Kula and Cascadia headed south through the Southern Gulf Islands, making their way through Dodd Narrows and into the maze of channels beyond. While every day is a new adventure, and sometimes we have to travel a decent distance before we locate a whale, today was not one of those days, as a solo blow was spotted only minutes past Dodd Narrows.

Just outside Ruxton Pass, a young humpback was travelling steadily through the water. Every so often, the whale would raise its flukes before disappearing below the surface for a deeper dive. After getting a good look at the markings on the underside of the fluke, we identified the whale as BCY1552.

BCY1552 has now spent several days travelling through the Southern Gulf Islands, gradually making their way northward. For now, they seem to be enjoying the area, and we are curious to see where this young whale turns up next.

After some time with BCY1552, we continued on. We eventually made our way out into the Strait of Georgia, travelling alongside Valdes Island. Before long, a familiar rocky outcrop came into view. Stinky Rocks was covered with pinnipeds, as it often is this time of year.

The Harbour Seals were scattered across the rocks and in the surrounding water. A few yawned and galumphed their way down into the sea, occasionally popping their heads back up to investigate the boats passing by.

The Steller Sea Lions, on the other hand, were remarkably quiet. Usually, the haul-out comes with plenty of grumbles, barks and complaints as individuals shuffle around one another, but today they seemed much more interested in sleeping. Most were piled together on the rocks, conserving their energy and enjoying a particularly relaxed day.

After enjoying a few minutes with the pinnipeds, we continued on through the Strait, once more southbound as we went back into search mode.

It did not take long before several enormous plumes appeared before us - several humpback whales were spread throughout the area ahead!

As we slowly made our way toward them, it became clear several pairs were travelling through the same stretch of water. Off to one side, Split Fluke (BCX1068) and Slice (BCX2487) were moving together. Like BCY1552 earlier in the day, both whales travelled steadily, occasionally raising their flukes before disappearing for another dive. Off in the distance, another pair foraged, though we didn't get photos to confirm their identities.

But that calm scene suddenly changed when the water ahead erupted with activity as a large pectoral fin appeared above the surface and crashed back down. This slap was then accompanied by a huge splash as a large object burst from the surface - a different pair of humpbacks were pectoral slapping and tail slapping away!

The active pair turned out to be Bump (BCY0771) and Neowise (BCY1228) -two relatively well-known individuals.

Bump seemed particularly interested in waving his enormous pectoral fin around as we got into position. He repeatedly lifted it high into the air, waved it to the side, then brought it down against the surface with an impressive splash and loud THUMP. Neowise had a different approach, preferring to use his tail. Slapping and swishing away at the surface, he would occasionally get extra energetic and would launch the rear half of his body out of the water in a wide arch, in a behaviour known as cartwheeling.

We do not always know what causes these sudden bursts of activity in humpbacks. It could be communication, social interaction, play, irritation, excitement or something else entirely. Without being able to see what is happening beneath the surface, there is often no way to know exactly what prompted the behaviour. However, whatever the reason, it was certainly awe-inspiring to witness!

After enjoying our time with the bouncy duo, we said our goodbyes and headed home. The whales continued their journey as we turned north, leaving the busy group behind.

On the way back toward Nanaimo, we made a brief stop at the Gabriola Bluffs. The rocky shoreline was dotted with Double-crested Cormorants, a large, shiny black bird, giving us one final wildlife encounter before we continued toward home.

It was another day filled with the variety that makes exploring the Salish Sea so rewarding. Wild animals in their natural habitat are truly unpredictable, and every day is a new experience, whether it is seeing them simply travelling and foraging or more dramatic activity such as pectoral slapping and cartwheeling!

Photos by Marine Naturalists Des Poier and Hayleigh Hilbert - please enjoy!

September 21, 2026 - Humpbacks galore (including some bouncy ones)!