Another exciting day awaited us on the water on the morning of the 17th, as we had two of our boats leaving Nanaimo to start the search for whales. We headed south, trying our luck in the Southern Gulf Islands, which was a great decision that paid off nearly immediately as our semi-covered boat spotted some tall black dorsal fins cutting through the water, it seems like we found ourselves some orca! We were quickly able to identify these whales as the T101s, a mother who travels with her two adult sons:

T101 Reef ♀ (≤1969)
T101A Rush ♂ (1993)
T101B Lagoon ♂ (1997)

When we first spotted them, it was a little hard to figure out who it was, since Reef and Rush were together, but Lagoon was nowhere in sight. Soon enough, though, we spotted the other boy in the distance, and he eventually came back to join with his mom and brother. Being spread out like this is pretty common, especially with this pod. Back when the oldest of the sons, T102 Beardslee, was alive, it was he and Reef who stuck together during these split times, with Rush and Lagoon travelling together on the other side of whatever channel they were cruising for the day. But since his death, it seems Reef has turned her attention towards her next eldest, Rush, instead. Although it seems far away to be travelling to us, with nearly a mile separating them at one point, they would still be in communication range with each other, so they aren’t REALLY alone.

The benefit to travelling spread out like this is that there is more opportunity to come across a yummy morsel for lunch, although with their northward travel, staying spread eventually became impossible since the channel they were transiting tapers down and becomes Dodd Narrows. This area is very interesting, especially during a large tide change, thanks to the currents that run through here. When running at full speed, they can be close to 10 knots in speed, or about 1/3 of the speed that our boats are usually travelling at during “search mode”! At only about 25 meters across, we had to let the whales go through before us, since we wouldn’t be able to maintain the regulated distance of 200m that we have to for orca.

We left them continuing north from Dodd in Northumberland Channel, and continued our search for wildlife in the islands once more. There was a lot of wildlife that we were able to spot while we were here, starting with Bald Eagles!

Bald Eagles are the largest of our local raptors, reaching an impressive 2.5 - 3 feet in height, up to 14 pounds in weight, and have a wingspan of around 7 feet! With their impressive size, they can be pretty easy to spot, especially since they tend to spend time in areas where they have good views of the water we travel through, since they are fishing eagles. The adults, those over 5 years old, also have striking white head and tail feathers, which makes them even easier to spot than their all brown youngsters. Getting to see them is always a special sight since they are such a West Coast icon!

Next was the Harbour Seals! These adorable little pinnipeds are a common sight amongst the islands, since they are one of the most abundant Marine Mammals found in the Salish Sea. With a population of around 50,000 found throughout the Salish Sea, they are a common sight during our tours. This time of year is also a great time to see them, given that it’s popping season! With a quick look at the seals and Bald Eagles, we then headed back towards Nanaimo, with a final stop at the Gabriola Bluffs.

This area is great for birders, with three species of Cormorant, Pigeon guillemot, Swallows, and Bald Eagles all found nesting in the same general area. Getting to see them fishing in the waters below the cliffs is always a favourite, especially when you see them being successful, like we did with one little pigeon guillimot today! Returning to the harbour, we were all very happy to have seen all of these amazing animals that call the Salish Sea home! Please enjoy all the photos captured throughout the trip by Marine Naturalists Val Watson and Hayleigh Hilbert!

July 17, 2025, 10:30 AM - The T101s travelling through Dodd Narrows