September is somehow here, and while the busy season is starting to slow down, the whales are not! On a recent two-tour day, we were treated to a selection of wildlife in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, including humpback whales, seals, sea lions, and orcas.
In the morning, we set off in search of wildlife and were treated to behavior that we don’t always get a chance to see — lunge-feeding by a humpback whale! BCZ0345 Victory was focused on feeding as she gobbled up fish from a bait ball at the surface, prepping for a long migration south in just a few months.
After spending some time with Victory, we headed to Race Rocks Ecological Reserve off Vancouver Island to view a haul-out of seals and sea lions. Race Rocks is a popular hangout for harbor seals, California sea lions, and Steller sea lions.
While we had a great morning trip, the afternoon was truly spectacular! We once again set off in search of wildlife and were excited to come across a huge T-Party featuring around 20 Bigg’s orcas from at least four different pods, including the T100s, T101s, T46Bs, T46C1 & C2. This incredible encounter featured glassy seas, which offered the perfect conditions for hearing the exhalation blows as the orcas surfaced in sync. What an awesome way to move towards autumn!
