Orca
A42 orca family
A42 orca family
A42 orca family
Surd and his family
Surf the orca
Whales, whales everywhere! This was how you could describe the incredible day we had on the M.V. Lukwa. We sailed down Blackney Pass bursting with anticipation. Word was out that the orca were back. We had been patiently waiting for this day and we were delighted when we first caught sight of them this morning.
A group of orca called the A42‘s appeared ahead of us to our starboard side! This family are descended from the A5 pod and are made up of five members. The mother is called ‘Sonora’ and she was born in 1980. She has four of her young with her. The oldest, born in 1996 is a male called ‘Surf’. He was joined by his siblings ‘Current’ and ‘Cameleon’ who were born in 2004 and 2008 respectively. The youngest one was born last year and is yet to be named. This family are ‘residents’ or fish eaters only and their fish of choice is chinook salmon.
As we were watching transfixed by the sight of these phenomenal pescetarians, humpbacks started to appear to our port side! One of the humpbacks which is known as ‘KC’ or Kelp Creature breached while we observed the orca! Four humpbacks were seen altogether and another was identified as ‘Guardian’ by Sophia our naturalist on board. Lots of sea birds were seen milling around the whales, attracted by the glut of food in the water. We observed five Steller sea lions in Weynton Pass, right in the kelp bed. Bald eagles swooped over the sea lions in their watery lair.
The afternoon trip was all geared up and ready to see some orca. We headed south towards Robson Bight Ecological Reserve. We got word from the reserve warden, Marie that the orca were still in the area, close to the rubbing beaches. Marie works for a voluntary organization called ‘Cetus’ that patrol the reserve and surrounding areas during the summer. They educate and advise local and incoming boaters and help protect the whales from boat strike and entanglement in props and fishing gear.
The orca did indeed reappear close to shore, east of the reserve. It was confirmed that it was the same orca family we had seen this morning. ‘Surf’ was swimming alone while the rest of his family stuck close together. They began to disperse after a while and we watched awestruck as they dipped and weaved around us.
Cruising past Cracroft Point, Blackney Pass we saw a humpback. It was suspended in the swirling water and rose and sank with grace and ease. For such an enormous creature, it could slink from view effortlessly. Alison, our naturalist identified the wily whale as ‘Argonaut’. This whale is so called as it has what looks like to be an ‘A’ notched into it’s fluke. Some speedy Dall’s porpoises appeared momentarily after Argonaut disappeared. They looked so tiny after seeing such a huge whale.
So it’s a very warm welcome back for our resident orcas. An incredible opportunity to see an orca family thriving in the wild and spending summer in our waters.
http://stubbs-island.com/blog/2014/07/17/wednesday-july-15th-2014-m-v-lukwa/
Dall’s porpoise
Humpback whale fluke
Humpback whale fluke
Humpback whale fluke
Bald eagle
Bald eage
Steller sea lion
Our English guests
Mist rolled over the mountains this morning like dragon’s breath as we cruised out of Telegraph Cove. Within minutes of our trip we saw our first blow of a humpback whale while watching several mature and immature bald eagles. We were able to identify the two humpbacks with the help of our on board naturalist, Kyle who referenced the MERS Humpback ID catalog (www.mersociety.org).
The first whale identified was ‘Argonaut’ and the other was ‘Slits’. Argonaut is so named as it has what looks like a capital ‘A’ etched into the left underside of it’s fluke. Slits is a newcomer on the scene, having been first spotted last year. Both whales appeared to be ‘logging’ i.e. spending lots of surface time resting and short dives of 6-8 minutes.
At times Dall’s porpoises were all over the whales, leaping around them. The Dall’s porpoises were numerous and very active bow and wake riding the boat. It was quite the sight.
Rhinoceros auklets and murres were some of the other alluring avians we saw today. We even saw a small black tailed deer feeding high on the edge of a cliff.
Our afternoon sailing was a glorious combination of moody fog and brilliant sunshine with the animals providing us with tantalising glimpses into their worlds. Dall’s porpoises were repeat offenders and came along wake riding the Lukwa. The mist rolled in again and we initially tried to find ‘whales by braille’. By this, we took our time and listened carefully to the characteristic resonant sound the humpbacks make when they breathe on the surface.
