Another exciting day awaited us out on the Salish Sea, with sightings of both whale species commonly seen on our tours!

First up was a young humpback whale named Coyote (BCX2484), born in 2021 to another frequently spotted whale in our area, Tempest. Younger humpbacks in our waters often appear more curious and playful, much like young humans. These juveniles also tend to spend less time in the breeding grounds during the winter months, as they don’t reach sexual maturity until around five years of age and aren't driven by the same hormonal or energetic needs as adults.

While adult humpbacks migrate south to places like Hawaii or Mexico in the winter, there isn’t much food available in those warmer waters. Instead, they rely on the fat reserves they build up during their summer feeding season here. Interestingly, as they metabolize that fat, they release nitrogen into the water, enriching the nutrient-poor tropical ecosystems. This process may help increase food availability in those regions in the future, especially as humpback populations continue to recover!

Our time with Coyote was brief, as we soon received a nearby orca report, but we had some excellent views of this young whale feeding in the area before heading off.

Next up were the orca, a familiar family we've been seeing frequently. This time, we encountered them cruising along Gabriola Island again, but now in Northumberland Channel instead of the open waters of the Strait of Georgia, where they had been earlier in the day. With calm seas and incredible visibility, we enjoyed amazing views of the T065Bs.

This pod includes:

T065B Chunk ♀ (1993)
T065B1 Birdsall ♂ (2011)
T065B2 Nettle ♂ (2019)
T065B3 Rook ♂ (2023)

This group offers a nice mix of age classes—from Chunk, the adult matriarch, to her youngest calf, Rook, just two years old. Also in the mix is Birdsall, a young male now beginning to sprout. Orca exhibit sexual dimorphism, meaning males and females develop differently. The most noticeable difference is the dorsal fin—males can have towering fins up to six feet tall, while females’ dorsal fins usually top out around three feet. Males also have proportionally larger pectoral fins and tail flukes, and are generally larger overall.

That said, it’s the females who really run the show. Orca pods are matriarchal, and the knowledge held by experienced females is critical for the survival of their families. Daughters tend to be taught more intensively, as they often go on to form their own pods. Males, meanwhile, typically remain with their mother for life.

The alphanumeric naming system helps researchers track family lines through generations. For example, we know that T065B Chunk was the second calf born to T065 Whidbey II. The number after the letter indicates birth order. If any of Chunk’s offspring were female and began having calves of their own, their names would switch back to a letter designation, continuing the family tree. So far, Chunk has had only sons, but she may still have more calves; females can reproduce until they go through menopause, typically between 40 and 50 years old.

We watched as the T065Bs seemed to consider venturing into False Narrows, but ultimately turned back and exited Northumberland Channel. It's always interesting to see orca moving through this area, where the wild beauty of the ocean meets the industrial backdrop of Nanaimo, a striking contrast that reminds us how interconnected these worlds really are.

Before heading back to Nanaimo, we made one last stop at the Gabriola Bluffs, and witnessed something wild (and slightly sobering): a Bald Eagle had caught and was feeding on a Cormorant.

Both birds nest along this section of Gabriola Island. Cormorants build their nests in the rocky cracks and crevices of the bluffs, while Bald Eagles prefer the trees above. Since cormorants are potential prey, nesting below an eagle’s nest is like setting up shop next to an all-you-can-eat buffet. Eagles have even been known to raid cormorant nests, taking eggs or flightless young. While this kind of encounter can be difficult to watch, it's an important reminder: this is nature in action, and every predator plays a role in keeping ecosystems balanced.

We returned to Nanaimo feeling grateful for another extraordinary day on the Salish Sea. Please enjoy the stunning photos below, captured by our Marine Naturalist onboard, Aly Kohlman.

June 24, 2025, 3:30 PM - Humpback Whale Coyote followed by the T065Bs in Northumberland Channel