Orca Frenzy
It was an Orca Frenzy out on the water today as numerous Northern Resident pods were seen in every Strait and Passage we visited. No matter what location we cruised, we saw black dorsal fins rising up from the sea, releasing their breath as they traveled.
Surprisingly, in the mix of this Orca fest was Biggs killer whales. This gave our guests the opportunity to see the subtle difference between the Resident and Biggs dorsal fins, the Biggs being less curved and pointier at the tip.
Despite the large number of whales that were out and about today, they were surprisingly quiet. No vocalizations were heard on our hydrophone.
Amongst the Resident Orca were Pacific White-sided dolphins who darted around their heads as they surfaced and followed right on their tail until the Orcas dove deep to rid themselves of their pesky company.
Dall’s porpoises were seen today; the calmness of the sea made it easy to spot them from a mile away. As the porpoises surfaced, their backs glistened as the sun reflected on their smooth, water soaked skin.
With so many Orcas in the vicinity it took some time for us to get to our gentle giant Humpbacks. They were foraging in their usual locations and as we watched, our guests were mesmerized by their size being nearly double the length of an Orca.
As we move deeper into September, the streets of Alert Bay have quietened slightly as many tourists have returned home, in preparation for getting their children back to school. Our short-lived summer will soon come to an end so we are making the most of every moment while the sun still shines and the whales still frolic in our local waters.
