Moody dark skies greeted us as we departed for our afternoon adventure aboard Cascadia. Bundled up nice and cozy, we set off, eager to begin our exploration. Every trip is a new adventure, and we watched with bated breath as we zoomed away, beginning our search.

None of the whales in our area are tagged with trackers, so every trip is a new adventure. We always begin by chatting with everyone on board, discussing what species we could potentially find, plus any sort of distinguishing features each species may exhibit.

Setting off and beginning to peek around, excitement buzzed all around. After a bit of searching, we began to approach Thetis Island, and soon we saw what we had been looking for – a pair of dorsal fins surfacing quickly before vanishing into the depths again. Onboard Naturalist Aly pulled out her camera and, after capturing a few photos, confirmed that this was a sibling pair travelling together:

T077C Neftali ♂ (2006)
T077E Misneach (2016)

The T077s are a very interesting matriline, as it has fragmented dramatically over the last few years. Back in 2022, the matriline still travelled almost entirely together, with only the eldest son, T077A Saulitis, dispersing. However, in 2021, two of the calves, T077C Alcyon and T077D Neftali, dispersed and were seen intermingling with other lone orcas in our area, including T049A2 Jude. Two years later, in 2023, T077B The Church disappeared and is now believed to be deceased. The Church’s death appears to have been a significant moment in the matriline’s history, as T077D Alcyon soon returned to her mother’s side. Then, earlier this year, the matriline fragmented again – T077 Asja and T077D Alcyon stuck together, and T077C Neftali dispersed, bringing their youngest sibling, T077E Misneach, with them. While we will never know for certain why this pod separated in a way so different from most other Transient pods, we are always happy to see the members healthy and accounted for.

These two mischief makers were up to some wild shenanigans as we observed them. The duo kept circling, with a strange object bobbing along with them. It turns out they were playing with a float attached to a crab trap. This behaviour can seem concerning, as there have been reports over the years of orca being ‘entangled’ in said traps when they decided to do this. While entanglement is always a possibility, that did not appear to be happening here - the two youngsters seemingly were simply having a fun time.

After spending some quality time with the siblings, it was time for us to make our way away and continue our adventures. Captain Rodrigo expertly turned us away, and once we were a safe distance away, we began zooming along. Heading out into the Strait of Georgia, we turned our attention to a small rocky islet just barely poking above the water's surface. This area, known as Stinky Rocks, is a haulout frequented by several pinnipeds.

Loud, thunderous grumbles could be heard from the Steller Sea Lions stretching out and covering the larger rocky shores. With so little rock along the tideline, these massive animals were piled atop one another, making full use of their limited space. Nearby, the significantly quieter Harbour Seals could also be seen draped along the coast, napping away, while remaining a bit more conscious of their personal space than their sea lion cousins.

After a quick pit stop with the pinnipeds, we soon began making our way once more. Turning northbound, we travelled along, eyes scanning the waters as we pointed towards Halibut Bank. We were eagerly searching for the other species of whale typically found in our area - humpback whales. After a short search, we found what we were looking for in the best way possible - cartwheeling and breaching!

This pair was bursting with energy as we approached, flinging themselves clear of the water before returning once more with a massive splash. After comparing a couple of dorsal fin and fluke photos, we confirmed this pair as Coyote (BCX2484) and BCX2492, affectionately nicknamed “Double Double” for the two holes visible in their fluke. After a couple of dives, the duo turned and soon made their way towards Cascadia.

Humpback whales are naturally curious animals, so it is always important to be extra vigilant about what they are doing when you observe them. In this case, Cascadia shut down, waiting for the whales to surface a safe distance away once more. Boat-directed behaviour, or the act of whales approaching vessels, is never encouraged. Whales that get comfortable approaching boats can lead to accidents, putting themselves or humans at risk. After a couple of peeks at us, Coyote and “Double Double” turned and continued on their way, raising their flukes into the air as they dove once more. Once they had moved away, we started up and slowly departed.

Turning back around one final time, we zoomed back across the Strait of Georgia. Soon after, we were re-entering Nanaimo Harbour. As we pulled back up to dock, we chatted about the beautiful encounters from the day, from the orca siblings playing with the crab trap to the rambunctious humpback duo breaching and peeking at us. It had been an eventful day that would live on in our memories for many years to come!

Please enjoy these photos taken by Marine Naturalist Aly Kohlman.

July 10, 2026, 3:30 PM - A Double Double kind of day