It was another beautiful day here on Vancouver Island, the sun was shining overhead, and we were thankful for the breeze that was cutting through the heat while we prepared to board the boats. The excitement was buzzing, and we noticed something close to the boats that brought even more excitement to the day: River Otters! There was a whole family of river otters that were enjoying the free space on the docks, socializing, and grooming each other. This time spent grooming is very important for the otters to help maintain the insulating property of their fur. Since River Otters don’t have a blubber layer to help keep them warm, they rely on their thick fur instead. While it’s important for them, it’s also absolutely adorable to watch, so we didn’t mind the few minutes of delay before climbing aboard.

While it’s always exciting to get some wildlife before the tour starts, we were excited to continue onto the water to see what else was in store for us today. It didn’t take too long before we spotted our first whale of the day, a humpback whale named Barge Boy (KEX0078)! Barge Boy seemed to be resting at the surface, gently exhaling and inhaling before dipping just below the water without lifting their tail. This behaviour, known as logging, thanks to the resemblance a sleeping humpback whale has to a log on the water, is one of the more common ways to see these whales sleeping. Whales sleep in a special way, since they need to stay somewhat alert, since each breath that they take is something the whales need to think about. This means that part of their brain needs to stay active, and only half gets to rest at a time, alternating sides with little power naps throughout the day. The great thing about a sleeping whale is that they spend a ton of time at the surface, since they aren’t going for the deep feeding dives that we usually see from the whales. After spending some time with the sleepy Barge Boy, we continued on our search.

It was another humpback whale that we found next, and their behaviour couldn’t have been more different from Barge Boy’s sleepiness. It was Honu (BCX1856), and they seemed to be very full of energy. We saw Honu flicking their tail as they dived, slapping their pectoral fin against the water's surface, and rolling around at the surface. This playful behaviour is essential not only as a way to have fun, but it also helps them build their strength and practice maneuvering through the water. Watching these sorts of displays is always entertaining and awe-inspiring, as it requires an incredible amount of energy to perform such activities.

After spending time with the very active Honu, we continued towards an area known as Stinky Rocks, where we encountered a wide diversity of wildlife. There were plenty of birds spending their time here, including a great look at the Turkey Vultures that were resting on the sandstone formations. These birds are vital to the ecosystem, as they serve as the clean-up crew for the area. If left uneaten, the dead animals can rot, spreading disease and parasites to healthy members of the population. Luckily, Turkey Vultures aren’t picky about what they eat and take care of anything that they find very quickly. In addition to the tukrey vultures, we also saw some Pinnipeds spending their time on the rocks here. Both the smaller, quieter Harbour Seals and the larger, more majestic Steller Sea Lions were enjoying the sunshine here, taking a break from swimming.

After Stinky, we had one more stop in store for us, at the Gabriola Bluffs. Here we also enjoyed seeing a bunch of birds spending their time in the area. An Osprey was circling overhead, keeping its keen eyes out for fish as it went. The cormorants use this area as both a nesting site and a perch, often spotted on the cliffside where the sandstone has worn away enough for them to gain purchase. Finally, we were treated to some fishing from a gull that swooped down, grabbing a fish out of the clear waters surrounding the cliffs, which are usually teeming with life! It was a thrilling conclusion to our day.

Please enjoy all of the photos taken throughout this trip by the onboard Marine Naturalists Vanessa Vereschahen, Aly Kohlman, and Jordan Robinson.