August 23rd

172_JFR

The morning proved to be excellent, blue skies, a gentle cool breeze and transient orcas on the horizon! Both the SV Tuan and the MV Cetacea were out in Blackfish Sound "island hopping" with the transient orcas as they hunted for harbour seals amongst the kelp beds. A successful kill had been made earlier that morning so the orcas (T10 and her son T10B) were in no hurry to move on, but instead patrolled the shoreline providing a fantastic encounter for all on board. The afternoon was spent with a couple of groups of northern resident orcas, the A36's a bachelor group of three brothers, and the I15's a large family of fourteen orcas consisting of four sisters and their offspring. We traveled alongside these two groups as they intermingled, foraged and rested their way towards Johnstone Strait, encountering Dall's porpoises, Steller sea lions and harbour porpoises along the way.