It was another beautiful day on the Salish Sea, the sun was shining overhead, there was a breeze on the air, and we were ready to head out on our adventure. It’s not often that we can spot the whales before we even leave the harbour, but it was the case today as we rounded the corner of Protection Island and spotted blows in the distance, highlighted by the morning sun.

We had two boats out today, and both marine naturalists raced to ready their cameras and snap some photos that we can use for identification. Today, it was quite easy, as there were two males in the group, each with a unique shape to their dorsal fin. One was curved over to the left side, while the other had a wavy trailing edge to the fin, a sure sign that these whales were the T019s! Sure enough, their mom, T019 Nooka, surfaced.

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

For more details about these individuals, check out this page:

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T019s - An intrepid family

3 living individuals: T019 Nootka/Mooyah, T019B Galiano, T019C Spouter.
1 deceased individual: T018 Esperanza

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Today, this family was travelling very quickly up Northumberland Channel until they suddenly stopped and began moving back and forth in the same area. We suspect that they had come across a snack here, stopping to share amongst the pod (and the birds that moved in) before continuing on their fast travels.

After a bit more of moving quickly through the water, they stopped once again, this time with a slightly more explosive hunt, initiated by a big splash from Nootka as she moved to the surface in chase of prey, and then they once again gathered close together, moving back and forth until the gulls moved in once more to signal that these whales had successfully hunted. This time, one of the large males also did something indicative of a celebration after the kill, a big spy hop! Although neither camera was up fast enough to capture the moment, it will live on in our minds as we witnessed it.

Finally, it was time to leave these whales to their travels, as they quickly continued north after their meals. We turned and headed south, searching along the Strait of Georgia, following the Gabriola Island shoreline at varying distances with our vessels to cover more ground. Alas, no more whales were in the area, but we did find ourselves close to a local pinniped haul-out site, so we headed over and took a look.

This rocky outcrop off the east side of Valdes Island is a popular spot to see both Steller Sea Lions and Harbour Seals, and lucky for us, both of these pinnipeds were present today. The larger, more boisterous Stellers were up first, drawing us in with their loud arguments and entertaining scuffles on the rocks. These Sea Lions are the largest in the world, with the largest male we saw potentially weighing 2,500 pounds! They are quite agile both on land and in the water, which we got to see as the waves broke over the rocks, forcing some higher up the slope, while others decided it was easier to go with the flow and swim off instead. Getting to see their movements through both was a special treat.

From here, we floated farther down the rocks, watching the shore change from the steeper slopes that the sea lions prefer to a shallow slope preferred by the Harbour Seals. This difference comes from the seals having fused hip bones, which prevent them from walking on their flippers like we saw the sea lions do. This makes their movement on land more awkward, restricting them to rocks that are easier to climb over. Since the tide was high today, these seals were barely still on land, the rising tide lapping at their flippers as they got the last bit of their relaxing in before being forced into the water.

From here, the paths of the boats changed from each other, with the open boat searching the inside passages on the way home, while the semi-covered boat stayed in the Strait of Georgia. Taking the tighter passageways allowed the open boat to spot an eagle's nest amongst the trees, and to see an adult inside tearing something up, likely to feed a chick hidden in the large nest.

Both boats converged once again for the final stop of the day at the Gabriola Bluffs! The towering sandstone cliffs are impressive on their own, but there was also a ton of wildlife there today. The semi-covered boat was there first and had an eagle encounter of its own as it watched an adult bird raiding the cormorants' nests. It’s an easy meal for them, as there would be nutrient-rich eggs or hatchlings there for a snack. We saw it fly from nest to nest before eventually getting full and continuing elsewhere.

The cormorants themselves were also entertaining to watch as they flew in and out of their nests, bringing materials to make repairs and improvements as nesting season progresses. From here, it was a quick ride back to the Nanaimo Harbour to end the tour. Throughout the tour, the Marine Naturalists on board, Val Watson and Vanessa Vereschahen, captured some amazing photos, which are available for you to enjoy below!

May 11, 2026 - A quick meal with the T019s