September 15, 2026 - Making Waves with Whales in the Strait of Georgia.

It was a classic West Coast day on the Salish Sea. All three of our vessels left Nanaimo ready to begin the search, but with a little more wind on the water than usual, we made the most of our range by spreading out. Two boats headed outside the islands, while the third took the more sheltered inside route.

The two boats travelling along the outside made their way south through the waves, aiming toward an earlier report of a T-party in the Strait of Georgia. Along the way, one of the boats spotted the distinct blow of humpback whales rising from the water ahead of them. A quick stop was in order.

Two humpbacks were travelling together through the waves, giving us a chance to spend some time watching these enormous animals at the surface. Most of the humpbacks we encounter in the Strait of Georgia are actively feeding. Their time at the surface is often brief, with a few breaths before they disappear below to chase the krill and other prey that make the Strait such a productive feeding area.

These two, however, seemed content to stay at the surface. They weren't making the deep dives we often associate with feeding humpbacks, and one of them was periodically giving a little flick of their tail at the surface. Those brief glimpses were enough for us to identify the whale as Nalu (BCY1072).

The second humpback wasn't quite so cooperative with their fluke. They never gave us a clear look at their tail during the encounter, but after returning to shore and examining our photographs, we were able to determine that Nalu's travelling companion was Mantis (BCX0936).

We didn't stay with the pair for long before continuing toward the orcas our other vessels had located. When we arrived, there were three different groups in the area: T063 and T065, the T037As, the T065Bs, and the T124Ds. Together, they made up quite the gathering.

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

T065 Whidbey Ⅱ ♀ (<1968)
T063 Chainsaw ♂ (~1978)

T065B Chunk ♀ (1993)
T065B1 Birdsall ♂ (2011)
T065B2 Nettle ♂ (2019)
T065B3 Rook ♂ (2023)

T124D Field ♀ (1996)
T124D1 Salish II (2014)
T124D3 Lupine ♀ (2022)
T124D4 Dune (2024)

At first, the orcas were travelling near a humpback whale, Yakima (BCX2182), and there was plenty of interaction between the different species. Trumpeting and repeated tail flicks from the humpback made it fairly clear that this was not necessarily the company they had been hoping for. Eventually, though, Yakima and the orcas went their separate ways, leaving us to focus on the T-party.

The conditions made for some spectacular viewing. The orcas were travelling strongly through the waves, powering their way from one crest to the next. With the swell lifting them high out of the water, we were treated to views of their full faces as they surfaced, along with the striking contrast of their black backs and white undersides. Watching these powerful animals move through rough water is always impressive, but seeing them cresting over the waves like this was particularly memorable.

The T065Bs and T124Ds did not appear to remain with the rest of the group for very long. Looking back through the photographs from the second half of the encounter, it was the T037As together with T063 and T065 that continued travelling as a group.

Eventually, it was time for us to leave the orcas as well. We turned toward Valdes Island and one of the area's well-known wildlife gathering places, Stinky Rock.

But before we reached the sea lion haul-out, another humpback appeared along our route. It was Yakima again! Yakima was travelling in the same general direction as the orcas and seemed to have been keeping pace with them. A few other blows were spotted nearby, but unfortunately no usable photographs were captured, leaving those whales unidentified for now. Out on the Salish Sea, sometimes a single glimpse is all you get.

All three boats eventually converged at Stinky Rock, where the wildlife was a little closer to shore. Steller Sea Lions rested together on the rocks while Harbour Seals took advantage of the shelter, giving everyone a chance to slow down and enjoy some of the smaller marine mammals that share these waters with the whales.

After spending some time at the haul-out, we began the journey home through the inside passageways. After spending much of the day pushing through the waves, the calmer waters were a welcome change. And as it turned out, there was plenty more wildlife waiting for us along the way.

Dodd Narrows was particularly lively. A Bald Eagle watched from the treetops while Kingfishers darted back and forth across the waterway, their quick movements adding another layer of activity to the narrow channel. It was a beautiful reminder that even when we aren't actively searching for whales, the Salish Sea is constantly offering something to discover.

Our final stop of the day brought an entirely different perspective on the coastal environment. Near the Harmac Pulp Mill, California Sea Lions were hauled out along the log booms, resting among the infrastructure of an active working harbour. Nearby, the mill was busy loading logs onto a barge for shipment.

It was an unexpected but fitting way to finish the day. From humpbacks and orcas travelling through open water, to sea lions resting on logs, to eagles and kingfishers moving through Dodd Narrows, the day offered a glimpse into the many different ways wildlife and human activity overlap along the British Columbia coast.

The Salish Sea is both a wild and working landscape, and sometimes the most memorable trips are the ones that show us a little bit of everything.

A big thank you to Marine Naturalists Val Watson, Desarae Poier, and Hayleigh Hilbert for capturing these moments throughout the day.