Our day began with Cascadia and Kula heading off the dock and southbound, with both vessels setting off to explore different areas of our range. We planned to head into the Southern Gulf Islands; however, plans changed when a humpback whale appeared travelling through Northumberland Channel.

As the whale surfaced and lifted its flukes, we were able to confirm its identity as Kata (BCY1218). Kata has been spending nearly a week in the area, continuing to zig-zag back and forth across the channel. After a few surfaces, Kata continued along their route, and we decided to head out and continue our search.

With only a few sightings occurring earlier in the day, the two vessels split up to cover more ground and extend our range. Cascadia headed into the Strait of Georgia, while Kula continued exploring through the Southern Gulf Islands. The decision quickly paid off, with both vessels finding interesting wildlife in very different areas.

Out in the Strait of Georgia, Cascadia located two separate pairs of humpback whales travelling near Galiano Island. The first pair was identified as Zephyr (BCZ0414) and Prowler (BCX1660), while the second consisted of Octo (BCX1920) and Bump (BCY0771). Both pairs were moving slowly through the waters, surfacing side by side before disappearing beneath the surface for another dive.

We are quickly approaching the end of the warmer season, meaning our humpback whales are getting their last meals in before they head on out for their migration. Travelling all the way to Hawaii and/or Mexico, they have a long way to go, and they need plenty of calories to do it. They will often not have another large meal until they return to our area the following spring/summer, so diving for those last few bites of krill right now are critical!

After spending a few surfaces with each pair, Cascadia continued onward, leaving the humpbacks to carry on with their travels.

Meanwhile, Kula had found something quite different on the inside. A pair of Transient orca had been located. One tall dorsal fin with two notches could be seen, with one smaller, slightly flopped-over fin beside him. They were identified as T049A2 Jude and T049C Nielson:

This was an especially interesting pairing because Jude and Nielson are directly related. Nielson is Jude's uncle, making this a small family reunion as they travelled together through the Southern Gulf Islands.

After hearing about their success, Cascadia made their way over to join in on the fun.

When Kula and Cascadia arrived on scene, the two whales were already busy with lunch. They were observed prey sharing, a behaviour that gives us a glimpse into the social side of feeding among Transient orca. These whales are highly social predators, and food often becomes a shared resource within their family groups.

It also appeared to have been a particularly satisfying lunch. Once the feeding activity settled down, Jude and Nielson began tail slapping and cartwheeling, creating a much more energetic end to their meal. Tail slaps and cartwheels can occur for a variety of reasons, and while we cannot always know exactly what motivates a particular display, these energetic behaviours can be an exciting part of seeing orca after a successful hunt.

Eventually, the excitement subsided, and they returned to travelling. Rather than continuing with them, Kula and Cascadia left Jude and Nielson behind and continued back northward.

On the way back up, Kula had one more quick surprise whale encounter when a solo humpback was spotted travelling close to Reid Island. This familiar fin turned out to be BCY1552, a smaller humpback that has been travelling through the inner waters of the Southern Gulf Islands for the last few days. It was getting later in the day, so Kula did not stay with them for long, but it was great to see them around still!

The trip was rounded out with a couple of stops to enjoy some of the other smaller wildlife that calls these waters home. At Norway Island, Harbour Seals were hauled out and resting along the shoreline. Further north, near the Harmac pulp mill, we encountered both California Sea Lions and Steller Sea Lions resting on the log booms.

By the time Cascadia and Kula returned to harbour, we had travelled through several different habitats and encountered a remarkable variety of marine wildlife. Each encounter was brief in the context of the animals' much larger lives, but together they showcased a busy day exploring across the Southern Gulf Islands and Strait of Georgia.

Photos by Marine Naturalists Hayleigh Hilbert and Evan Hessels - please enjoy!