Today we had the warmest and sunniest conditions since spring began! On our morning trip we set off on the Orca Spirit II with calm seas to greet us as we left the harbour. It was not long before we cam across a minke whale. Minke whales are the second smallest baleen whale in the world. They can reach lengths of 23-26 feet long with short pectoral fins. Only the North Pacific population of minkes has a white band on their otherwise dark pectoral fins. This minke was obviously feeding over a sea mound, a place where great quantities of nutrients well up, attracting many fish, seals, and whale species. We eventually made our way west over to Race Rocks Lighthouse, the second oldest lighthouse on the Canadian Pacific. The black and white tower rises 24.4m into the sky, warning incoming vessels of the dangerous rocky islands and fast currents. We were able to spend time with some noisy but entertaining Stellar’s Sea Lions, lazy female Elephant Seals and curious looking Harbour Seals. It was interesting and exciting to see the range of sizes between the animals as well as their behaviours.

Today we left Victoria with the sun shining and calm waters to start. We began our search for marine life by heading west along the coast of Vancouver Island. After nine miles of sea passed us, we ended up at the historical Race Rocks Lighthouse. This area has been designated a marine reserve as it is home to a vast and abundant array of marine species from sea lions and seals to rockfish and sea stars. Here we found female Elephant Seals basking in the sun atop one of the rocky islands. This is the furthest point south that Elephant Seals haul out on land to molt. We also saw some big-eyed Harbour Seals, many of them plump pregnant females. The large Stellar’s Sea Lion males were either swimming around the islands or lying out on the rocks to warm their bodies in the sun.

After a great look at the lighthouse and all the marine mammals that call it home, we set out towards the south with word that 2 humpbacks were in the area. The wind had picked up, so the ride over to the whales was an adventure to say the least! But the trip over was worth it as we got to spend the remainder of our trip watching 2 humpback whales, likely a mother and her calf, riding the waves as they let the current push them east. Typically we have to wait for humpbacks to do longer dives in between surfacings, but these two baleen whales would duct just below the surface where we could see their dark shadow below. We even got to hear the humpbacks trumpet, a loud sound they can produce when exhaling. It was a fantastic way to spend an afternoon with some of the most beautiful gentle giants in the sea!

It finally felt like spring today with sunshine, blue skies and placid waters!  We headed east with our guests on the Orca Spirit, with word that some Transient Orcas were traveling up San Juan Channel.  After crossing into American waters, we rounded the north end of San Juan Island.  With calm seas it was not difficult to spot the black dorsal fins of several mammal-hunting killer whales.  The first group we encountered consisted of a female, an adult male and a small calf.  The trio was likely a family group as transient orca offspring will remain with their mothers for life as long as their group does not get too large.  The male had a very wide base to his dorsal fin which also leaned slightly to the left.  The whales appeared to be chasing prey initially, but they behaviour changed once they met up with a second group.