found that during periods of separation between the two, such as when the mother goes on longer dives, instead of increasing the volume of their calls, females will increase the frequency of their calls to the calf. This allows for communication between the two to ensure they don’t get separated during the trip but reduces the chances of drawing attention to them.
We’ve seen a total of 10 known cow-calf pairs in the Salish Sea this year, so there are lots of bouncing babies around! One of these pairs is Europa’s very own kiddo Seabird, making Europa a grandma! How cool would it be to see a little Humpback family reunion in our waters? We’ll keep our eyes peeled in the meantime.
After hanging out with these two, we changed direction and went over to Stinky Rocks, one of our favourite places to spot other wildlife species. The Steller Sea lions always entertain, and today was no different, with half of them roaring on the rocks while the others snoozed nearby. The Harbour seals were also lounging in the shallow waters of the rocky outcrop, while a juvenile Great Blue Heron watched nearby. Finally, we finished up the day at the Gabriola Bluffs, to check out the Cormorant colony that roosts here. Truly the best the Salish Sea has to offer!
Photos taken by Marine Naturalist Ella Hillbrecht.
Europa and calf.
Europa and calf.
Going for a dive!
Europa fluking.
The underside of Europa’s fluke, this is how we ID them.
Stellar Sea Lion cuddle puddle.
King of the castle.
Stellar Sea Lions striking a pose!
Look at the whiskers on these Stellar Sea Lions.
Flippers up!
Great Blue Heron.
Rock sausages… or are those Harbour Seals.
A Cormorant posing at the Gabriola Bluffs.