We started the day with an idea of where we might be heading, thanks to a shore-based report of a pod of orca spotted heading south from Qualicum Beach. Since it was about an hour’s journey from us, we were excited as we left the dock, hopeful that we’d be able to find this pod of whales. As we entered the right area and intensified our search, one of our boats spotted something, a blow in the distance! It was a welcome sight, even though it wasn’t exactly what we were looking for. The large, bushy blow was indicative of a humpback whale, not the pod of orca, so only one of our boats stopped to investigate while the other two continued the search.

Thanks to a very distinct dorsal fin, the whale was quickly identified as Moraine (BCY1465). This was confirmed shortly afterwards when Moraine lifted their tail to dive deeper, heading down to where their food was waiting. Interestingly, the depth humpbacks dive can vary throughout the day, as one of their primary prey species, krill, performs a daily vertical migration. During daylight hours, krill stay deeper in the water column, hiding from surface predators like seabirds. But when night falls and these predators are no longer a threat, the krill rise closer to the surface to feed on phytoplankton, which have been using sunlight to grow during the day. The humpbacks follow them, feeding on krill and other zooplankton. This means that on average, humpback dive depths are shallower at night than during the day.

We didn’t stick with Moraine for too long this morning, as while that boat was watching them, the other two had located the pod of orca. Once again, it was familiar fins that met us, and we quickly IDed these whales as the T049As:

T049A Nan ♀ (1986)
T049A3 Nat ♂ (2011)
T049A4 Neptune ♂ (2014)
T049A5 Nebula ♀ (2017)
T049A6 Charlie II ♂ (2022)

Nan, the matriarch of this family group, got her name from how frequently she and her offspring are seen near Nanaimo. While they weren’t right in Nanaimo during today’s trip, they were definitely headed that way! The T049As are known for travelling close to shore, so much so that in December 2024, the eldest son of this pod, T049A1 Noah, caused the Inner Victoria Harbour to be shut down as he meandered around looking for lunch.

At first glance, harbours might seem like an odd place for orca to hunt, but when you think about it, they offer an advantage. With all the background noise from boats and human activity, Transient Orca can use the soundscape as cover, sneaking up on unsuspecting prey. All they need is the right moment… and bam! Lunch is served. Of course, being in such busy areas comes with risks, including potential boat strikes and other interactions with humans. Interestingly, this group’s comfort with harbours helped us identify them today, as they had just made the rounds inside the French Creek Harbour!

As we observed them, the pod was moving somewhat sporadically, perhaps on the lookout for another snack. If that was the goal, they seemed to be coming up short. We saw the same zigzagging behaviour throughout our time with them. Although they were a bit tricky to follow, we were treated to some fantastic views of the T049As before it was time to let them continue on their way.

The journey back home was beautiful, taking us through the scenic Winchelsea Archipelago before returning to Nanaimo Harbour. Our onboard Marine Naturalists, Aly Kohlman and Hayleigh Hilbert, captured some fantastic photos throughout the tour. Check them out below!

July 2, 2025, 10:30 AM - The T049As travelling south near Parksville