Some wind and spray greeted us as we headed out into the Strait of Georgia aboard Keta and Kula. We made our way north of Entrance Island, and after a short stint of travel, a pair of humpback whales were spotted. Cameras were raised, and the pair was identified as Mathematician (BCY0785) and Harlequin (BCX1845)

Mathematician is an older whale, with Happywhale sightings dating back to 2010. Interestingly, in 2021 they were documented feeding up in Alaska. Humpbacks tend to show strong site fidelity, meaning they usually return to the breeding and feeding grounds their mother taught them about as a calf. Deviations from this are a bit perplexing, as we don’t truly know why they occur. Every other encounter on Happywhale, both prior to and after 2021, was around Vancouver Island instead of in Alaska. Whatever the case, we are happy to see Mathematician around once more, and we hope to see them for many more years to come.

Harlequin was another interesting whale to spot today, as they have been a very uncommonly spotted humpback in our area in the past few years. She tends to feed further north, through the many small inlets near Campbell River.

After spending some time with the pair, we headed out, with the vessels spreading out to cover extra ground in search of any other potential sightings. Kula located another trio of humpbacks out in the Strait, while Keta ventured back into the Southern Gulf Islands, and later found a solo humpback whale on the inside as well.

Kula’s group was travelling quickly as we observed them, leading to tricky surfaces to try and confirm their IDs. However, two of the three of them had very distinct dorsal fins that we were able to use to confirm who they were. These two were Crater/Mensa (BCX1565) and Fader (BCY0195). The third dorsal fin was a bit less distinct, but after getting a peek at the corner of their fluke, it was confirmed that this was the legendary humpback Big Momma (BCY0324).

Big Momma is famous for being one of the first humpback whales documented returning to our area after the population was nearly extirpated during the whaling era. For years, it was very uncommon to see one of these gentle giants travelling along our coast. That changed in the late 1990s, though, when Big Momma (and other notable whales such as Kappa (BCX0158) and Houdini (BCX0022)) were seen in the summer. They then departed for their breeding grounds and would later return with calves in tow. The population has grown steadily since, and they are now a common sight to see traversing through our waters.

Keta’s single whale was skirting along the edge of Yellowpoint when we located them. This individual had many unique markings across their dorsal fin, and when they raised their flukes to dive, a beautiful pattern of white speckles and scars was visible. A photo of this helped us confirm that this was Nalu (BCY1072), a known female humpback. Nalu has been spending a few days in the Southern Gulf Islands lately, likely feeding along the coast before heading to another area.

While humpbacks are exciting to see, they were not the only wildlife we witnessed today. At the edge of Valdes Island sits a haul-out site known as Stinky Rocks, where many pinnipeds and birds tend to reside. We stopped to have a view of them, curious what they were up to today. The sun was high overhead, and the Harbour Seals were taking full advantage of it, stretching, yawning, and rolling in the warmth. The Steller Sea Lions were also trying to enjoy the sunshine; however, quite a bit of bickering was going on among them. Large, lumbering males growled and grumbled at each other, posturing to get the best spots on the rocks. The smaller individuals tried to pay them no mind, flattening themselves on the rocks to nap. Cormorants strutted along the coast, peeking around here and there as they went. Several Black Oystercatchers also swooped in, poking through the shallows in search of a bite to eat. Possibly the most interesting species we spotted on Stinky today, though, was a Savannah Sparrow! This small songbird tends to prefer areas such as meadows or grasslands, so seeing it out on a tiny rocky marine island was a bit of a surprise!

With the day carrying on, we began heading back towards the harbour. Near Dodd Narrows, we popped over to the Harmac pulpmill to see several California Sea Lions nestled on the log booms. This species is just beginning to return to our area after spending the summer in California, so we are eager to see how many will be here as the season progresses.

One last stop lay ahead as we made our way along the towering cliffs on the edge of Gabriola Island. The Gabriola Bluffs are a Cormorant rookery, and the area was bustling with activity when we approached. Many birds squawked and shuffled along the cliffside. Most of the chicks have now fledged and left their nests; however, a couple of younger individuals can still be seen tucked amongst the adults.

After enjoying our time with the birds, it was time for us to head out and back into Nanaimo. Turning one last time, we glided back across Northumberland Channel, and soon we were back on dry land. It had been an interesting day of learning about many different species, from tiny birds to giant humpbacks.

Photos from this tour were taken by Marine Naturalists Jordan Robinson and Evan Hessels - please enjoy!

September 6, 2026, 10:30 PM - Humpbacks throughout the Strait