It was a glorious afternoon on the water: not a white capped wave to be seen, the sun was shinning and the visibility clear as day. We exited the harbor and headed East, rounded between Victoria Golf Club and Discovery Island and cruised north up the Haro Strait. We took a little stop at “Zero Rock” where there were Pelagic Cormorants and Harbour Seals in abundance. Seals frolicked in the water while the Cormorants stood proud, hanging their wings out to dry in the afternoon breeze.
A bit further north we came across our whale species for the afternoon: Transient Killer Whales. It was the well-known T60 family with their brand new calf T60G in tow. They too were heading towards “Zero Rock” we waited with baited breath to see if any of the bathing seals became lunch. However, after the large male T60C skirted the shore, creating a wake and probably giving the other species a fright, it appeared hunting wasn’t on the agenda and the family continued on.
We stopped by Discovery Island on our way South and pulled up some Bull Kelp onto the boat. It is a core species in the marine ecosystem and the second fastest growing plant in the world! After having a little nibble on the Kelp and learning about its importance in the world, we cruised back to Victoria via Trial Island. More seals lounged on the shoreline, probably more relaxed than their counterparts on “Zero Rock”!
