The most exciting time of the year for us is when the humpbacks start returning in large numbers from their breeding grounds! These gentle giants make the long migration from Hawaii or Mexico. It makes days like today so special when we get to see familiar fins that we haven’t seen for a while. Three such whales were spotted today! These humpbacks were Windy (BCY0893), Beak (BCX1606) and Wormhole (BCX1275). Beak in particular is always a treat to see. We’ve known him his entire life, and watching him grow and mature feels like watching a family member grow.

Speaking of growing families, on this trip we saw two whales who are actually siblings! Both Beak (BCX1606) and Poptart (BCY1014) have a very famous mother, Big Mama (BCY0324). This famous little lady has quite the history here in the Salish Sea. Did you know that humpbacks were locally extirpated due to the severe impact of the whaling industry here on the coast? Even though whaling was banned in 1967, the devastating effects of the loss of humpbacks were felt for many years after. Humpback and Grey whale populations dwindled in numbers, and the seas were quiet for almost 40 years. We didn’t see a humpback here until 1997, when Big Mama was spotted off of Victoria, for the first time! We still don’t know what brought her to the area, as humpbacks have something called “feeding fidelity”. This means that humpbacks generally return to the same spots their mother brought them as a calf, and will return to the same area year after year. For whatever reason, Big Mama ended up here in the Salish Sea, and must have liked it, because she’s shown up every year since! Not only has she returned, but she has brought back 7 calves of her own. Her family tree continues growing - currently, she has 6 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren! Wow!

Since Big Mama’s initial sighting, we’ve seen a resurgence of humpbacks in the area and sometimes we wonder if maybe she told all her friends what a great feeding area this was. We are always so thrilled to have days on the water with lots of humpbacks knowing that 30 years ago, we wouldn’t have seen any. Other whales we were fortunate enough to encounter today were Calypso (BCY1226), Neptune (BCY102) and Scuba (BCY1225). All these humpbacks were spotted hanging out near Porlier Pass, a place that’s becoming a bit of a hotspot to see them! This also means that we can pop over to our favourite spot to see wildlife from here - “Stinky Rocks”. We love to watch the cuddle puddle of Steller Sea lions and watch the Harbour Seals bob through the shallow waters nearby. After sailing past Entrance Island just outside of Nanaimo, we finished up the tour checking out the Gabriola Bluffs. Such a full day!

All photos were taken by our naturalists Val Watson and Hayleigh Hilbert.

June 12, 2024, 3:30pm - Hump day!

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