Last Day of June - Filled with Delights

It was a fabulous way to end the month of June as we ventured in Alert Bay’s glorious back yard. The sun was warm and bright right from the very beginning of the day and stayed with us throughout.

We had interesting behaviour on the water today as we witnessed two different cetaceans in close proximity to one another; our gentle giant Humpback and the playful and energetic Pacific White-sided dolphin. At two different locations and with two different groups, we witnessed dolphins harassing Humpbacks. Over the years we have seen this numerous times with Orca who also get hassled by these much smaller marine mammals who travel and forage in large pods. The Humpback whale does not have teeth and their throats are very narrow. They can only swallow small prey like juvenile herring which is the chosen food of our local Humpbacks, so they do not offer any kind of threat to the dolphin.

One of the Humpbacks we recognised today,by their unique markings on the underside of their tail, was Argonaut. 2045 Humpbacks have been sighted along the BC coast since starting the study of this growing population. They are named to make it easier when referencing the individuals we see in our local waters.

Throughout our journey today the water was calm so any creature that surfaced could be sighted a mile away, including our diving birds like the Pigeon Guillemot and the Rhinoceros Auklet.  

Again we enjoyed seeing the Harbour seal pups alongside their mothers, who look double the size. Soon these pups will be weaned from their mothers and left to fend and forage for themselves .

Today we finally saw the treasures that have been hidden in the depths of our local Bald Eagles nest. The head of an Eaglet was raised above the nest for all of us to enjoy. They are certainly well ahead in their development which is a relief and wonder to see.

It is July 1st tomorrow, Canada Day. We wish all those who are traveling and adventuring in the area to be safe, and enjoy the treasures of this Northern Vancouver Island paradise.