It was a bright sunny day as we pushed off the dock with two of our vessels, Keta and Kula, full of excited guests (and crew!). At this time of year, our waters are full of humpbacks returning for the summer, and the Strait of Georgia is an excellent place to spot them - this was our initial plan as we set off. We were searching for around an hour before we had made our way across to Bowen Island, a known humpback hotspot right now. Suddenly we saw a blow, followed by a couple black and white surprises - it was orca! While not the species we expected to find, having a surprise orca encounter is always amazing! The orca present today were:

These orca have an interesting story. Their grandmother/great-grandmother was T046 Wake - a whale who, by all accounts, should not have lived long enough to reproduce. Her story is one of survival, strength, and the enduring power of family.

Wake was born around 1966, a time when the world’s understanding of orcas was shifting dramatically. In the late 1960s and early 70s, the waters off British Columbia and Washington were the epicentre of a devastating era of orca captures. These hunts, driven by the booming marine park industry, resulted in dozens of orcas being taken from the wild, often young calves separated from their mothers, or entire family groups driven into nets.

Wake was one of the rare orcas to survive capture and be released. In 1976, she was held in Puget Sound, Washington, during one of these mass roundups. She was part of a group known as the “Budd Inlet Six” - a nickname this group of orca, consisting of Wake as well as T013, T014, T026, T027, and T047 received after their capture in the Budd Inlet, Puget Sound, WA. A massive outcry from the public following the brutal capture led to huge amounts of pushback and backlash about the practice, ultimately leading to Wake's release (as well as T026, T027, and T047’s release) back into the wild. (note: T013 and T014 would also be released, but at a later time, after being fitted with tracking devices)
This moment would shape the course of orca history profoundly as this would end up being the last orca capture in Washington waters.

Wake returned to her ocean home and went on to become one of the most prolific mothers in the Transient population. Her survival and recovery were nothing short of extraordinary.
Over the years, Wake has given birth to at least seven calves! Although Wake is now presumed deceased since 2023 at around 57 years old, through her daughters, she had become Wake has also become a grandmother many times over, creating an enduring legacy across multiple generations. It is believed that at the time of writing, her lineage encompasses 28 whales - an astounding accomplishment for one little whale that could have perished in captivity.
Wake’s story offers hope. From the trauma of capture to the freedom of the open ocean, and solitude to becoming a matriarch of a thriving lineage, Wake shows us what can happen when wild animals are allowed to return home.

So, the next time you’re out on the water and spot a transient orca slicing through the sea with purpose, look closer! It might just be a descendant of Wake, the orca who turned tragedy into legacy.

After spending time with our orca, we left them to continue their travels wild and free.

We didn’t have to try too hard to find a humpback after leaving our orca, as they were right around the corner at another hotspot known as Halibut Bank. Halibut Bank, located in the central Strait of Georgia in the Salish Sea, is a highly productive marine hotspot. This shallow underwater plateau creates strong tidal mixing, bringing nutrient-rich waters to the surface and supporting a vibrant food web. As a result, the area is a magnet for marine life, from schooling fish and diving seabirds to feeding humpback whales and foraging sea lions. When we first arrived on our semi-covered vessel, Kula, Niagara (BCY0057) and Wizard (BCY1412) appeared to be resting, most likely after consuming a large meal, just like us humans!
Humpbacks sleep unihemispherically, meaning they rest one half of their brain at a time while the other half remains active. This allows them to continue surfacing for air and stay aware of their surroundings, even while sleeping. It’s an incredible adaptation that helps them survive in the open ocean, where staying alert is key to avoiding predators and maintaining vital functions.

By the time our other vessel joined, the whales seemed to have had enough napping and were starting to get a little more active. We also had two more pop up in the distance, identified as Beak (BCX1606) and Yakima (BCX2182). Yakima was originally associating with the rest of the crowd before they moved a bit further away. We then spotted some breaching and a few chin slaps in the distance - perhaps it was Yakima trying to call the rest of the group over to where they wanted to be!
Soon, it was time again to leave these four to their busy afternoon of sleeping, feeding and hanging out together, and we continued with our trip.

On our way back home, we spotted some adorable Harbour Seals out for a swim themselves. They have the remarkable ability to sleep underwater, often resting on the seafloor or floating just below the surface. They can hold their breath for up to 30 minutes, allowing them to enter short periods of rest while submerged. Now that’s a cool adaptation!

We also spotted one of our largest birds of prey, the Bald Eagle, as we continued on our way! Bald eagles sleep at night, typically perched high in trees where they feel safe from predators. They enter a state of light sleep but remain alert to sudden sounds or movement, often napping for 10-15 minutes at a time, then waking up to check out their surroundings. With strong talons that lock in place, they can rest securely on branches without falling, even during high winds or storms.
Just like the eagle secure on the branch, we made our way back to home port, and secured ourselves back at our dock!

Please enjoy the photos below by Marine Naturalists Aly Kohlman and Hayleigh Hilbert!

June 20, 2025, 10:30 AM - T046Bs, T046C2 and quadruple humpbacks.