June 12, 2026, 3:30PM - From Otter to Orca: Wildlife Around Every Corner

The adventure began before we had even cast off from the dock today. Before guests had even begun to board our vessel for the day Kula, a mischievous river otter appeared beside us, taking a moment to groom and dry itself on the dock. River otters are common throughout the Salish Sea and can often be seen exploring shorelines and marinas in search of fish, crabs, and other small prey. Watching this charismatic marine mammal go about its morning routine was the perfect start to our day on the water.

With excitement building, we departed Nanaimo and headed south through the Northumberland Channel toward Dodd Narrows. This fascinating passage between Vancouver Island and Mudge Island is famous for its powerful tidal currents, which can exceed 7 knots during peak exchanges. These fast-moving waters help mix nutrients throughout the region, supporting the rich marine ecosystem that makes the Salish Sea such a productive environment for wildlife.

Continuing through the beautiful Gulf Islands, we enjoyed stunning views of forested shorelines, sandstone cliffs, and secluded coves while keeping a watchful eye on the water ahead. Before long, our patience was rewarded when we spotted a group of Bigg's Killer Whales travelling just outside of Crofton in Stuart Channel. Our marine naturalist Hayleigh the swiftly identified that it wasn’t just one pod, but actually three travelling together!

T068C Bazan ♀ (1992)
T068C4 Rich ♀ (2014)
T068C6 (2023)

T065A5 Indy ♂ (2014)

T073C Vicky ♀ (1992)
T068C4 Guba (2012)
T068C6 (2021)

These whales appeared to be in a particularly playful mood as they travelled together today. T065A4 Indy quickly became the star of the show, repeatedly breaching clear of the water and delivering powerful tail slaps that echoed across the channel. While breaches can serve a variety of purposes, scientists believe they may help whales communicate over long distances, remove parasites, or simply provide an opportunity for play and social interaction. Whatever the reason, the display left everyone on board amazed.

As if the breaches weren't enough, the whales soon turned their attention to a nearby prawn buoy. The group repeatedly pushed, investigated, and tail slapped the floating marker, demonstrating the remarkable curiosity that Bigg's Killer Whales are known for. These highly intelligent predators frequently interact with objects in their environment, providing researchers with valuable insights into their complex behaviour.

After spending quality time with the orcas, we began working our way out to the Georgia Strait, where we stopped at an outcropping we like to call Stinky Rock to visit some of the Salish Sea's loudest residents: Steller Sea Lions. The largest species of sea lion in the world, adult males can weigh over a tonne and are impossible to miss when hauled out together. During the summer months, many of the sea lions we see in our area are feeding extensively before returning to breeding rookeries in northern British Columbia and Alaska.

From there, we ventured into the open waters of the Strait of Georgia, where another exciting chapter of the day awaited us. It didn't take long before blows appeared on the horizon, signalling the presence of humpback whales.

Our first encounter was with BCX2053 Incognito and BCX2486 Callisto. The pair appeared relaxed and focused on travelling, surfacing rhythmically and treating us to several beautiful fluke displays. Every time a humpback lifts its tail before a deep dive, the unique pigmentation and scarring on the underside can be photographed and used to identify the individual. Much like a human fingerprint, no two humpback flukes are exactly alike.

Nearby, we encountered an even larger gathering consisting of BCY0994 Dalmatian, BCY1225 Scuba, BCY0458's 2024 calf, and two additional humpbacks. The whales appeared to be loosely associating with one another as they moved through the area. Humpbacks are generally more solitary than many whale species, but rich feeding grounds often bring multiple individuals together, creating temporary social groups as they take advantage of abundant prey.

As the afternoon drew on, we pointed Kula back toward Nanaimo Harbour. Surrounded by smiling faces and memories of breaches, tail slaps, and towering whale blows, we reflected on another unforgettable day exploring the wild coast of Vancouver Island.

Enjoy the photos below taken by marine naturalist Hayleigh Hilbert.

One of our resident River Otters lounging on the dock.

The River Otter still looking a little wet after coming out of the water.

T065A5 Indy just after slapping his tail on the waters surface.

T065A5 Indy giving a wave as he swims on his side.

A good look the distictive dorsal fin notch on T065A5 Indy.

T065A5 Indy beginning to breach the surface.

T065A5 Indy continuing to breach exposing his dorsal fin and saddle patch.

T065A5 Indy turning to his side a he comes down.

T065A5 Indy crashing on to the waters surface.

I look at the other side of T065A5 Indys dorsal fin.

T065A5 Indy slapping his tail exposing his white coloured underside.

T065A5 Indy continuing to thrash the waters surface.

Another look at T065A5 Indy swimming along on his side.

A Greater Moon Jelly floating along just under the waters surface.

A great top view of T065A5 Indy’s flukes as he continues to thrash at the waters surface.

T065A5 Indy going for another breach.

T065A5 Indy giving a big headstand as he slaps away at the water.

T065A5 Indy doing another small breach.

T065A5 Indy breaching away.

T073C Vicky breaching as she follows behind T065A5 Indy and T073C1 Guba.

T068C Bazan tailing slapping while T073C and T073C1 mess around with a prawn float.

T068C Bazan continuing to tail slap around the prawn float.

A Pacific Lion’s Mane Jelly floating along.

A young Steller Sea lion taking a look around from the top of Stinky Rock.

A large male Steller Sea lion roaring amongst the other much smaller Steller Sea Lions.

Two Steller Sea Lions have a small dispute.

A great view of BCX2486 Callisto’s dosal fin.

BCX2486 Callisto raising their fluke out of the water surface.

BCX2486 Callisto fluking before a dive.

BCX2053 Incognito giving a good look at their dorsal fin.

A side angle look at BCX2053 Incognito going for a dive.

Another dorsal fin for an unknown Humpback Whale.

BCY1225 Scuba showing off thier dorsal fin.

BCY1225 Scuba going for a dive next to the unknown Humpback Whale

Another unknown Humpback Whale off in the distance.

BCY0994 Dalmation lifting their tail high in the air as they dive.

BCY0458calf2024 a younger humpback associating with the rest.

The underside of BCY0458calf2024’s flukes as they go for a dive.