The fog, thankfully, was not meant to be. We made our way towards the ever increasing blue and entered Blackney Pass. The water whirled and fumed as we sailed through, churning up all sorts of small creatures in it’s fury. Two whales were found to be capitalizing on this bounty, feeding furiously in the maelstrom. The two seen were identified by Sophia our naturalist as ‘KC’ and ‘Guardian’. KC had been spotted approx.40km south yesterday so it made it all the more special to see this whale. We spent an hour here watching these behemoths weave their way through this whirlpool. An unexpected guest also joined the goodness and happened to be a minke whale which is known as ‘Bolt’. Bolt has been seen in this area since 2000.
Our guests were thrilled to see such a prolonged and wonderful sight of these whales feeding and diving. One couple called Phil and Tania from Gloucester, England fulfilled their dreams by seeing these gentle giants wild and free. Glaucous winged gulls, young and older sat and flew over the riffled water, unperturbed by all the activity around them.
At Weynton Island, a couple of harbour seals were precariously balanced on rocks. As we made our way back towards home, the wildlife kicked off in earnes. Two Steller sea lions roared in the kelp, as some beautiful bald eagles flew above them. Two more humpbacks appeared close by, providing us with ample opportunities to observe and photograph them. Slits was one of the two seen again. We wrapped up our trip with a glorious cruise back to port. Life is good!
http://stubbs-island.com/blog/2014/07/13/sunday-july-13th-2014-m-v-lukwa/
Humpback whale
Humpback whale fluke
Orca male T102A
Baby orca playing
Baby orca spyhopping
Baby orca spyhopping
Orca tail splashing
Steller sea lions
Bald eag;e
Bald eagles
Deer
Harbour seals
What makes a day special? Wildlife, and particularly whales! We had two fantastic trips today with a vast array of beautiful creatures, from Dall’s porpoises, harbour seals, Steller sea lions, Pacific white sided dolphins, humpback whales, deer, orcas, eagles, rhinoceros auklets and even a sea otter!!!
The porpoises were our entourage as we started our morning. They were superseded by seals hauled out on the rocks at Whitecliff Islands. A couple of sea lions were swimming around the Plumper islands. The dolphins got in on the action and approx. eight adults bow rode the boat to our amazement. In Bull Head, Weynton Pass which is synonymous with whales and orcas, we were thrilled to see six different humpbacks. Our boat naturalist Kyle was able to identify three of the whales. The ones he recorded were ‘Argonaut’, ‘Horizon’ and ‘Conger’. Our Captain Geoff got word that a rare sea otter was in the area. They are seldom seen on our trips so we were thrilled to see one at Whitecliff Islands. It appeared and then disappeared quickly, giving just enough time for a quick viewing.
Our afternoon trip was slightly damper with the rain coming in. Luckily the wildlife here are predominantly pelagic so pay no heed to such frivolous concerns. At the Plumper’s, the eagles swooped and soared over the trees. Argonaut came back with a big steaming breath near our port side. He had a companion to the starboard side which we were unable to identify. Within minutes, two more humpbacks appeared with one of them confirmed as ‘Guardian’ by Alison, our naturalist.
We got word from a local researcher, Jared Towers that transient or Bigg’s killer whales were close to Alert Bay so off we went. Our excitement mounted as we ventured forth to find ‘Blackfish’. A big male orca known as T012A was the first one we spotted, swimming close to the shallows. This is a 32 year old lone orca that is known to occasionally associate with other transients. A small family group of transients was then seen straight ahead of us known as the T109A’s. This family consists of a 24 year old female with three young ones that were born in born 2005, 2009 and 2012. These four initially appeared to be resting but then the young ones youthful exuberance took over. Breaching, spy hopping and tail slapping were all behaviours witnessed over the next half hour to our delight.
Heading back to port we saw some harbour seals with last year’s young. The Dall’s porpoises made another visit through the Plumper Islands. A guest from Switzerland spotted a young deer on shore nimbly leaping over the rocks. The eagles were seen to gather in the trees high above us, young and adults all vying for space on the branches. Below them, four male Steller sea lions broke the water surface in unison, before diving swiftly again. A day bursting at the seams with wildlife and incredible spectacles. We were truly blessed.
http://stubbs-island.com/blog/2014/07/04/friday-july-4th-2014-m-v-lukwa/
Pacific white sided dolphin
Leaping Pacific white sided dolphiin
Pacific white sided dolphin
Humpback whale
Humpback whale fluke
Harbour seal
Pigeon guillemot
A day of calm, fine weather with quite ‘wild’ wildlife made for a heady brew for our trips today. We started with a very exciting morning, with one area in particular being a hot spot for us. As we cruised out, we were flanked by some Dall’s porpoises, leaping in parallel to us. On entering Weynton Pass, things really started to go off, Three Steller sea lions were found morphing their bodies in with the bull kelp. Then a super pod of Pacific white sided dolphins appeared. They bow rode, leapt and swam in an astonishing display of cetacean synchronicity. And if that was not enough excitement, we were joined by a humpback whale.
