The whole fleet set off today, and we settled into our seats as the onboard Naturalists began discussing the day's plans. Heading out of the harbour, we turned toward open waters and began crossing the Strait of Georgia. Sightings have been reported all across the Strait, so as we set off, we kept our heads on a pivot, scanning all around as we went. Peeking around for any blows, flukes, or dorsal fins, we scanned and scanned. Our scanning paid off once we had made it to the other side of the Strait, when a humpback surfaced ahead, quickly raising its tail as it began to fluke.

Once in position, the Naturalists gathered their supplies, raised their cameras, and began photographing the encounter. To identify individual whales, we compare photos of their dorsal fins and the underside of their flukes. This pattern is unique to each whale, similar to how fingerprints are unique to humans. After getting a good shot of their tail and comparing it to our ID guides, we determined this whale was Raptor’s 2024 calf (BCY0458 calf 2024). This little one does not have a nickname yet, as humpbacks usually are not given names until they have successfully returned to the feeding grounds for a couple of seasons. We suspect this little one will get a nickname that continues the bird theme used for their mother (Raptor (BCY0458)) and their older sister (Harpy (BCZ0503)). What nickname do you think would be fitting for this young whale?

After spending some time with Raptor's 2024 calf, we departed and made our way over towards the Sunshine Coast. Here, we slowed down next to a series of bright white rocks rising high out of the water. This area, known as the White Islets, is important to a number of species. Many marine birds have been documented nesting and resting in this area, and both our Harbour Seals and Steller Sea Lions use the area as a haul-out spot to rest.

At this point, the wind began to pick up, and we began heading back across the Strait of Georgia. Along the way, another solo humpback whale was spotted. While this whale was being a bit less cooperative than Raptor's calf and never showed us their tail, their highly unique dorsal fin was enough to confirm their identity. This whale was Slice (BCX2487), the 2021 calf of Divot (BCX1057), and one of the grandchildren of famous humpback whale Big Momma (BCY0324). At only five years old, Slice is still considered a fairly young whale. They have been cross-matched with the Hawaii breeding grounds thanks to Happywhale, where they will likely return once more in the winter months.

Once more, we said our farewells, and the journey continued. After a breeze and some waves, we were back on the Vancouver Island side of the Strait of Georgia. It had been a fun time out and out, getting to see not one, but two different humpbacks travelling and foraging in their natural habitat.

Photos by Marine Naturalists Val Watson, Jordan Robinson, and Evan Hessels - please enjoy!

August 1, 2026, 10:30 AM - Two young humpbacks in the Strait of Georgia