We pushed off the dock on Kula, our semi-covered vessel, excited to get back on the water after an eventful morning. We headed into the Southern Gulf Islands, through the swirling waters of Dodd Narrows. Dodd Narrows is a narrow, fast-moving tidal passage just south of Nanaimo, known for its powerful currents and dramatic water movement. The narrow channel funnels tidal flows between Vancouver Island and Mudge Island, creating swirling eddies, whirlpools, and standing waves, especially during peak tidal exchanges. It's a favourite spot for marine wildlife and boaters alike, offering both a scenic challenge and a glimpse into the dynamic forces shaping the Salish Sea.

We spotted some action as we were sailing through, a lot of movement on the shore. Upon closer observation, it was our clean-up crew, the Turkey Vultures, working overtime on a large California Sea Lion carcass. Sometimes on our tours, we experience the circle of life - while it can be sad to see, it’s important to remember that even after passing away, animals such as this sea lion provide important nutrients to other animals and plants in the foodweb.
A male California Sea Lion can get up to around 900 pounds, which is quite the meal for a couple of Turkey Vultures. Although the one we spotted was smaller than this, it will still provide a considerable amount of valuable sustenance back into the environment. The death of a sea lion may seem sombre, but it plays a vital role in the coastal ecosystem. As the body begins to decay, it becomes a wealth of food for scavengers and decomposers. Turkey vultures are often among the first to arrive, using their keen sense of smell to locate the carcass from great distances. They, along with bald eagles, ravens, and various shoreline scavengers, help break down the remains, while marine invertebrates and bacteria further decompose what's left. This natural recycling process returns essential nourishment to the environment, enriching the surrounding soil, water and supporting the broader food web. Turkey Vultures are amazing scavengers, playing a crucial role in the ecosystem by cleaning up carrion. These birds can consume up to 1-1.5 pounds of decaying meat per day, depending on availability and their size. Equipped with extremely potent stomach acids, Turkey Vultures can safely digest bacteria-laden flesh that would be lethal to most other animals, including anthrax and botulism. Their digestive system is so powerful that it can even dissolve small bones, allowing them to absorb important minerals like calcium. These nutrients are then used to help form the shells of their eggs, making the recycling of death into new life quite literal in the world of the Vulture. After our brief visit, we left the vultures to their buffet and continued on our search.

We recognize that not all guests may want to see photos of our Turkey Vultures foraging, so we have included those photos at the bottom of the blog with a GORE WARNING tag.

As we approached Round Island, our Captain spotted something dark among the waves - it was a Minke whale! Minke whales are one of the more elusive baleen whale species in the Salish Sea, and sightings in the Southern Gulf Islands are relatively rare. These small, fast-moving whales tend to be solitary and can be difficult to track, often surfacing briefly and unpredictably. Despite their modest size, averaging 8 to 10 meters long, Minkes have hearty appetites, consuming up to 500 lbs. of food per day. Their diet consists mainly of small schooling fish, like herring and anchovies, as well as krill and other zooplankton, which they filter through their baleen plates. Spotting a minke in local waters is always a special treat, offering a glimpse at one of the more mysterious residents of the Salish Sea. And that’s exactly what we got today - a small glimpse of it. Unfortunately, we have no photos of our shy little Minke, as it continued to have short surface times and sporadic surface locations. We left the Minke to its travels and decided to head out into the Strait to continue searching!

Before shooting out into the Strait of Georgia, we made a pitstop at a popular spot we have dubbed “Stinky Rock”. This area usually lives up to its name, but what makes this area smell so foul? That would be our large Steller Sea Lions. Most of the stink comes from their breath as they have a very fish-filled diet. Steller Sea Lions are the largest sea lion species in the world and are formidable predators in the marine ecosystem. Their diet is varied and includes fish like herring, salmon, pollock, and even squid and octopus. An adult male can consume up to 6-8% of his body weight in food per day, which can total over 50 pounds of seafood daily! With such a protein-heavy diet, it’s no surprise that Steller Sea Lions are also known for their notoriously bad breath, which is a pungent mix of rotting fish and marine funk that’s hard to miss when you're downwind. Despite the smell, their role as predators helps maintain healthy fish populations and balance in the ecosystem.

After leaving Stinky Rock behind, we made our way across the Strait, where another surprise dark shape was at the surface. This time, it was a Grey whale feeding close to shore, rolling onto its side to scoop up goodies. Grey whales are unique among baleen whales for their bottom-feeding behaviour, often diving to the seafloor to scoop up mouthfuls of mud and sediment, which they filter through their baleen to extract small creatures like amphipods, marine worms, and crustaceans. This method of feeding leaves visible trails and pits in the seabed, creating microhabitats that benefit other marine life, a natural form of ecosystem engineering. During their summer feeding season, a grey whale can consume up to 2,000 pounds of food per day, building up thick blubber reserves to sustain them through their long migration between Arctic feeding grounds and warmer breeding lagoons in Mexico. While not as rare for our trips as Minkes, Grey whales are also considered uncommon on our trips, so to have two unusual whales spotted in one trip was amazing!

While the Grey whale was very exciting to find, it wasn’t the original reason we had crossed over to the Vancouver side of the Strait. We had made the journey over to check out an orca sighting from earlier in the day. We departed our Grey whale and began scanning again, and shortly after we found our third whale species of the day - this time it was our Transient Orca! We grabbed some photos and identified the orca present today as:

These guys were a little difficult to photograph as they were moving in multiple directions. Transient Orca, also known as Bigg’s Killer Whales, are apex predators that specialize in hunting marine mammals such as seals, sea lions, and porpoises. When on the hunt, they often zigzag through the water, a strategy that helps them stay unpredictable and stealthy. This erratic movement allows them to scan for prey while avoiding detection, as their targets are highly alert and quick to flee (especially Harbour Seals). Transients typically travel in small, tight-knit groups and rely on silent coordination rather than vocalizations to avoid alerting their prey. A single Transient Orca can consume 100 to 300 lbs. of food per day, depending on the size and availability of prey, making each successful hunt a crucial part of their survival. These voracious appetites mean orca are usually on the lookout for snacks at all times. Soon, our time with the orca was up, and we attempted to head back home.

We began crossing back towards Vancouver Island, but suddenly, one more blow was spotted. This time it was a Humpback - meaning we had found four different types of whales in a single trip! While we were unable to get a fluke shot of this little one, we were able to confirm their ID as Anvil’s 2022 calf (BCZ0410calf2022) by using their dorsal. This young whale has a very flat dorsal fin, paired with numerous white scarring and barnacles all over their side, we are able to cross-match their identity. This young humpback was most likely feeding, a very typical Humpback behaviour at this time of year. Humpback whales are also filter feeders, just like Minkes and Greys. Humpbacks feed in a variety of different ways, including a spectacular technique called lunge feeding to capture large amounts of prey. They accelerate toward a dense patch of krill or small schooling fish, then open their massive mouths to engulf thousands of gallons of water and food in a single gulp. Their expandable throat pleats stretch to accommodate the volume, which is then pushed out through their baleen plates, trapping the prey in their baleen to be swallowed. During peak feeding season, a humpback can consume up to 3,000 pounds of food per day, helping them build up essential fat reserves for their extremely long migrations.

After spending time with Anvil’s calf, it was time to get back to the docks (for real this time). We finally made it back to the dock, and as we departed, we celebrated our first quadruple species tour ever!

Photos below by Marine Naturalist Aly Kohlman.