July 29, 2024, 3:30 pm - 2 pairs of Humpbacks... and a surprise Orca too?!
Once we departed the docks the rains began to start, beginning as a light drizzle and soon becoming a bit of a downpour! We desperately needed some rain in the area so we are happy it was coming down, even though it led to us being a bit soggy for the trip!
Our trip today took us southbound and out into the Strait of Georgia through Porlier Pass. While we were thinking about travelling to where we found whales in the morning, we heard some intel of there potentially being some humpbacks a bit further north - closer to Thrasher Rock, a landmark off of Gabriola Island. We scanned and scanned until we saw some big bushy blows off in the distance!
When we first approached we were excited to see a pair of humpbacks travelling together. We began to get into position when suddenly… an orca dorsal appeared amongst the humpbacks?? It is very rare to see orca and humpbacks interacting together, and it was a complete shock to us when we got on scene to see this develop. Unsurprisingly, the little orca was identified as one of our known troublemakers:
T065A5 Indy ♂ (2014)
Indy is a bit of an odd whale. Generally speaking, orca are huge mama’s boys and stick by their mother’s sides their entire lives until their mothers pass away. That’s not the case for Indy though, or his elder brother T065A3 Amir. Both of these males have broken away from their natal matriline and have dispersed. Why? We don’t really know! Amir tends to join up with small groups of other orcas for short periods of time, whereas Indy is typically more “Indy-pendant”. At 10 years old, Indy has still yet to sprout (go through puberty), so he is still quite small and cute and can be a bit tricky to track when he is all alone. That’s exactly what happened today, sadly, as he zipped back and forth amongst the whales and then continued his adventures southbound.
Due to Indy bugging the humpbacks, we originally weren’t sure if we would be able to get IDs on them. However, after reviewing our photos, we managed to ID them from their dorsal fins! These two were Ghost (BCX1333) and Hydra (BCY1000) - both known Female humpbacks. We only saw these two very briefly as they quickly departed scene and made their way northbound. One of the two did a single breach and then they began racing away - it’s quite possible this breach was a warning to other humpbacks about the little instigator orca that was on the loose!
Afterwards, we located a second pair just a little further south of the original two. These two were identified as Windy (BCY0893) and Olympus (BCX2075). Indy, once again, approached and got in close to them. Olympus in particular seemed very agitated - while we aren’t sure if that agitation was directed at Windy who may have been trying to make a move on her, Indy trying to bug the pair, or both of them, she wasn’t a happy camper! Olympus began trumpeting, a very specific sound humpbacks can make with their blowholes, which often indicates stress or anger.
Once we left Windy, Olympus, and Indy behind, our boats made their way over to Stinky Rocks - a small rocky outcropping that our pinnipeds favour for hauling out. There were several sea lions perched high up on the rocks, cuddled up likely to keep warm during the cooler-than-normal weather. The seals didn’t seem to care as much though - they were all busy being sleepy as always.
As the rain continued to come down, we huddled up and started zipping back through the Southern Gulf Islands and towards Nanaimo. It was a straight shot for home port today - once we docked, it was time to get all nice and cozy and enjoy a nice cup of hot chocolate after another exciting trip!
Please enjoy these photos by Marine Naturalists Cheyenne Brewster and Des Poier!
Ghost. Photo by Des Poier.
Olympus’ fluke. Photo by Des Poier.
Windy’s fluke. Photo by Des Poier.
Olympus, as per usual, defecating on scene. Photo by Des Poier.
Windy’s dorsal. Photo by Des Poier.
A waterfall off of Olympus’ fluke. Photo by Des Poier.
Olympus diving. Photo by Des Poier.
Half of Windy’s fluke. Photo by Des Poier.
Olympus (left) and Windy (right). Photo by Des Poier.
Windy (left) and Olympus (right). Photo by Cheyenne Brewster.
Olympus (front) and Windy (back). Photo by Cheyenne Brewster.
Indy. Photo by Des Poier.
Indy cutting through the waters. Photo by Des Poier.
Indy. Photo by Des Poier.
Indy’s dorsal and saddle patch. Photo by Des Poier.
Indy with his eye patch, saddle patch, and dorsal visible. Photo by Des Poier.
A raft of sea lions at Stinky Rocks. Photo by Des Poier.
Sleeping Steller sea lions in the rain. Photo by Des Poier.
Someone looks extra comfortable! Photo by Des Poier.
A mother and pup Harbour seal. Photo by Des Poier.
Nap time! Photo by Des Poier.
A lone Cormorant at Stinky Rocks. Photo by Des Poier.