March 31, 2025 - Orca everywhere!
It was a beautiful day as we set out on our semi-covered vessel from Nanaimo to begin our search for whales. We had received a report that whales were heading through Dodd Narrows, so we focused our search close to home. By the time we found them, however, the whales had travelled north along the island's coast and were now near Neck Point Park in Nanaimo. Upon our arrival, we estimated that there were at least ten whales in the area, and we were correct! It turned out that two pods were travelling together, along with a lone whale.
T036A Leland ♀ (1990)
T036A1 Tierna ♀ (2005)
T036A1A (2022)
T036A2 Kailas ♀ (2012)
T036A3 Storm/Mike III ♂ (2015)
T036A5 ♂ (2021)
T049A Nan ♀ (1986)
T049A1 Noah ♂ (2001)
T049A3 Nat ♂ (2011)
T049A4 Neptune ♂ (2014)
T049A5 Nebula ♀ (2017)
T049A6 Charlie II ♂ (2022)
T099B Holly ♂ (2007)
Holly used to travel with her family, but earlier this year, she was reported with a calf. When female members of a pod have their first calf, it can put pressure on the rest of the pod, especially if the matriarch is still reproductive and has her own new offspring. This is believed to be the reason why Holly initially left the pod, although her calf has since passed away. We're curious to see whether she will rejoin her family or remain separated. When a pod of Biggs Orca grows too large with the addition of new calves, there can be a few negative effects:
Stealth becomes harder to maintain: Orcas are ambush predators, relying on stealth to hunt. If the pod becomes too large, the chances of remaining undetected by their prey decrease.
More mouths to feed: Young orcas won’t contribute much to the hunt until they’ve developed their skills, which they learn from other pod members. They begin eating solid food at around one year old, but still rely on the pod for sustenance. This means that while they are growing, they remain a drain on the pod's resources, especially on the mother, who continues to nurse them long after they start eating solids. A pod with too many non-contributing members can face issues.
Given these factors, predicting when a mother might disperse from the pod is difficult. Take Tierna, for example. She is currently travelling with the rest of her pod, but she was separated from them for some time with her young calf. Will she stay independent, visiting her mother and siblings, or will she permanently rejoin the pod? These questions are always on our minds when we encounter fascinating individuals like her. The T049A pod, on the other hand, doesn’t face these challenges yet due to the number of males in the group. The older males are known to travel apart from the rest of their family, though likely not for the same reasons that females leave.
Watching all 13 of these whales travelling together was an incredible experience. However, as is often the case, all good things must come to an end, and we eventually left them as they continued their northward journey. But it seems the whales weren’t done with us for the day. As we headed toward the local Pulp Mill to observe some sea lions, we spotted the large black dorsal fins of more orcas in the distance! It turned out to be the Alaskan Boys, who had been socializing with the other orcas earlier but appeared to be done with that for the moment.
We saw two fully grown males:
T128 Flotsam ♂ (1988)
T125A Jetsam ♂ (1998)
These two didn't seem to know where they were going, as they circled in Northumberland Channel and performed long dives. Although our glimpses of them were brief, they were spectacular! Both males are fully grown, likely with 6-foot tall dorsal fins, which are characteristic of mature male orcas. Watching those massive fins cutting through the water was an amazing sight. We were fortunate enough to see the boys again later in the trip as we headed back to the dock, where they had turned and started traveling north once more.
Finally, we made our way to the sea lions hauled out on the log booms near the Harmac Pulp Mill. These massive floating platforms are a favorite resting spot for sea lions, especially from fall through late spring before they migrate for the summer months. We typically spot two species here: the larger and lighter-colored Steller Sea Lions, and the smaller, darker California Sea Lions. Watching these large pinnipeds on the logs is always a trip highlight, as they often display plenty of personality. Unfortunately, we noticed one California Sea Lion with a line around its neck, causing it distress. We immediately reported this to the Marine Mammal Response team at DFO, who will hopefully be able to assist the animal. If you ever encounter a marine mammal in distress, you can report it by:
Calling: 1-800-465-4336
Using VHF Channel 16 in Canada
After a day filled with remarkable whale and wildlife sightings, we had a successful return to Nanaimo, with only one more stop to see the Alaskan Boys. Marine Naturalist Vanessa Vereschahen and ride-along crew member Desarae Poier captured some fantastic photos during these encounters, which you can view below!
T036A2 Kailas, T036A Leland, and T036A3 Mike III surfacing together. Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.
A T036A family photo with T036A2 Kailas, T036A3 Mike III, and T036A Leland. Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.
T036A3 Mike III and T036A Leland surfacing together. Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.
T049A6 Charlie II surfacing just behind his mom, T049A Nan. Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.
T036A2 Kailas surfacing in front of T049A1 Noah. Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.
T036A Leland with the tip of T036A3 Kailas’s dorsal fin just in front, and T036A5 peeking out of the water. Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.
T049A1 Noah with his huge dorsal fin. Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.
T036A3 Mike III, T036A5, and T099B Holly surfacing together. Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.
A bunch of Bald Eagles resting on the rocks. Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.
T049A Noah with a navy ship behind him. Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.
T036A Leland, T036A3 Mike II, and T036A2 Kailas surfacing together.
A close pass from the T036As: T036A Leland, T036A2 Kailas, and T036A3 Mike II.
T036A5 and T036A Leland surfacing together. Photo by Desarae Poier.
T036A5 in the middle of the rest of the family. Photo by Desarae Poier.
The T049As surfacing together: T049A1 Noah, T049A4 Neptune, T049A3 Nat, and T049A5 Nebula. Photo by Desarae Poier.
A great look at T049A6 Charlie II’s underbite. Photo by Desarae Poier.
A harbour seal keeping a careful eye on us. Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.
This Harbour Seal is much more relaxed. Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.
T128 Flotsam with his two unique notches. Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.
Brothers T125A Jetsam (front) and T128 Flotsam (back) surfacing together. Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.
T125A Jetsam has a single, giant notch. Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.
Water flowing off of T125A Jetsam’s dorsal fin. Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.
Look at all the scars on T125A Jetsam’s saddle patch. Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.
A close look at a California Sea Lion at Harmac. Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.
A Steller Sea Lion resting their head on their friend. Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.
Nap time! Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.
T125A Jetsam surfacing in he calm waters. Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.
T128 Flotsam surfacing in the calm water. Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.
One final look at T125A Jetsam before the end of the tour. Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.
Surf Scooters in flight. Photo by Desarae Poier.