Clear skies greeted us as we made our way out of Victoria Harbour. We quickly turned east, heading for Haro Strait to search for wildlife among the many islands. We saw plenty of avian sights along the way including gulls, pigeon guillemots, and even a lone bald eagle resting on a navigation aid. With the sun shining on the beautiful islands around us, it felt like we were in paradise.
Things just kept getting better; we had sightings of blows in the distance. We found a group of Transient Killer whales.
This group feeds almost exclusively on marine mammals, and we watched as they stalked their way through the water in search of seals, sea lions, or porpoises. As we approached we saw that a smaller individual was with them. A baby no older than 2 years old was popping its head out of the water, showing off the slightly yellow colour in its eye patch. It made sure to stick close to a larger female, often surfacing at the same time as it learned the tricks of the trade in how to be an orca. It was really an adorable thing to see.
Later in the day we continued our search and were excited to find a Humpback Whale. Humpbacks are transiting through our waters on their way north to feeding grounds after spending the Winter in the tropical waters near Hawaii or Mexico. This late in the season it is possible we are seeing some individuals that have decided to feed here all summer. What a treat to have these giants hanging around through the peak whale watching season.
After an awesome and fruitful day in search of whales we returned to the Victoria Harbour happy and satisfied.
Check out our Instagram for the highlights from our tours.