When we load our vessels up and prepare for a trip, we usually have a vague plan in mind for where we are going to go and what we are going to do; however, since we are watching wild whales, that plan can dramatically change in the first few minutes as we head out, and today was a perfect example of that!

Our full fleet boarded and then departed Nanaimo for the afternoon trip, with our initial plan being to search to the south, around, and inside the Southern Gulf Islands. Kula was the first vessel off the dock and began the adventure that way, crossing through Dodd Narrows. However, when our open vessel, Cascadia and Keta, pushed off the dock, we caught word of an orca sighting in Departure Bay, a mere 10 minutes from our dock! Cascadia and Keta diverted from the plan and headed north to take a peek around in search of the orca. Departure Bay can be a tricky place to spot orca, as their sleek black bodies blend well with the dark coastlines. We scanned and scanned, and soon we spotted blows, several small dorsal fins, and one tall, towering fin cutting through the currents. This pod was happily tail slapping and meandering back and forth in the waters between Vancouver Island and Jesse Island when we initially found them. Our Naturalists began taking photos of these whales, and quickly discovered we were travelling with the T002Cs:

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

This matriline is famous for a variety of reasons. Most notably, T002C2 Tumbo was part of this pod. Tumbo was a very interesting whale, as he had a severe case of scoliosis, or curvature of the spine. If you looked at his back, it curved in an S shape. As a result, Tumbo was unable to travel at normal orca speeds and was unable to hunt. In most species, something like this would be considered a death sentence. However, orca are extremely family-focused, and they would go and hunt and bring meals back to Tumbo to take part in. Tumbo was last seen in 2020, and he has likely passed away now, but he made it to the incredible age of 15 years old.

It is also believed that the T002Cs had not one, but two different white orca in their lineage back in the day. T004 Chimo and T006 Alice are both believed to be part of the T002C matriline. These two whales likely had Chédiak-Higashi Syndrome. This disorder causes the black parts on an orca to be a light grey colour, with their rostrum remaining relatively darkly pigmented. Chédiak-Higashi Syndrome causes individuals to have a weakened immune system, be sensitive to light, and have a shortened lifespan. Interestingly, we have had another whale appear in the Transient population recently that may have also exhibited the same syndrome - T046B1B T’luk, the young white whale spotted off Nanaimo in May 2019. T’luk was last seen in 2022. It is possible that Rocky bred with T046B Tread, passing on the genetics carrying the Chédiak-Higashi Syndrome.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom! This year, Tasu welcomed in another bouncing baby, and T002C6 is a great reminder that this is a strong matriline with a good future. The little calf was full of energy during our encounter today, regularly bouncing back and forth while travelling beside Tasu and their older brother Rocky. We are excited to watch this little one grow up and be an exciting addition to this interesting matriline.

The matriline left Departure Bay and began meandering slowly north along Nanaimo’s shoreline, occasionally appearing as if they were chasing after something. Their blows were beautifully backlit by the setting sun as we watched them travel along. Soon it was time for us to depart our orca, and we began searching once again, this time poking around in search of our other common whale species: the Humpbacks!

Our adventures took us back towards Gabriola Island, as several humpbacks have been feeding around this area lately. We looked around, and soon we spotted what we were looking for - big bushy blows, paired with giant tails rising high into the air. As we approached, another tail was spotted, then another blow, and we quickly realized we had a small group of humpbacks in the area! The first humpback identified was Moresby (KEY0055), the 2022 calf of the famous humpback Big Momma. Moresby appeared not to be interested in being part of the group today, as they turned south and started making their way away. However, four other humpbacks were seen travelling and associating tightly together, surfacing pec-to-pec before diving in harmony. These four were identified as Fader (BCY0195), Seltzer (BCY1274), Forge (BCZ0410 calf 2022), and BCY1474. This quartet was busy travelling along and diving as we watched them, potentially going into the depths to hunt for their dinner.

While Kula was making their way over to the humpback sighting, they located another pair close to Entrance Island. These two turned out to be none other than Big Momma (BCY0324) and her 2025 calf (BCY0324 calf 2025) - in other words, Moresby’s mother and younger sibling! Moresby being sighted so close to where his mother and youngest sibling were also feeding is a great example of the strong site fidelity humpbacks exhibit in terms of breeding grounds and feeding grounds. In other words, they are very likely to return to the areas their mothers taught them about during their first year of life. While it is still unclear whether humpbacks interact with their mothers after they separate, we are curious to continue monitoring and noting if such interactions occur in future years.

Besides the orca and humpbacks, we also spotted some other wildlife on the trip. Several Harbour Seals were spotted nestled high up on the rocks, snuggling up and preparing for a cozy nap. Steller Sea Lions were also seen, though in a bit of a less comfortable place - they were piled on top of each other on the UM buoy located just outside of Gabriola Pass. While not entirely comfortable, buoys are an excellent spot for pinnipeds to haul out, as they are always bobbing along the surface of the water, no matter the tide height, unlike rocks, which may become covered during high tides.

As the rich oranges of the setting sun began to cascade over the waters, we turned back to Nanaimo, concluding a fantastic time out on the Strait of Georgia, where we explored and learned about the many interesting species that call this area home!

Please enjoy these photos by Marine Naturalists Cheyenne Brewster, Val Watson, and Hayleigh Hilbert.

August 21, 2025, 3:30 PM - Orca close to home, and some humpbacks too!