Action Packed, Wildlife Extravaganza

You know that a tour is going magnificently well when our staff are completely blown away by what they are experiencing out on the water. The radio chatter amongst the whale watching skippers sounded like excitable kids witnessing extraordinary things.

The morning began clear and calm, which made for a nice change from the fog that had frequented many mornings. It certainly felt like a dolphin day with high clouds and a light grey mirrored sea. After visiting a nearby group of Islands where we pointed out the Bald Eagles, the hundred and one Harbour Seals, as well as Back Oyster Catchers, we made our way into Blackfish Sound. We were astonished to see a large group of at least one hundred and fifty Pacific white-sided dolphins all energetically traveling as though they had received a report on a large school of fish. That was the case indeed because the rest of the afternoon they spent it hunting and feeding in the same location.

At least two Humpbacks were in the right place at the right time because they too had won the lottery. Side by side these two magnificent animals shared in the generous abundance of the sea as they feasted on juvenile herring. These small schooling fish make up a bait ball and that is exactly what the Humpbacks have been foraging and searching for.

A few years back it was observed that Humpbacks in this area invented a new form of feeding. Rather than using up precious energy by lunge feeding, they trap feed instead. This technique preserves energy; they simply stick their very large heads out of the water, open their massive mouths and wait, just like a Venus fly trap. They do this in the close proximity of a bait ball and hope that in time the tight bundle of fish will just float on in.  From our perspective, sitting on a boat looking out to the blue yonder of the sea, it looks absolutely incredible. To see another part of a whale’s anatomy, other than their back, dorsal fin and fluke, is a treat.

Two Black-tailed deer were also seen today and not to mention the plethora of birds that joined the feeding frenzy, making the most of the larger animals stirring up their buffet of seafood.

It was a day that left us with goosebumps and a dead camera battery. We love those kind of days.