It was another beautiful morning here in Nanaimo as our 3 vessels left the dock in search of whales. Not only were we fortunate to find multiple whales, but we were privileged to witness multiple different types of behaviours between the whales including associating. Humpbacks do not travel in pods like we see in our toothed-whaled friends but we often see them associating with other humpbacks. This was the case today with both of our whale stops.

First, we met up with Graze (BCY0523), Frankenstein (BCX1358) and Mantis (BCX0936). These 3 mature whales were taking advantage of the calm weather to have a bit of a snooze. Sleeping whales? Yes! Humpbacks like other animals require rest, but because they live in water and breathe air they’ve had to adapt to their circumstances. All animals that fall under the order cetacea (whales including baleen and toothed) can rest only half their brain at any given time. This means that one side of the brain will be resting while the other side is awake and aware. This allows the whale to continue to swim and surface for air. A humpback’s blow hole is naturally shut and every breath they take throughout their lifetime is a conscious decision they actively have to make. What’s interesting about humpback sleep is we typically see them take small “catnaps” of around 10-15 minutes at a time and researchers still don’t know how much rest a humpback requires in a day. We still have so much to learn!

The next group of humpbacks we encountered were definitely not sleeping! Malachite (BCX1210 2021 calf) and Cerulean/Watson (BCX1068 2021 calf) were very active and playful. When humpbacks are within 2 body lengths from each other we describe this behaviour as “association”. It doesn’t matter if the whales are resting, playing or feeding they can be associating as well. Both Watson and Malachite are 3-year-old whales that hail from Mexico. Could these whales be friends?
A 2010 study revealed that humpbacks would associate with the same individuals year over year in their feeding grounds. The study showed that adult females of similar ages would spend time together multiple summers in a row. Humpback females that had formed tight bonds with other females tended to produce more offspring. It’s also theorized that females with these strong associations were working co-operatively for hunting and this reduced competition for food. In other words, humpbacks can have long-lasting friendships! That same study also showed that adult male and female relationships were temporary and adult males were not forming those close friendships, likely because they have to compete for females. Malachite is a known male while Watson is a known female. Could these young whales be friends?

Watson and Malachite were not only associating with each other but our boats as well. When whales choose to associate with boats, we call this behaviour “mugging”. It can be thrilling to be up close and personal with an animal as large and charismatic as a humpback but we never actively encourage this type of behaviour. An unfortunate part of our jobs is seeing what happens to whales when they are too comfortable around boats. Malachite’s mother Slate was known for leaving Malachite around whale-watching boats and treating them like a babysitter. Slate has not been seen since she left for her breeding grounds before Malachite would have been 1 year old and while we will likely never find out what happened to Slate, her comfort around boats leaves us wondering if she approached the wrong boat. If you are out boating and a whale comes closer to you than the regulated distance please shut your engines down and let them pass by peacefully. Never try to put yourself in a whale’s path as this can be dangerous for you and the whale.

The fun didn’t end with the whales! We also saw Harbour seals, Steller sea lions and so many birds! Not only were our whales associating, but so were some of the birds, though not in the friendliest of ways. A bald eagle had bagged himself breakfast in the form of a tasty cormorant. The eagle was soon joined by turkey vultures interested in snagging the leftovers. From sleeping whales to mugging whales to feasting feathered friends, you never know what you will encounter on your whale-watching tour! Luckily we’ve taken pictures to help preserve the memories for a lifetime and you can check them out below by Marine Naturalists Hayleigh Hilbert, Vanessa Vereschahen, and Val Watson!

August 7, 2024, 10:30 am - A muggy morning

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