The sun was shining and the waves were sparkling as we headed out this afternoon on our semi-covered vessel, Kula. We decided to search inside the Gulf Islands to begin our tour, crossing through the popular Dodd Narrows! Tucked just south of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island lies a narrow and powerful tidal passage known as Dodd Narrows. This unassuming stretch of water is more than just a shortcut for boaters or a scenic point; it's a dynamic engine room for life in the Salish Sea. As whale watchers and nature lovers, we are constantly in awe of the way this passageway pulses with energy, both physical and ecological. It’s not just a place of strong currents and swirling tides. It’s a biological bottleneck, feeding the ocean from the bottom up.

Dodd Narrows is what we call a constriction zone, where large volumes of water are funnelled through a tight space. This movement causes tidal mixing and upwelling processes that bring nutrient-rich water up from the deep to the surface. These nutrients act like fertilizer for phytoplankton, the microscopic plants that form the very base of the marine food web. In particular, diatoms, a type of phytoplankton, thrive in these turbulent waters. Fueled by sunlight and nutrients, they multiply rapidly and support an explosion of life.

It all starts with these diatoms, tiny but mighty. They’re grazed on by zooplankton, which in turn become food for small forage fish like herring, sand lance, and anchovies. These fish are the protein-packed snacks for larger predators such as salmon, seabirds, pinnipeds (like harbour seals and sea lions), and, of course, orca.

In particular, transient orca, also known as Bigg’s killer whales, frequent passages like Dodd Narrows. These narrow channels provide not only a direct route between hunting grounds but also serve as excellent ambush zones. As the tides surge and funnel prey into confined areas, the orca use these chokepoints to their advantage. Harbour seals hauled out on nearby rocks or diving through the current-heavy water can become easy targets when there’s nowhere to hide.

Unlike their fish-eating resident cousins, transient orca are mammal-hunting specialists. They are highly strategic, silent, and efficient predators. Narrow passages like Dodd Narrows are crucial in their foraging behaviour, essentially acting as marine corridors where hunting opportunities peak. When a pod of orca moves through these narrows, it’s often a sign of a coordinated effort to locate, isolate, and capture prey.

But their role goes beyond hunting. By feeding on species like seals and porpoises, these apex predators help keep populations in balance. This regulation cascades down the food web, affecting how prey species interact with the forage fish and other organisms beneath them. In this way, orca contribute to the health and balance of the marine ecosystem, a top-down effect that begins with the bottom-up productivity fueled by narrow passages like Dodd Narrows!

The Salish Sea is full of these productive hotspots, places where geography and biology work hand in hand. Dodd Narrows is just one example, but it illustrates an important truth: even the smallest geographic features can have outsized impacts on the entire food web. From microscopic diatoms drifting in nutrient-rich swirls to orca gliding silently through narrow corridors, every part plays a role in this complex and beautiful system.

Next time you find yourself looking out over a tidal current or motoring through a narrow, take a moment to appreciate the flow beneath the waves. It’s not just a current, it’s the pulse of life in the Salish Sea. We got to experience this 5 times today as our orca milled around the area with us waiting for them to cross, but they eluded us and went through a shallow passage that runs parallel to Dodd called Faulse Narrows. The orca present for our first encounter were:

T065B Chunk ♀ (1993)
T065B1 Birdsall ♂ (2011)
T065B2 Nettle ♂ (2019)
T065B3 Rook ♂ (2023)

After zigzaging back and forth with the T065Bs we had another report of orca in the Strait of Georgia off of Gabriola Island, of course we had to go seee who it was! The orca we spent time with in the Strait were:

T046B Raksha ♀ (1988)
T046B2 Akela ♀ (2008)
T046B2B Takaya (2023)
T046B3 Sedna ♀ (2011)
T046B3A Munro (2025)
T046B4 Quiver ♀ (2013)
T046B6 Sol ♀ (2019)
T046B7 Tala (2023)

These 8 whales were a little easier to watch than our earlier tricky pod who couldn’t quite decide which way they wanted to travel, we’re sure they had their reasons, perhaps in pursuit of a snack. Today’s tour gave us a rare and exciting look at multiple generations of Bigg’s (transient) killer whales, ranging in age from elders born in the 1980s to calves born in 2023. Watching these individuals travel together was a powerful reminder of the strong family bonds and social structure that define orca life. From the impressive dorsal fins of mature males to the tiny, playful tail slaps of the youngest calves, every age and stage were on full display.

One of the most fascinating aspects of orca development is how similar their life milestones can be to our own. Much like humans, orca typically reach sexual maturity in their early teens, around 12 to 15 years old. That’s when the most dramatic physical changes begin to take shape, especially for the males. In their adolescent years, young males begin to develop that iconic towering dorsal fin, which can eventually reach up to 6 feet tall in full-grown adult males. Females, by contrast, keep a shorter, curved dorsal fin throughout their lives, making it easier to tell the sexes apart once they’ve matured.

Seeing that mix of life stages today, from calves still closely shadowing their mothers, to sleek adolescents, to a maturating male, offered a living timeline of orca growth and family life. These family groups are matrilineal, meaning they stay with their mothers for life, and it’s not uncommon to see several generations travelling together. The elders, with decades of hunting and navigating experience, help lead the group, while the younger whales learn critical survival skills just by watching and participating.

Tours like today offer more than just a look at these incredible animals, they give us insight into their lives and the importance of protecting them at every age. Whether it’s a calf born just last year or a matriarch born in the 1980s, each whale plays a vital role in the social fabric and ecological health of our coastlines.

In addition to the incredible orca sightings today, we were treated to views of two other iconic coastal residents, the majestic bald eagle and the giant Steller Sea Lions. These powerful animals may not always steal the spotlight like the whales do, but they are just as much a part of what makes the Salish Sea so rich in life and biodiversity.

Perched high atop the conifers lining the shoreline, the bald eagles were easy to spot with their unmistakable white heads and piercing yellow eyes. These raptors are a conservation success story, having made a remarkable comeback after near extinction due to pesticide use and habitat loss. Now, they thrive along the coast, often nesting in tall trees with a commanding view of the ocean, perfect for spotting fish or scavenging along the intertidal zone.

Meanwhile, on “Stinky Rocks”, the Steller Sea Lions put on their own kind of show. These massive pinnipeds are the largest species of sea lion in the world, with adult males sometimes weighing up to 2800 pounds. We could hear their deep, guttural roars echoing across the water as they jostled for space in their haul-outs, displaying classic Steller social behaviour.

Together, the bald eagles and Steller Sea Lions added variety to our day on the Salish Sea, each a reminder of the strength, resilience, and diversity of this marine ecosystem. Whether soaring overhead or hauled out on sunlit rocks, they’re a critical part of the coastal web of life, enriching every wildlife tour with their presence! After a wild afternoon, we headed home, watching the setting sun on the horizon.

Photos below by Hayleigh Hilbert.

June 25, 2025, 3:30 PM - A couple pods of orca had us back and forth through Dodd Narrows with reports popping up all over the Salish Sea!