It’s not every day we get to meet one of the youngest calves in the Transient Orca population, but lucky for us, today was that day!

During our afternoon tour, we crossed the Strait of Georgia following a shore-based report that orcas had been spotted in the area, heading south. When searching for orcas, we’re usually looking for their tall, black dorsal fins slicing through the water. These fins are massive, especially on adult males, whose fins can reach heights of around six feet. Females have smaller fins, typically around four feet tall. So, that’s what we scanned for as we cruised along the Sunshine Coast shoreline.

We were joined in our search by another vessel based out of Vancouver. Although it might seem like helping other companies would be bad for business, the reality is quite the opposite. We always coordinate with others and share sightings; that’s part of how we maintain such a high success rate in British Columbia! And it certainly paid off today. We got a call over the radio that the other vessel had located the whales we were searching for!

We headed over and were thrilled to recognize the pod as the T002Cs, a family that recently welcomed a new member: T002C6, born earlier in 2025! That meant the following whales were present:

T002C Tasu ♀ (1989)
T002C1 Rocky ♂ (2002)
T002C3 Lucy ♀ (2011)
T002C5 Zippy (2020)
T002C6 (2025)

The calf seemed to be having a blast, keeping up well with the rest of the family. This pod is known for being particularly supportive of one another, a trait likely strengthened by their history with a beloved former member, T002CC Tumbo. Tumbo had severe scoliosis and couldn’t swim as fast or participate in hunts. His family adjusted their behaviour to support him, circling back so he wouldn’t be left behind and feeding him pieces from their catches. It was an incredible display of care and compassion.

Now, this family will once again come together to help raise a new calf. While mom shoulders most of the responsibility during the early stages, the rest of the pod plays an important role. The calf will feed on its mother’s milk for about the first year and begin weaning around that time, although it will still rely on mom for solid food until it develops hunting skills. Even after becoming more independent, the calf will continue to depend on its mother for guidance, unless it eventually disperses to start a pod of its own.

Despite all this care, the first year of life is risky for orcas, with only a 50% survival rate. We’re hopeful that this little one beats the odds!

As we watched the pod, they moved quickly north, until it appeared they had found something and slowed down to hunt. Even at such a young age, the calf stays among the others during a hunt, learning by observing. It’s a great learning experience not just for T002C6, but also for five-year-old Zippy (T002C5). With so much knowledge to pass down, the learning never really stops.

After they finished hunting, the pod continued on, and so did we.

Our next stop was a nearby haul-out site: The White Islets, home to our local pinnipeds. Here, we spotted multiple species lounging on the rocks, including the massive Steller Sea Lions, Harbour Seals, and a variety of bird species taking advantage of this rocky oasis in the Strait.

We then crossed back into Northumberland Channel for our final wildlife stop of the day: the Gabriola Bluffs. These stunning sandstone cliffs are not only visually impressive, but also serve as a nesting site for Cormorants, who use the cracks and ledges created by erosion over time. The cliffs extend as far beneath the water as they do above, allowing us to get quite close for a better look.

Further along the cliffs, we got a glimpse of a Bald Eagle chick sitting in its nest! We love watching their progress each summer as they grow. Today, we spotted one of the two chicks. We can’t wait to eventually see them fledge and begin their lives as young eagles.

Finally, we returned to the harbour, thrilled with all we got to experience today.

Please enjoy all the photos below, taken by Marine Naturalist Desarae Poier.