We were lucky enough to get some good shots of it’s tail fluke and it was identified by our on board naturalist Sophia as ‘Argonaut’. A couple of humpbacks were seen in the area also from a greater distance so we were unable to see who they were. We are continuing our efforts to identify as many whales and orca as we can this season to help all the scientists and researchers who work with these magnificent creatures. With proper identification shots of dorsal fins and flukes, we can send these pictures to MERS (www.mersociety.org). This whale has been seen in the area every year since 2009.
The clement weather continued to accompany us on our afternoon sailing. In the Eastern Queen Charlotte Strait, we had a feeding frenzy with birds and dolphins capitalizing on the bounty. The dolphins showed incredible agility and leapt in a way to give any acrobat a run for their money! One passenger observed a single dolphin do 18 leaps high out of the water.
Approaching Broughton Archipelago, a sleepy humpback whale was seen by us and the dolphins. They rapidly approached it and started swimming and jumping around the weary whale. From what we could see, the whale appeared irritated by the intruders, perhaps somewhat akin to a dog being ‘buzzed’ by flies.
At the Whitecliff Islands, another somnolent whale was briefly observed on the surface. Harbour seals were relaxing amongst the rocks and suspended in the water, as they espied us. An adult bald eagle surveyed the scene from it’s perch above them. Other birds that were seen during this trip were pigeon guillemots and rhinoceros auklets.
At Bull Head, Weynton Pass, a humpback surfaced quickly before descending. It afforded us the chance to get another identification shot for the day. This one was recognized by our naturalist Alison as ‘Argonaut’. It appears that this whale shows consistent site fidelity as this area has been a stronghold for it since 2009. At the Plumper Islands we saw a large eagle’s nest high up in the trees. Argonaut continued to trail close behind us, fluking intermittently. The Steller sea lions were also seen again in the kelp with jumping Dall’s porpoises in the background! To add to the party, a harbour seal popped up and Argonaut gave us his encore before we sailed back to port.
http://stubbs-island.com/blog/2014/07/03/thursday-july-3-2014-m-v-lukwa/
The weather and wildlife gods smiled on us today as we set forth on our boat ‘’The 
Tenacious III’’. Our first brief stop of the day was in Seymour narrows, close to Ripple Rock. Sun glittered on the water as we cruised through and cut the engine. We were afforded the chance to linger in this auspicious piece of water and watch the swirling whirlpools churn and froth around us.
Around the cliff rock called Copper Bluffs, small flocks of pigeon guillemots flew to and from their nests on the cliff face, illuminated by the brilliant sunshine. No sooner had we approached Quadra Island when we had some curious visitors approach us. These inquisitive creatures were harbour seals! A few seals eyed us keenly while their braver comrades swam ever closer. We wondered, who was really watching who?!
We ventured towards Quathiaski Cove, whose name comes from the Salish words which mean ‘calm waters’ or ‘bear with something in its mouth’. The water was unsettled at this time however, with gulls circling and feeding. Two harbour porpoises popped up amongst them and seemed to also be indulging in a luncheon snack of young herring. A few Bonaparte gulls flitted elegantly above the water to also capitalise on the fishy goodness.
We stopped for lunch off Mitlenatch Island which is a bird sanctuary and research haven, and enjoyed our food in the sun. Some passengers had a brief view of a Steller sea lion during our break. Not long after eating, we headed south to view more of the spectacularly beautiful surroundings. Our boat sped smoothly through the water as we watched the snow capped mountains and forests around us. Captain John kept us entertained with interesting anecdotes and history on the area. The on board naturalist, Anne rounded off our trip with a fascinating talk on the local wildlife and our interconnectedness with all of these creatures.
http://www.adventurewhalewatching.com/Sightings-Upcoming-Tours/2014-07/wednesday-july-2.php
Orcas Tracked From Above
October 14, 2014 | by Stephen Luntz
photo credit: NOAA/Vancouver Aquarium. Two killer whales share a moment, filmed by a remote controlled vehicle.
