Sightings Report for August 31st 2018

What a great way to end the month of August, whales were everywhere and close to home all day!! The winds were up but that is nothing our zodiacs cant handle!

There were several hunting Biggs orca pods in the Juan de Fuca Strait scanning the area for potential prey! This ecotype of orca target other marine mammal such as Harbor seals and porpoise! They have high energy requirements and so they will actively hunt about 80% of the time. Our fleet had the privilege of witnessing several predation events throughout the day, as these whales chowed down!!

By the afternoon the Southern Resident orcas (salmon eaters) were heading in from the open ocean to see if there is any Salmon in the area! Its great to sea them and always a wonderful teaching moment about the effects fishinf practices have on the survival of these iconic creatures!

Humpback whales are still around feeding on the large amount of zooplankton in the water column! In a few months they will begin to leave and migrate south to their breeding grounds.

Race Rocks Ecological Park is a popular haul out site for local pinnipeds and can often be seen relaxing along the rocky shorelines. The Stellar Sea Lions are quite load as they bark at one another and compete for space to sun themselves. 

~ Stay tuned!!!