While planning our route for the afternoon, we got a report of a pod of orca heading north. We suited up and zipped off the dock quickly, full of anticipation! With two boats on the water, our team split up, zig-zagging back and forth across the Strait to maximize our chances of finding this elusive pod. The search kept us scanning the horizon, eyes peeled for that tell-tale black fin breaking the surface. After a little patience, success! The tall, striking dorsals of a family of Bigg’s (Transient) orca cut cleanly through the waves. Today’s pod included:

T069 Komox ♀ (1974)
T069C Kye ♂ (1995)
T069E Kodiak ♂ (2004)
T069F Kin ♂ (2010)

Bigg’s orca are marine mammal hunters, specializing in seals, sea lions, and Harbour porpoises. They live in tight family groups, usually led by a matriarch like Komox, who guides her family with a lifetime of knowledge about hunting grounds and safe travel routes. Seeing this powerful foursome moving in perfect sync was a reminder of just how close-knit these families really are. Bigg’s orca differ from the other ecotype of orca we see here, the fish-eating Southern Resident orca. Resident orca feed almost exclusively on salmon, especially Chinook, and can often be seen socializing in much larger groups. Bigg’s orca, on the other hand, hunt quietly in smaller pods, relying on stealth so as not to alert their prey. Even though they’re both orca, their diets, vocalizations, and social structures are remarkably different!

After spending quality time with the orca, we carried on and started heading south toward Nanaimo. Earlier in the trip, our team had noticed some large blows not far off our route, and now we had the perfect chance to investigate. Sure enough, it was a humpback whale, and a familiar one at that. Our friend Velvet (BCY1186)! Velvet is a regular in the Salish Sea and is easily recognized by the unique markings on the underside of their fluke. Each humpback whale has a tail, or fluke, with unique black-and-white markings and trailing edge shapes. These markings are unique to each animal, just like a fingerprint! These markings allow researchers and industry professionals to identify individuals year after year. By sharing photo-ID catalogues across regions, scientists can even track whales across their entire migration, from summer feeding grounds here in BC to their winter breeding grounds in Hawaii and Mexico. Velvet is one of the humpbacks that come to us from the Hawaiian breeding grounds. Watching Velvet’s enormous 10–12 foot blows rise into the golden evening light was nothing short of breathtaking.

Both of our zodiacs then carried on in different directions, and each found more humpback activity. One group encountered a gathering of four individuals: Hitchhiker (BCX2020), Pawn (BCX1515), Lucky (BCZ0419) , and Dolphin (KEY0054). It’s always exciting to see multiple humpbacks travelling together; these bonds may be temporary, but they give us a glimpse into the social side of humpback life.

Meanwhile, the other zodiac came across more humpbacks near Neck Point Park in North Nanaimo. This group included another familiar fin, Nike (BCX1377)! Nike was travelling and feeding alongside a very tiny little humpback, likely a juvenile from last year. Interestingly, we don’t recognize this youngster, even with some pretty distinct markings. As the catalogue data expands season after season, so does our knowledge of who is spending time here in the Salish Sea. Hopefully, we’ll figure out who our little friend is soon! Even more blows could be seen in the distance, suggesting that the Strait was full of humpbacks this evening. Encounters like these show how the Salish Sea has become a crucial feeding ground for humpbacks, with more returning each summer to feast on the nutrient-rich waters before their long migration south in the winter.

It was a magical evening on the water, one that highlighted both the raw power of orca and the graceful presence of humpbacks. From the matriarchal leadership of Komox and her family to the booming population of humpbacks filling the Strait, every trip reminds us of just how lucky we are to share these waters with such extraordinary marine wildlife.

Check out photos from Marine Naturalists Val Watson and Desarae Poier below!

August 25, 2025, 3:30 PM - A serene evening off Parksville