July 27, 2023, 3:30 - Anvil, BCY1198, Graphite and the T065Bs
It was a lovely day when we pushed off for the day. We started our journey heading towards Entrance Island, which is where we were found some humpbacks this morning.
We found 3 different humpbacks this time!
Our humpbacks were identified as:
Anvil (BCZ0410), BCY1198, and Graphite (BCX1210 calf 2019)!
BCY1198, one of our new arrivals, was busy pec slapping (slapping their pectoral/side fins on the surface of the water) and back stroking. While it is uncertain why our humpbacks seem to enjoy this behaviour, it is largely believed that pec slapping is used as a form of communication amongst the whales in the area. It seems to have worked, as Graphite was seen breaching (jumping out of the water) shortly after!
After departing our humpbacks, we continued our search for more wildlife. Today we got extra lucky and were able to make our trip into a Double Species day when we located some orca!
On this trip, we spotted the T065Bs, a matriline consisting of the following 4 members:
T065B Chunk ♀ (1993)
T065B1 Birdsall ♂ (2011)
T065B2 Nettle ♂ (2019)
T065B3 (2023)
We often get asked if we saw Orca one day will we see them again the next, do they stay in the same areas? The answer is no! Take this Pod for example the T065Bs that we spent some time with today. In May they were spotted here, in June they made a few appearances in California, and now in July, they are back in the Salish Sea! The Transient Orca that we spend time with have a huge range, they travel hundreds of miles a day in search of food. We have also had another popular duo of Orca Flotsam and Jetsam spotted in Alaska then 14 days later surprised us with a visit! Their range stretches from about California all the way to Alaska.
This is why Captivity is so heartbreaking to us, we know the Ocean is truly their playground and the thought of them having to spend any amount of time trapped in a tank is devastating to us. They are also incredibly social, just like humans. They travel great distances to come together with other Transient Pods to socialize, we call these meetings T-Parties. So thinking about never getting to see friends and family again, is a very sad thought as well. We are extremely happy to now be able to say there are no captive orcas here in Canada and will never be again! This is partly due to the fact that by studying these animals we have discovered just how intelligent and complex they are, scientists now believe that dolphins (Orca being the largest of the dolphin species) have individual names for each other!
One of the most important things we have to do when we find whales is work on figuring out their ID. For our orca, we use their dorsal fins, saddle patches, and eyepatches to confirm who we are looking at.
Sometimes, if these whales are growing up, they begin to look different from how their ID photo looks. Birdsall, Chunk’s eldest child, is a good example of this. He is beginning to sprout. Sprouting is the term used to describe when a male orca enters puberty. Their dorsal fins begin to grow taller and straighter. While it is great to see our orca starting to mature, it does lead to some tricky situations in terms of IDing our whales. Birdsall looks completely different from his ID photo now!
T065B1 Birdsall as seen in Photo-identification Catalogue, Population Status, and Distribution of Bigg’s Killer Whales known from Coastal Waters of British Columbia, Canada (J. Towers et al.)
T065B1 Birdsall, July 27, 2023. Photo by Des Poier.
After leaving our orca we stopped to see some other wildlife including Harbour seals, Sea lions, and a curious Bald eagle.
This tour’s photos were taken by Maine Naturalists Des Poier and Aly Kohlman. Please enjoy!
Anvil (BCZ0410) with her distinct satellite tag scar. Photo by Des Poier.
Anvil (BCZ0410). Photo by Des Poier.
Anvil (BCZ0410). Photo by Des Poier.
BCY1198. Photo by Des Poier.
BCY1198. Photo by Des Poier.
BCY1198 travelling on their side. Photo by Des Poier.
BCY1198 waving their pectorals around. Photo by Des Poier.
Photo by Des Poier.
BCY1198. Photo by Des Poier.
Photo by Des Poier.
Graphite (BCX1210 calf 2019). Photo by Aly Kohlman.
Graphite (BCX1210 calf 2019) breaching. Photo by Des Poier.
Graphite (BCX1210 calf 2019) landing sideways - you can really see all of his barnacle scars in this shot. Photo by Des Poier.
Graphite (BCX1210 calf 2019) landing on his back. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
T065B1 Birdsall. Photo by Des Poier.
T065B1 Birdsall. Photo by Des Poier.
T065B1 Birdsall and T065B Chunk. Photo by Des Poier.
T065B1 Birdsall and T065B Chunk. Photo by Des Poier.
Family photo! Left to right: T065B1 Birdsall, T065B3 (face), T065B Chunk, and T065B2 Nettle (top of head). Photo by Des Poier.
T065B1 Birdsall and T065B Chunk. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
Photo by Des Poier.
A mother Harbour seal inquisitively watching as her young pup rests below her. Photo by Des Poier.
Harbour seals with a very young pup in the middle - you can see where its belly button is! Photo by Aly Kohlman.
Harbour seals and a pair of black Turnstones. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
Curious seals. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
Need to scratch the face! Photo by Aly Kohlman.
Sleepy sea lions at Stinky Rocks. Photo by Des Poier.
A cuddle puddle of sea lions. Photo by Des Poier.
Got to scratch that itch! Photo by Des Poier.
A large Steller sea lion snoozing away. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
Someone looks comfy! Photo by Aly Kohlman.
A Bald Eagle watching the waters below. Photo by Aly Kohlman.