Even while being kept at a distance where it would not disturb the whales, the hexacopter took images so sharp it is possible to tell that some of the whales are pregnant.
The footage they took is disturbing. Some of the Northern resident orcas they tracked are lacking in body fat and in very poor condition. While they were tracking one, it failed to surface and appears to have died. While there could be many causes of death, the researchers are concerned that the whales in the area are affected by declines in the Chinook salmon population, one of their main food sources.
One particularly intriguing aspect was the observation that A46, the brother of the whale that died, called extensively after losing his sibling. NOAA’s John Durban speculates he may still have been seeking his lost brother, or telling the rest of the pod the sad news.
However, it’s not all grim times for the whales. The scientists managed to get the photo above of two orcas nuzzling (or maybe playfully head-butting) each other. Orcas spend their entire lives in family pods, which in some cases can be an entire century.
My contribution: One of my photos of the researchers is included in this film clip.
http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/killer-whales-tracked-above
A mysterious and beautiful sea fog unfurled before us as we sailed through the Sounds this morning. In the gloom a whale could be heard breathing. It appeared briefly before heading to fathoms unknown. Within half an hour, the fog lifted to reveal the snow-capped mountains and dense forests. Three Dall’s porpoises were seen bow riding in the straits. Around the Plumper islands, over 60 seals were seen lolling about on the rocks and in thewater due to the low tide. Unusually enough, a group of Harlequin ducks were nestled in the rocks close to the seals. Another humpback whale was seen slowly surfacing. On seeing its fluke, our on board naturalist Kyle was able to identify it as ‘KC’ which is short
for ‘Kelp creature’. This whale got its name from being found as a calf in 2002, rolling around in the kelp! Today, it appeared doing a great log impression as it was moving slowly along, taking shallow dives and remaining close to the water surface. Off Stubbs Island over 20 bald eagles were observed feeding in the rip tide.
The glorious weather continued as wecruised out for our afternoon trip. The Dall’s porpoises came back to our
delight. They swam amongst various species of birds which included bald eagles and rhinoceros auklets. Pigeon guillemots ducked ahead of us, while young salmon or smolt leapt like pieces of silver out of the water.
The fog rolled back on in, but word of a large pod of Pacific white sided dolphins bolstered our spirits. Within moments we were surrounded by a bucking, flashing, whizzing pod all around us. We gasped and squealed in delight as the dolphins enveloped us along with the fog. Surrounded on all sides, hundreds of dolphins entranced us with an incredible display of acrobatics and bow riding.
According to Captain Wayne, for every dolphin we saw surface, approx. five dolphins were below. That was giving us numbers of at least 500!
Conger, a humpback which has been seen every year in this area site since 2009 was nexton the scene. Alison, our naturalist on board was able to identify it for us. We watched it glide effortlessly through the shallows.
We were also very lucky to observe a lunge feed. We had the advantage of seeing its white pectoral fin through the crystal clear water. This made it easy to track it’s movements as it fed.
‘KC’ showed up again near Cracroft point in Johnstone Strait. True to its name, it was seen with a strand of kelp draped across its face on surfacing! The fog was well and truly gone at this point. The sun and the scenery continued to deliver as we returned, well fed with wildlife images that would continue to endure.
http://stubbs-island.com/blog/2014/06/30/monday-june-30th-2014-–-mv-lukwa/
The eagles were out in force this afternoon! Sailing towards Blackfish Sound we saw some young bald eagles and adults sitting amongst the trees and flying forth. Rhinoceros auklets swam in tight groups. A brief spotting of a Steller sea lion in the kelp provided our first marine mammal view of the day. Its cousins, a couple of harbour seals were hauled out nearby. Young salmon or smolt were jumping out of the water around us. It is believed that this could be anti-predator behaviour but also potentially practice for their future epic travels!
Our excitement built as the first humpback whale of the day was spied from afar. It was identified as ‘Black Pearl’ by our on board naturalist, Kyle. Dall’s porpoises appeared quickly on the scene and started to splash and bow ride around the boat. The porpoises approached the whale and no sooner had the sleepy whale surfaced it trumpeted, perhaps in annoyance at the inquisitive intruders!
The weather continued to improve as we cruised along and the sea was still and calm. We were extremely lucky to see two harbour porpoises swim to the stern of the boat, cruising in our wake. Around the Whitecliff islands we had a gorgeous view of a bald eagle in the sunshine while across on another rock we saw a black oystercatcher.
