March 7, 2025 - The T019s and T049As hunting by the Flattop Islands!

The air was crisp as we eagerly pushed off on Cascadia, one of our Zodiacs, ready for the day’s adventure. Our journey began with a loop outside the harbour, heading northward to explore Snake Island and the Five Finger Islands. After scanning the waters and finding nothing but endless blue, we turned south, making our way back into the Southern Gulf Islands. Passing through Dodd Narrows, we continued on to Porlier Pass, where we ventured out into the Strait of Georgia to visit a different kind of marine mammal—sea lions!

The Canoe Islets, a small ecological reserve designated to protect its fragile ecosystem, is a favourite haul-out site for these boisterous creatures. Nestled close to Porlier Pass, the currents provide a perfect spot for our Sea Lions to wait as food is pushed through it and out into the ocean. As we approached, dozens of sea lions were sprawled across the rocks, grumbling and growling as they jostled for the prime napping spots. While their presence is always an impressive sight, it’s also unforgettable in another way—their powerful, pungent aroma. If you’ve ever encountered a large group of sea lions, you’ll know that their scent is something that lingers in memory long after the trip is over.

Leaving the sea lions (and their distinct odour) behind, we navigated back into the Gulf Islands, continuing south toward our next passage—Active Pass. Before venturing back into the Strait, we made one more wildlife stop within the pass itself, where we spotted a bob of harbour seals nestled along the rocky shoreline.

Typically quiet creatures, the seals were mostly resting at the water’s edge, occasionally slipping into the surf for a quick snack. However, one particularly vocal drew our attention, chattering away as we observed and took photos. These "rock sausages," as they are sometimes affectionately called, are fascinating in many ways. Just like whales, harbour seals can be identified individually! Though more challenging than whale IDs, researchers track them by matching the unique spot patterns on their coats, which remain remarkably consistent for at least a decade. This method is invaluable in monitoring seal populations, particularly in areas like Tugidak, Alaska, where numbers have been declining.

Despite our incredible encounters so far, we still hadn’t found what we were truly searching for - whales. But we remained hopeful! Pushing back into the Strait of Georgia, we charted a course north along the edge of the Gulf Islands, eyes scanning the horizon. And then, suddenly—there they were! Towering dorsal fins sliced through the water. At first, we spotted a couple of large males, but soon, smaller fins emerged alongside them. It appeared to be a group of 8 to 10 orcas, likely a couple of matrilines travelling together.

We snapped some photos to ID them and we determined we were travelling with the T019s and T049As:

T019 Nootka ♀ (~1965)
T019B Galiano ♂ (1995)
T019C Spouter ♂ (2001)

T049A Nan ♀ (1986)
T049A3 Nat ♂ (2011)
T049A4 Neptune ♂ (2014)
T049A5 Nebula ♀ (2017)
T049A6 Charlie II ♂ (2022)

These matrilines moved in a zigzagging pattern, shifting directions as they travelled. Overhead, dozens of gulls and cormorants circled and squawked, likely drawn to the scene by the remnants of a recent hunt. These opportunistic birds take full advantage of any scraps left behind as the orcas share their prey.

As we watched, the orcas maintained this zigzagging motion, some even porpoising—leaping partially out of the water as they swam at high speeds. The large males were particularly active, slapping their tails against the water’s surface, a behaviour that might indicate excitement or a successful hunt.

Once our time with the orca was up we turned back toward Gabriola Pass and started our cruise back towards home port. While our whales were a bit sneaky and tricky to locate on this trip, that’s part of the joy of wild whales - every trip is different and you never know what you will see!

Please enjoy these photos taken by Marine Naturalist Cheyenne Brewster and crew tagalong Val Watson!

T049A5 Nebula - the youngest female of the pod. Photo by Cheyenne Brewster.

T049A Nan with T049A5 Nebula beside her, and T019C Spouter ahead of her. Photo by Cheyenne Brewster.

T019 Nootka. Photo by Cheyenne Brewster.

T019 Nootka with her unique rough edge dorsal. Photo by Cheyenne Brewster.

T049A3 Nat with his distinct hooked (but big) dorsal! Photo by Val Watson.

T019B Galiano’s huge and curved dorsal fin. Photo by Val Watson.

T049A5 Nebula and T019 Nootka - Nebula has two scratches in her left eyepatch. Can you spot them here? Photo by Val Watson.

T049A6 Charlie II, T019B Galiano, T049A4 Neptune, and T019 Nootka. Photo by Val Watson.

T019C Spouter. Photo by Val Watson.

T019C Spouter and T019 Nootka, with a look up her blowhole! Photo by Val Watson.

T019B Galiano absolutely towering over young T049A6 Charlie II. Photo by Val Watson.

T049A3 Nat. Photo by Val Watson.

A little tail slap from one of the males. Photo by Val Watson.

A happy dance from one of our resident river otters - look at those claws! Photo by Val Watson.

It was lunch time and this river otter really wanted us to know about it. Photo by Val Watson.

A bob of Harbour seals, nestled against the water’s edge. Photo by Cheyenne Brewster.

A raft of sea lions eyeing us up as they surf through the waves. Photo by Cheyenne Brewster.

Can you count how many sea lions there are in this photo? Photo by Cheyenne Brewster.

Everyone wanted the best nap spots on the rocks! Photo by Cheyenne Brewster.

Gulls plucking away at left over bits after a sea lion swims by. Photo by Cheyenne Brewster.

Cormorants (and a gull) flying past. Photo by Val Watson.

A juvenile Bald Eagle in flight. Photo by Val Watson.

This juvenile bald eagle’s nictating membrane, or third eyelid, can be seen here. It gives the birds almost a “zombie”-like appearance. Photo by Cheyenne Brewster.