This afternoon, both of our open boats left the dock with calm seas and clear skies, setting out to explore north along the shores of Nanaimo. It’s always a thrill to head into these waters, not just for the possibility of finding whales, but for the remarkable geography and history of the Salish Sea itself.

The Salish Sea is a vast inland sea stretching from southern British Columbia into Washington State. It is dotted with over 400 islands, ranging from large, forested landscapes like Gabriola and Galiano to smaller rocky islets that barely break the surface at high tide. These islands are the product of powerful geological forces.

During the last Ice Age, massive glaciers scoured the land, carving deep fjords and channels. As the ice retreated around 12,000 years ago, seawater flooded in, leaving behind the intricate network of waterways we see today. The result is a mosaic of straits, passes, and sheltered bays that provide habitat for an astonishing variety of marine life and serve as a natural hunting ground for orca.

Transient orca are apex predators perfectly adapted to this environment. Unlike their fish-eating cousins, these orca hunt marine mammals, and they use the geography of the Salish Sea to their advantage. Steep underwater walls, narrow channels, and kelp-lined shorelines allow them to ambush unsuspecting prey.

On average, transient orca travel between 50 and 150 kilometres (30 and 90 miles) in a single day, constantly moving in search of food. An adult can eat up to 100-300 pounds of meat in a day, depending on prey availability. Their movement patterns may seem unpredictable to us, but they are intimately tied to the rhythms of their prey: seals, sea lions, and porpoises, which also use the islands as shelter and hunting grounds.

Today, our travels brought us alongside the T019s, a well-known matriarchal family that has been observed in the Salish Sea for decades.

T019 Nootka ♀ (~1965)
T019B Galiano ♂ (1995)
T019C Spouter ♂ (2001)

We watched as they travelled methodically along the shoreline, scanning and listening for signs of prey. Their surfacing rhythm was steady, a reminder of just how far these animals can travel as they patrol their range.

As we branched off from the whales later in the afternoon, we shifted our focus to some of the other residents of these waters: harbour seals. These small, round-eyed pinnipeds are a vital part of the ecosystem and one of the favourite meals of Bigg’s orca.

Harbour seals are excellent hunters in their own right. They use the structure of the Salish Sea to ambush schools of fish, tucking themselves among rocky outcroppings or diving into kelp forests where prey is abundant. Their cryptic, mottled coats provide camouflage both above and below the surface, making it easier to surprise fish. And when they aren’t feeding, they haul out on the same rocky islets that the glaciers left behind, resting and warming themselves before slipping back into the sea.

What struck us today was just how interconnected everything is here. The glaciers shaped the islands. The islands shape how the seals hunt and rest. The seals, in turn, shape how the orca travel, forage, and survive. Every ridge and channel in this inland sea tells a story of adaptation, survival, and balance.

After leaving the T019s to continue on their way and watching the seals tucked safely on the rocks, we turned back toward home. The Salish Sea reminded us today not just of its beauty, but of its complexity. Each trip reveals another layer of how this ecosystem functions, showing how predators and prey utilize the same islands and currents in different ways, and how the geography holds the entire system together, having been carved thousands of years ago.

Please enjoy all the photos captured by the Marine Naturalists onboard our vessels, Desarae Poier and Jordan Robinson, below!

September 13, 2025, 3:30 PM - Up north with the T019s