April 24, 2026, 2:30 PM - An action-packed afternoon with the T065Bs, T049A2, and T051!

After an exciting morning, we were eager to get out again for the second trip of the day. With many sightings coming in through the day, and the warm rays of the sun still pouring down on us, we were abuzz with excitement as we boarded Kula, our Semi-covered vessel, and Cascadia, one of our open zodiacs.

To start the day off strong, we travelled over to where several dolphins had been spotted. We scanned the waters ahead of us, until we spotted them. Several small, hooked dorsal fins were slicing through the water, speedily travelling along and playing in a boat’s wake. While our area is a perfect environment for Pacific white-sided dolphins, they are an uncommon species to see here, with most of their sightings occurring closer to Campbell River. Because of this, every encounter with them is extra thrilling to us!

Once we had our time with the dolphins, our captains began to depart. We had caught word of an orca sighting nearby and we were eager to check it out. Eyes scanning the horizon, we caught sight of them north of Vance Island. Three large dorsal fins and a handful of smaller ones were travelling and socializing together. Marine Naturalists Vanessa and Aly quickly began capturing photos of the energetic group, working on identifying who was present. This turned out to be a mix of two lone males and one well-known matriline:

T049A2 Jude ♂ (2007)

T051 Roswell/Loner ♂ (~1981)

T065B Chunk ♀ (1993)
T065B1 Birdsall ♂ (2011)
T065B2 Nettle ♂ (2019)
T065B3 Rook ♂ (2023)

 Jude and Roswell are infamous orca. The daring duo made headlines after getting stuck inside Barnes Lake back in 2023. After several long weeks and a handful of unsuccessful rescue attempts, they finally swam free once more about six weeks after their initial incident. Since then, they have parted ways, with a single sighting of them together in Alaska in 2024 and now twice in our area in 2026.

The T065Bs live a relatively quieter life in comparison. Often seen in our waters, T065B1 Birdsall has begun to sprout and is now towering over his mother and younger siblings. Sporting a nearly perfect triangular dorsal fin, he was easy to pick out amongst the other two males. Jude’s dorsal fin has a distinct curve at the tip, whereas Roswell’s dorsal fin has a notch out of the tip.

These six whales were excitedly socializing as we observed them. Tails slapped against the surface, causing droplets to rain down around him. Occasionally, whales would breach, bursting above the surface and crashing back down. It is possible that this was also a breeding opportunity for the mature males, as T065B Chunk has not had a calf since 2023.

Soon it was time for us to say goodbye to the orca and continue on our way. The day was far from over, though, and we were eager to see what the rest of the trip had in store for us. We raced onwards, cruising through the Strait, until we made our way over to a small rocky group of islands off Valdez Island. Here, Steller Sea Lions wandered the shores, yawning and baring their giant teeth. Some were also swimming along, cautiously eyeing us up as they passed by. On the opposite side of the rocks, Harbour Seals flopped along, trying to find a spot to nap. Juvenile Bald Eagles were also spotted nearby, picking through the shallows, looking for a bite to eat.

We soon left Stinky Rocks behind and began making our way back towards Nanaimo. With a single stop left, our time on the water was soon going to be up, but we remained eager to see a bit more wildlife.

Floating alongside the edge of Gabriola Island, we looked in awe at the towering Gabriola Bluffs. These massive cliffs are home to many birds, providing a safe environment for them to nest and breed. Most of these birds are cormorants, beautiful, sleek black birds that often dive into the depths.

We took one last look at the bluffs before our captains turned us around one final time, back into the Nanaimo harbour. It had been an amazing wildlife-packed day, and there was much excited chatter amongst our crew and guests alike as we began to disembark.

Please enjoy these action-packed photos taken by Marine Naturalists Vanessa Vereschahen and Aly Kohlman!

Pacific white-sided dolphins bow-riding. Photo by Aly Kohlman.

Making waves! Photo by Aly Kohlman.

A trio of dolphins. Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.

A Pacific white-sided dolphin with its beautiful two-toned dorsal fin visible. Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.

A big tail slap! Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.

T065B3 Rook, T065B1 Birdsall, T049A2 Jude, and T065B2 Nettle. Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.

T065B1 Birdsall poking his nose above the water. Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.

T065B3 Rook with his head out of the water. Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.

T065B Chunk’s dorsal fin. Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.

T051 Roswell travelling. Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.

One of the males upside down, tail slapping at the surface. Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.

T051 Roswell, with T065B Chunk beside him, and T065B3 Rook behind him. Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.

Kula enjoying the whales. Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.

T049A2 Jude with his distinctly hooked dorsal fin. Photo by Aly Kohlman.

Upside down, pecs out! Photo by Aly Kohlman.

A fluke waterfall, and a tiny bit of ‘sea snake’ visible as well. Photo by Aly Kohlman.

T065B3 Rook with T049A2 Jude tail slapping behind him. Photo by Aly Kohlman.

T065B1 Birdsall with T049A2 Jude behind him, and another in front of him upside down. Photo by Aly Kohlman.

T065B1 Birdsall with T049A2 Jude tail slapping beside him. Photo by Aly Kohlman.

T049A2 Jude surfacing. Photo by Aly Kohlman.

T065B3 Rook T049A2 Jude and one of the others popping up beside them. Photo by Aly Kohlman.

T065B2 Nettle. Photo by Aly Kohlman.

T065B2 Nettle spyhopping with T049A2 Jude beside him. Photo by Aly Kohlman.

Making way! Photo by Aly Kohlman.

T051 Roswell travelling. Photo by Aly Kohlman.

T051 Roswell tail slapping. Photo by Aly Kohlman.

T065B3 Rook. Photo by Aly Kohlman.

T051 Roswell with his distinct dorsal visible. Photo by Aly Kohlman.

T065B Chunk and T065B3 Rook. Photo by Aly Kohlman.

T065B Chunk breaching. Photo by Aly Kohlman.

Breach for the sky! Photo by Aly Kohlman.

T065B Chunk in front of one of the BC Ferries. Photo by Aly Kohlman.

T065B Chunk travelling with her youngest calf T065B3 Rook. Photo by Aly Kohlman.

Sunning seals on the tip of the rocks. Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.

Going for a dive! Photo by Aly Kohlman.

A sealion scratches on top of the rocks. Photo by Aly Kohlman.

Sharing a sniff. Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.

Little sea lion tongues! Photo by Aly Kohlman.

My, what big teeth you have! Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.

Swimming by. Photo by Aly Kohlman.

Biiiiiiig stretch! Photo by Aly Kohlman.

A large Steller Sea Lion male relaxing in the shallows. Photo by Aly Kohlman.

Black oystercatchers with their brilliant orange beaks. Photo by Aly Kohlman.

A juvenile Bald Eagle perched on the tip of the rocks. Photo by Aly Kohlman.

Take off! Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.

Juvenile Bald Eagle taking flight. Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.

A Turkey Vulture flying by. Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.

Pelagic Cormorants perched on the edge of the cliff. Photo by Vanessa Vereschahen.

Double-crested cormorants with their beautiful plummage. Photo by Aly Kohlman.