It was a cool and breezy day as our vessels departed, eager for another adventure in the Salish Sea. Keta, our open vessel, headed out nice and early at 10:00 AM, followed by Kula, our semi-covered vessel, departing a bit later at noon.

Keta began the day by heading south through the stunning Southern Gulf Islands before making their way into the Strait of Georgia through Porlier Pass. The crew and passengers scanned the horizon for the telltale signs of whales as they wove northeast through the Strait. After some time searching, word came in of an apparent sighting off Gabriola Island – they turned, continued searching, and it wasn’t long before excitement swept across the boat!

Soon, blows and dorsal fins broke the surface as a trio of humpbacks gracefully travelled along. Keta got into position and began snapping photos, eager to learn who these whales were. While the trio didn’t make identification easy, with none of them fluking (the most conventional way of identifying individual humpbacks), one of them had a very distinctive dorsal fin – it was the unmistakable and unique humpback Crater/Mensa (BCX1565)! The other two proved trickier to identify, but a closer look revealed that one was much smaller than the other, suggesting a mother-calf pair. After comparing photos back at the office, we confirmed that these two were Vivaldi (BCX1704) and her 2025 calf (BCX1704 calf 2025)! Kula soon made their way over to join Keta with their humpback sighting.

As we watched, the trio surfaced rhythmically - arching, blowing, and diving together - before Vivaldi suddenly burst into a cartwheel! This interesting behaviour involves a whale keeping its head submerged while tossing its back half high out of the water, creating a dramatic arch of spray above them. Scientists continue to remain puzzled about why humpbacks cartwheel; it could be for communication, play, or even to help remove parasites. Whatever the reason, Vivaldi’s energetic display was stunning, and we were very excited to witness it! After a while, the energy died back down, and the three continued their travels, surfacing fin-to-fin as they continued their adventures through the Strait.

After wrapping up their encounter, Keta continued toward Stinky Rocks for another dose of wildlife viewing, while Kula carried on scanning the Strait southbound. Before long, Kula came across another trio of humpbacks! Two of these whales fluked quickly, allowing us to identify them as Split Fin (BCZ0298) and Seltzer (BCY1274). The third whale, however, was a little harder to pin down. Instead of showing its tail or dorsal fin, it began pectoral slapping – or lifting its massive side fins clear of the water and smacking them against the surface.

While this individual was busy pec slapping, a particularly unique marking was spotted - a distinct hole was clearly visible along the edge of one of the whale’s fins. After comparing this pectoral fin to some recent photos we have captured on tour, we confirmed this individual was Professor X/Abyss (BCX1965)! This creative use of 'unconventional' features is an excellent example of how we are learning to identify whales in even more creative ways!

The trio continued burning lots of energy, with frequent pectoral slaps, tail-lobs, and even occasional breaches! It was a high-energy display of humpback behaviour and a great reminder of how graceful these gentle giants could be, even out of the water!

Meanwhile, over at Stinky Rocks, Keta found some of the “local residents” busy as ever. Steller Sea Lions barked and jostled for space on the rocky outcrops while shorebirds foraged along the edges, picking through kelp and barnacles for a meal. The air was filled with the sounds of the sea - from the deep roars of sea lions to the rhythmic crash of waves against the coast.

Shortly after, both Keta and Kula made their way back north through the narrow passage of Dodd Narrows. After that, our crews turned and began heading back into the Nanaimo Harbour, concluding an adventurous day, filled with equally adventurous humpback encounters!

Please enjoy this trip’s photos, taken by Marine Naturalists Cheyenne Brewster and Aly Kohlman.

October 16, 2025 - Humpbacks all day long!