This afternoon, all three of our boats slipped away from the dock, filled with anticipation for what the Strait might reveal. One of the questions we get asked most often is: “Where do you usually see the whales?” The truth is - everywhere! From tucked-in shorelines to the wide-open Strait of Georgia, whales have a way of popping up when and where you least expect them. Humpbacks are most often found roaming the deeper waters, while Orcas keep us guessing - sometimes patrolling the coastlines for Harbour Seals, other times gliding across the middle of the Strait, and occasionally even surprising us right in the harbour.

Today, we decided to start our search offshore, a place where we could cross paths with either species. And thanks to a little birthday luck from one of our guests, we found both!

First up was a family of Bigg’s (Transient) Killer Whales, identified as the T002C matriline consisting of five family members; mom Tasu, and her four children:

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

Seeing this family while out in the water always feels very special, as they came very close to not existing!

Back on March 1st of 1970, during the height of Orcas being plucked from the waters here within the Pacific North West in order to fuel the captivity industry, five whales were herded into Pedder Bay, near Victoria. These Orcas were trapped in the bay by a net with the intention of being transported to tanks down the line. Unfortunately, two of those whales, Chimo (T004) and Nootka (T005), did indeed get moved to marine parks. After 75 days in Pedder Bay, a third whale, Scarred-Jaw Cow (T003), died of starvation. Her captors had been trying to feed her and the other whales fish, failing to understand that these whales came from the Transient, marine mammal-eating population. Later, someone who remains a mystery to this day, decided to loosen the net keeping the whales trapped, freeing the remaining two whales. One of those whales was Florencia (T002), Tasu’s mom. Without that act of quiet defiance, Tasu and her descendants simply wouldn’t be here today. To see them thriving in their natural waters feels nothing short of miraculous.

Today the family seemed to be in high spirits and we enjoyed our time alongside them as they were tail slapping and breaching during their travels. The star of the show was the brand-new bouncing baby who was porpoising along, giving us a good look at their tiny body as it leapt above the waves. You may notice the typically white patches on this youngster have an orange tinge to them. Newborn calves often have an orangish hue to their white patches as a result of their thin blubber layers allowing their blood vessels to show through. Over time, as they grow and gain weight, those markings will gradually brighten into the familiar crisp white.

Towards the end of our time watching the T002Cs, we spotted something in the distance. It was a Humpback Whale! We headed over and were able to identify this whale as Dolphin (KEY0054). There are a couple of things we can look at in order to identify individual Humpback Whales. One is the shape of their dorsal fin, although the dorsal fins on these big whales are quite small, so that is the more difficult way to do it. The other, is the underside of their tails as they lift them out of the water. Each tail has a unique shape, distinct colouring and occasionally bears scarring that lets us figure out who we’re looking at. Dolphin falls into the latter category. They have very distinct scarring on their tail that we suspect came from being entangled. Unfortunately, around 50% of the humpbacks we see bear scarring from entanglement. Dolphin was born in 2022 and was spotted with these new scars just last year. These incredible animals continue to surprise us with their resilience and thankfully, Dolphin seems to be doing well today. We spent some time appreciating their graceful movement as they surfaced between feeding dives.

Having found both species of whales, we spent the rest of our trip enjoying some of the additional wildlife that calls the Salish Sea home. We made our way towards the Flat Top Islands, where the Harbour Seals were hauled out on the rocks, basking in the late afternoon sun, and Stellar Sea Lions formed one big cuddle puddle on a nearby buoy.

After swinging in to loop through the Southern Gulf Islands, our feathered friends rounded off the trip. We spotted a Belted Kingfisher and Great Blue Heron while passing through Dodd Narrows. The unique conditions of the narrows support an array of marine life; swift currents that pass through the area provide a constant supply of nutrients, attracting an abundance of small fish - tasty snacks for our birds! We then stopped alongside the Gabriola Bluffs, a popular nesting site for Pelagic and Double Crested Cormorants. These aquatic birds can dive over 100 feet below the surface to catch fish! Impressive.

We finally returned to the harbour after a fun-filled day on the water, perfectly encapsulating the spectacular biodiversity our home has to offer to locals and tourists alike. Please enjoy the photos from this trip, taken by Marine Naturalists Val Watson, Jordan Robinson and Hayleigh Hilbert.

August 23, 2025, 3:30 PM - Double species afternoon!