October 7, 2025 - An uncommon bunch of orca (and some humpbacks as well)
On a moody, dark, and cool West Coast morning, our vessels Kula and Keta pushed off the dock, bound for adventure in the Salish Sea. With mist clinging to the horizon and calm seas ahead, we set our sights north - past Nanaimo, toward the beautiful shores of Lantzville - on the lookout for an early orca encounter.
Before long, our crew spotted two towering dorsal fins slicing through the waters, with several smaller fins nearby. As we drew closer, we realized this was no ordinary Bigg’s (Transient) orca group. After a bit of photo identification, we confirmed it was a particularly unusual lineup: the T030Bs, accompanied by two well-known lone males - T011A Rainy and T049C Nielson.
T030B Lyra ♀ (1993)
T030B1 Vega (2012)
T30B2 Capella (2017)
T030B3 Vesper (2024)
T011A Rainy ♂ (1978)
T049C Nielson ♂ (1998)
The most exciting whale of the encounter was Rainy, a huge male who is rarely seen in our waters. Rainy has primarily travelled solo since the passing of his mother, T011 Wakana, in 2019. Recently, however, he’s been spotted tagging along with the T030B family. During this encounter, he was mostly staying close to T030B1 Vega. Whether this new alliance will last is a mystery, but we were thrilled to spend time with them today.
Nielson, on the other hand, is a true lone wanderer -known for his distinct dorsal fin marked by two deep notches. Though he occasionally joins other males for short stints, he’s rarely seen in company for long.
The six orca travelled steadily north, weaving along the Winchelsea and Ballenas Island shorelines and onward toward Texada Island. Transient orca are incredible travelers, capable of covering up to 160 kilometers in a single day as they patrol the coastline in search of prey.
Once our time with this interesting modge podge pod came to an end, our boats split up to explore different areas - Keta continuing north while Kula turned south. This decision paid off beautifully with each vessel finding something different!
Kula soon encountered another pair of orca. This time it was the T060 brothers - T060D Onca and T060E Lynx.
T060D Onca ♂ (2004)
T060E Lynx ♂ (2008)
Like the other orca from earlier in the day, these brothers were calmly travelling through the Strait, surfacing rhythmically as they moved.
Meanwhile, Keta came across a pair of humpback whales! Though these gentle giants weren’t showing their tail flukes for easy identification, the larger of the two was recognized by dorsal fin as Maverick (BCX2120), who was travelling with her 2025 calf (BCX2120 calf 2025). The calf appeared to have some skin irritation going on, something we have occasionally observe in young humpbacks, but we’re hopeful it will clear as this little whale continues to grow and thrive. Maverick is a “new-to-us” whale, with most of her previous sightings being further north, near Campbell River.
After wrapping up their individual encounters, Kula and Keta reunited just outside Nanaimo - and found yet another humpback pair! This duo, surfacing briskly and fluking on occasion, turned out to be Poptart (BCY1014) and Graphite (BCX2077), two familiar fins to our part of the Salish Sea. These two are both regularly seen in our area, and have been returning here year after year, as their mothers taught them to back in the day.
Before heading home, our vessels made one last stop at Snake Island. The rocky shores were dotted with Harbour Seals hauled out for an afternoon rest, while a pair of Bald Eagles perched nearby, scanning the murky waters below.
Today’s photos were taken by Marine Naturalists Aly Kohlman and Cheyenne Brewster - please enjoy!
T011A Rainy, T030B1 Vega, and T030B2 Capella. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
T011A Rainy and T030B1 Vega. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
T049C Nielson and T011A Rainy. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
T011A Rainy with the tip of T030B1 Vega’s dorsal fin visible. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
T030B Lyra with her youngest calf T030B3 Vesper. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
T030B1 Vega, T030B3 Vesper, and T030B Lyra. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
T011A Rainy with T030B3 Vesper immediately in front of him. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
T011A Rainy. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
T030B2 Capella, T030B3 Vesper, and T030B Lyra. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
T049C Nielson. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
T030B1 Vega and T011A Rainy. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
T030B2 Capella, T030B1 Vega, and T011A Rainy. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
T011A Rainy and T030B1 Vega. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
T011A Rainy. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
T030B2 Capella, T030B Lyra, T030B1 Vega, and T011A Rainy. Photo by Cheyenne Brewster.
T049C Nielson, T030B Lyra, T030B1 Vega, and T011A Rainy. Photo by Cheyenne Brewster.
T011A Rainy and T030B1 Vega - these two were side by side the entire encounter. Photo by Cheyenne Brewster.
North Winchelsea Island with the orca swimming below them. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
Beautiful North Winchlesea Island. Photo by Cheyenne Brewster.
T060D Onca. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
T060E Lynx. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
Maverick’s 2025 calf’s tiny fluke. Photo by Cheyenne Brewster.
Maverick (back) and her calf (front). Photo by Cheyenne Brewster.
Poptart’s dorsal fin. Photo by Cheyenne Brewster.
Graphite’s dorsal fin. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
Graphite diving. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
Poptart’s fluke. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
Graphite’s fluke. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
A Bald Eagle staring us down.Photo by Aly Kohlman.
A Bald Eagle watching the waters. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
A large gathering of Harbour Seals of various shades dotting the edge of Snake Island. Photo by Cheyenne Brewster.
Nap time with the seals. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
Curiously watching us. Photo by Aly Kohlman.
Kula in the middle of the Strait. Photo by Cheyenne Brewster.