As we prepared for our morning departure, we were greeted by a classic moody West Coast morning, with low clouds overhead setting the perfect atmosphere for the day's adventure. The Pacific Northwest is famous for its ever-changing weather, but here at Vancouver Island Whale Watch, overcast days are some of our favourites. The soft light creates beautiful viewing conditions and gives photographs that unmistakable Pacific Northwest feel.

The wildlife sightings began before we had even stepped aboard. A Great Blue Heron stood patiently on the docks, taking a break from fishing long enough to pose for a few photos before we set off in search of more wildlife.

Our journey led us south through Northumberland Channel, Dodd Narrows, and into Stuart Channel. From there, we explored the Southern Gulf Islands before passing through Porlier Pass and emerging into the open waters of the Strait of Georgia.

It was here that one of our vessels spotted the first humpback whale of the day. Unfortunately, the whale surfaced only once before diving and disappearing from view. While searching the surrounding area, the crew noticed another pair of blows in the distance. Further investigation revealed a mother humpback whale and her calf resting peacefully together at the surface. We were only able to photograph their dorsal fins, which makes identification much more challenging than using the unique patterns on the underside of their tail flukes. So far, we haven't been able to match them to our catalogue, but if we eventually determine their identities, we'll be sure to update this blog!

While one vessel enjoyed time with these elusive humpbacks, the other two boats headed toward a pinniped haul-out on the eastern side of Valdes Island. There, guests were treated to views of both Steller Sea Lions and Harbour Seals hauled out along the rocky shoreline.

Although both species belong to the pinniped family, they have very different personalities. Steller Sea Lions are loud, boisterous, and often spend their time bickering with one another as they compete for space on the rocks. Harbour Seals, by comparison, are much quieter and seem far more tolerant of their neighbours. One reason for this may be the abundance of suitable haul-out habitat. Across the Salish Sea, Harbour Seals have access to more than 2,000 haul-out sites, while Steller Sea Lions are thought to use only around 30. Despite Harbour Seals being more numerous overall, the limited number of sea lion haul-outs means their favourite resting spots can become quite crowded, leading to frequent squabbles. Even so, they continue returning to the same locations year after year, so the occasional disagreement must be worth it! We spent some time watching these lively interactions unfold at our affectionately named "Stinky Rock" before continuing our search.

Earlier that morning, another whale watching vessel had reported seeing Bigg's (transient) orcas not far from the haul-out, so we joined the search. After exploring around the Flat Top Islands, an excited shout erupted from one of our open boats: they had found them!

The pair turned out to be T037A Volker and her son, T037A2 Inky.

T037A Volker ♀ (1994)
T037A2 Inky ♂ (2009)

In years past, this family was often seen travelling with several other relatives, but during our recent encounters it has typically been just Volker and Inky together, while some of the younger family members have been spending more time on their own. The mother-and-son duo seem to make an excellent hunting team, though, and they even sport matching notches in their dorsal fins.

Most of the time when we encounter Bigg's orcas, they are travelling with purpose, moving from one area to another in search of unsuspecting prey. Today, however, we were lucky enough to witness the successful end of a hunt. Based on how quickly they captured and consumed their prey, we suspect it was a Harbour Seal. Harbour Seals are the smallest and most common prey for Bigg's orcas, and hunts can sometimes be over in as little as five minutes. Larger prey, such as Steller Sea Lions, can require hours of coordinated effort before the whales are successful.

After finishing their meal, Inky treated us to a beautiful spyhop, lifting his head vertically out of the water to take a look around before continuing north through the waves. With the pair heading off on their journey, we turned our bows back toward Nanaimo.

As we returned to the harbour, one final wildlife sighting capped off an already incredible morning: a River Otter perched on the dock, taking time to groom itself. It was the perfect ending to a tour filled with memorable encounters.

Throughout the tour, onboard Marine Naturalists Aly Kohlman, Hayleigh Hilbert, and Evan Hessels captured some fantastic photographs of the day's wildlife, which you can enjoy below.

July 17, 2026, 10:30 AM - Hunting with the T037As, plus some Mystery Humpback