It was another warm, sunny morning as we set sail on the Salish Sea. We headed South and by the time we leveled with Race Rocks Ecological Reserve and Lighthouse we had got wind of some Transient Killer Whales to our West. At Beechy Head we found them, a lone male T97 and the family group T109s. Nice to see this family in the straight of Juan de Fuca as they are not frequent visitors. The mothers and calves appeared to be hugging tight to shore, perhaps shielding themselves from the flooding current. However, the large male was more in the open.
We watched as they surfaced and traveled before continuing our adventure at Race Rocks with a viewing of Harbour Porpoise on the way. At the ecological reserve many animals were waiting for us: Steller Sea Lions, Harbour Seals, an Elephant Seal and Harry the Sea Otter. All were enjoying the sunshine either out on the rocks or splashing around in the water.
Next up we added another whale species to our sightings, this time a Humpback whale. The animal was travelling very fast in a Westerly direction, we watched as it hastily came to the surface for air. The magical moment came when the whale decided to go for a dead dive and showed off its beautiful tail. We identified the individual that is new to our waters and has been given the nickname “Pinball”. A day of special visits from new friends in the shape of the T109s and “Pinball”!
