The full fleet was off the dock again this afternoon, and we couldn’t have asked for better conditions. The winds from the morning had eased, leaving the Strait of Georgia almost glassy. With the water calm and the horizon wide open, it felt like the perfect day to go searching for wildlife.

We cruised out into the Strait, scanning every ripple, splash, and bird that might give away something below. After just over an hour of travel, we saw them, dark dorsal fins cutting effortlessly through the mirrored surface. It was a familiar trio: the T019s.

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

At the heart of this group is Nootka, the matriarch. Like all orca societies, transient orcas are matrilineal, meaning family lines are organized and led by the females. The males, no matter how big or old they grow, never leave their mother’s side, with a few exceptions to the rules. In the T019s, Nootka’s adult sons swim faithfully with her, benefiting from her experience and leadership.

For male orca, this bond with their mother is essential. Studies have shown that males who lose their mothers have significantly lower survival rates, a reminder of just how important the wisdom and guidance of these older females truly is. Mothers help their sons find food, provide protection, and ensure they remain connected to the broader social network of transient orca. It’s a lifelong bond, one of the strongest in the animal kingdom.

Transient orca pods are generally small, often just a mother and her offspring, but they can be flexible. Groups will sometimes split or join with others temporarily, depending on hunting opportunities or social interactions. This adaptability is one of the reasons they are such successful predators.

We spent time alongside the T019s, watching their glossy black fins rise and fall in perfect rhythm with the calm sea, before heading back into search mode.

Not long after, more fins appeared on the horizon. This time, it was the T100s, another trio of fins. Like the T019s, this family is led by a female: Hutchins, the matriarch. Each new generation of transients begins with mothers like Hutchins. When a female has daughters, those daughters may one day become matriarchs themselves, forming new pods that branch off but still carry the family’s legacy.

T100 Hutchins ♀ (~1979)
T100C Laurel ♂ (2002)
T100F Estrella (2004)

Interestingly, one member of the T100s wasn’t with the group today. Tharaya (T100E), a 15-year-old female, has been known to wander, sometimes linking up with other pods for a while. This behaviour is typical of orca “teenagers.” Much like human adolescents, they test their independence, explore other social groups, and experiment with life beyond their immediate family. Yet, in almost every case, these adventurous young whales eventually return to their mothers’ side. The stability and support of their natal pod remain central to their survival and identity.

These families, though separate, follow the same patterns of matriarchal leadership, lifelong bonds, and branching legacies that define transient orca society. Their lives are woven with tradition, yet also marked by individuality, from the steadfast loyalty of males to their mothers, to the wanderlust of young females like Tharaya. After spending time with the T100s we had another whale make an appearance in the Strait.

As we continued our search across the Strait, we were delighted to spot a familiar fluke rising high above the water; it was Windy (BCY0893), one of our returning humpback whales. Today, Windy was travelling alone, surfacing steadily against the calm afternoon sea. Encounters like this remind us just how much individuality there is among these giants; each whale carries a story in the unique markings of their flukes, scars, and behaviours.

For a long time, scientists believed that humpback whales were largely solitary creatures, spending the majority of their time travelling, feeding, and even migrating alone. And indeed, it is not uncommon to find a single humpback like Windy cruising the Strait without any companions nearby. But in recent years, our understanding of their social world has started to evolve.

Unlike the tightly knit family structures of orca, where matriarchs lead and offspring remain together for life, humpbacks appear to have a more fluid approach to companionship. They form what researchers call “temporary associations”, partnerships between individuals that can last anywhere from a few hours to several months.

Sometimes these associations are purely practical: humpbacks will team up when feeding, coordinating strategies or circling schools of fish to improve their chances of a good meal. Other times, we see them travel together across stretches of the ocean, resting, surfacing, and diving in synchrony. These partnerships often dissolve as quickly as they form, yet some whales are known to reunite season after season, suggesting bonds may linger beyond a single encounter.

What drives these associations is still a mystery. Are they formed around feeding opportunities, kinship, companionship, or even play? The answer is likely a mix of all of these. What we do know is that humpback social lives are more complex than once thought, and every year brings us closer to understanding their hidden networks.

Seeing Windy alone today was a perfect example of the flexible nature of humpback society. While orca pods are structured and predictable, humpback interactions are fluid and ever-changing. Each sighting adds a small piece to the puzzle, helping us unravel the subtleties of their behaviour. As researchers continue to study these giants through photo-identification, acoustics, and even drone technology, we look forward to learning more about how whales like Windy navigate not only the vast distances of the Pacific but also the intricate social world beneath its waves.

For now, Windy’s solitary journey through the Strait serves as both a reminder of what we know and an invitation to keep asking questions. The Salish Sea is a classroom, and these whales are the teachers, if only we keep watching and listening!

We departed Windy and set our eyes on other goals - this time, in the form of pinnipeds. We headed over to the UM buoy, where we had several Steller Sea Lions draped dramatically over it. Nearby, our Harbour Seals scooted along the rocky coastline, watching as we peeked at them. After our pinniped encounter, we headed back to Nanaimo, wrapping up an amazing double species day in the Strait of Georgia!

Photos by Marine Naturalists Aly Kohlman, Desarae Poier, and Jordan Robinson.

August 26, 2025, 3:30 PM - A couple of orca pods in the Strait and Windy the humpback off Valdez Island.