Happy Sunday! The season is going by quickly, but shows no signs of slowing down. We have had amazing interactions with orca and humpback whales all month, we are so proud to share the coast with such beautiful animals!
Our fleet caught up with the T60's again as they continue to hang out in the Salish Sea! Biggs Orca are mammal eaters and need to eat frequently in order to sustain themselves, so they are often encountered hunting. They are always a hit with the guests!
Stay tuned!
A great start to the weekend! The wind was low yet again keeping the water flat calm, making great conditions for spotting whales as they come to the surface to breathe.
There were several individual humpback whales spread throughout the Juan De Fuca Strait as they headed West to the open Pacific. We are lucky to have these gentle giants stop by the Salish Sea to feed and relax before they finish their long trip North to Alaskan waters!
Race Rocks Ecological Reserve is always full of life, where several seals and sea lions sun themselves on the rocks as they relax and interact with each other. Ollie the only local sea otter was also spotted hanging out the in the kelp forest, where he enjoys wrapping himself with the kelp in order to take an afternoon nap.
Stay tuned!!
What a brilliant day on the water!! The sun was out and the wind was calm as the captains set out to see what kind of action was taking place in the waters around Victoria.
Biggs orca are still in the area feeding and enjoying the increase in prey availability this season! Our fleet caught up with a pod near the San Juan Islands as they zeroed in on their prey, while teaching their calves to hunt. After successfully making a kill and enjoying a snack Captain Tom dropped the hydrophone in the water to hear them vocalize as the celebrated their meal, leaving our guests in awe at their beauty and power.
Stay tuned for what we encounter today!
Another great day on the water with calmer seas and numerous different pods of Bigg's orca (mammal hunters) in the area.
Our morning expeditions got to encounter the T101's, which consist of a 44 year old female and her two sons, whom are in the early 20's.
The afternoon tours got to encounter a large group of Bigg's orca, as well as, a few individual humpback whales close to the waterfront of Victoria.
Its another amazing day on the west coast today ~ stay tuned to see what we encounter today!!
From the wind forecast we were again expecting a more adventurous day on the water. Our guests on the morning expeditions were excited and pumped to see what we would encounter. Shortly after pushing off the dock we received reports of a large group of orca Southeast of Victoria. Our morning trips eagerly headed that way and were stoked to encounter a large group of Bigg's orca (mammal hunters).
The wind did pick up quite extensively in the afternoon, which did limit our ability to re-encounter the orca, as they were located in the rougher waters. However, our tours did pickup a couple of interactive humpback whales close to Victoria.
Once again we did have to cancel our sunset cruise expeditions due to the high winds and water surface conditions, which we deemed to be too unsafe for our guests.
Another successful yet adventurous day on the water in the Pacific Northwest.
Stay tuned to see what happens on the water today!
Low winds and sunshine made for an incredible day on the water, and the amount of encounters prove that it is peak season! Captain Jim, Russ, Gordon, Tom, and Kaegan, caught up with three species of cetaceans; including Biggs Orca, Humpback, and Gray whales!
Gray Whales were spotted in the Juan de Fuca Strait as they rested from their long migration from the Southern Pacific. Gray Whales are a rare sight in the Salish Sea as they are more common along the west side of Vancouver Island, often seen feeding in small bays on their way to the Bering Sea.
The Biggs orcas are still in the area as they search for food and socialize in the waters around Victoria. The large population of other marine mammals in the area provides great opportunity for the pods to hunt successfully!
Last but not least, our captains encountered several Humpback whales as they continued to rest and feed!
Stay tuned for what our captains encounter next!
The wind calmed down a huge amount, which we all breathed a slight sigh of relief. The morning expeditions headed out with rumoured reports of humpback whales in Haro Strait. After a few brief encounters with a large humpback whale our morning adventures got word of a "schwack load" of orca south of Lopez Island heading North East.
There were 3 different pods of Bigg's orca (mammal hunters) socializing and hunting; displaying a heap of surface behaviour, which was incredible. T65a's, T49a's & T75b's all grouped up and traveling together and foraging for tasty harbour seals and other marine mammals as they headed north in the San Juan Channel.
The afternoon and evening sunset cruises got to encounter very similar sights as another successful day on the water for BC Whale Tours and all of our adventurers.
Bring on today ~ stay tuned to see what we encounter on todays expeditions
What a great way to celebrate Canada's 150th birthday!! While the crowds gathered downtown Victoria for the festivities, our guests were lucky to spend some time with both Bigg's Orca and Humpback out on the water.
Unfortunately wind picked up in the late afternoon, but our fun and stable zodiacs managed the waters superbly.
All in all great day on the water, looking forward to seeing what we find today!!