On our approach to Stubbs Island, more whale activity was observed. At least one whale was seen which appeared to be moving slowly and doing many shallow dives. Captain Wayne dubbed this whale ‘Sleeper’ for the day due to its languid, leisurely dives. Black Pearl made another appearance on our return through the Johnstone Strait and gave us a wonderful view of its fluke as it dove down ahead of us.
At the Plumper Islands a large eagle’s nest with an adult sitting guard was seen high up in the trees. Down below a skittish seal slid into the water while its more laid back counterpart eyed us circumspectly. A pigeon guillemot made a brief appearance before making a dash for the deep. Our trip had an exciting end to it with a couple of super fast Dall’s porpoises speeding in front and behind the boat!
http://stubbs-island.com/blog/2014/06/29/sunday-june-29-2014-m-v-lukwa/
The morning’s trip was full of wildlife to excite and delight us. Our first encounter was with a few Dall’s porpoise which swam parallel to us. Around the Plumper Islands a big bait ball attracted the attention of a flock of bald eagles. They swooped and dove in amongst the fish. The trees were so densely packed with eagles that according to captain Wayne, it looked like a snow covered Christmas tree with all the bald heads. Harbour seals were seen at two haul out points as we cruised by.
As we continued on our way the air was punctuated with the sound of humpback whales breathing near and far from us. The air was still and calm and their sonorous sounds echoed through Blackfish Sound. Our on board naturalist Kyle was able to identify the whales. Horizon was the first whale spotted of the day, followed by Black Pearl and Cutter. Conger was seen on the way back in to port.
The whales made their presence felt on the afternoon trip too. They were not the only cetaceans to escort us on our way. Some playful Dall’s porpoises bow rode and leapt around us as we headed out from port. On entering Blackfish Sound, the blows of the humpbacks were seen ahead to our starboard side. Two whales swam in unison, breathing and diving in near synchronicity. On surfacing some tail (fluke) slapping was observed and one of the whales trumpeted loudly at the surface! A harbour seal peered up from the water, possibly wondering what all the fuss was about?
The afternoon continued with the whales fluking and providing us with ample opportunities to photograph their flukes for identification purposes. Our afternoon naturalist Sophia identified Black Pearl which made a reappearance along with Conger. At least two other whales were seen in the Sounds, with one doing a magnificent breach that leapt too fast for our cameras. The Dall’s came back to leap about the bow. For the bird enthusiasts, common murres, bald eagles as well as rhinoceros auklets flitted, swooped and swam around us throughout the day.
http://stubbs-island.com/blog/2014/06/28/saturday-june-28-2014-m-v-lukwa/
The morning started fine and bright, with a mature bear seen on exiting Telegraph Cove. It was sitting in the salal, relaxing in the warm weather. A very busy morning ensued with sightings of Dall’s porpoises, rhinoceros auklets and harbour seals. The humpback whales heralded our arrival to Cracroft Point. Five were seen in all and we were treated to an amazing display of breaching! Of the two whales that breached, both were identified. One was identified as ‘Stripe’, a humpback which has been seen regularly since 2002. The other whale identified was named as ‘Conger’. This whale has been seen annually since 2009. The orca brothers Kaikash and Plumper were also seen in the vicinity, adding to the excitement of the morning!
Our afternoon trip had Kaikash and Plumper reappearing to the delight of us all. Kaikash swam nearby while Plumper stayed further away. A cruise ship steamed past us and while doing so, Plumper appeared close to us. Swirling water stirred fish to the surface, watched by hungry bald eagles. They dove and deftly picked their prey from the water. Cruising through Johnstone Strait, the characteristic blow of a whale was seen close to the forested shore. Closer inspection showed it to be a sleepy humpback! It surfaced slowly and exhaled gently before sliding below the surface.
We headed towards eagle’s nest to observe one of the parents return to its nest. It called to its mate to return before leaving its young. A male Steller sea lion swam past us, as did a harbour seal. A humpback swam in parallel with us and on each successive dive, began to move progressively closer. It surfaced to our starboard side and provided us with a magnificent look at its fluke. Due to its proximity to us, we were able to get good shots of its fluke for our identification. Two budding naturalists from Edmonton, David and James helped our on board naturalist Alison in identifying the whale! The whale was identified as’ Guardian’ from the MERS catalogue (www.marinesociety.org).
Harbour seals slid under the kelp as we sailed by and splashed noisily in the water. We passed back by eagle’s nest, watched closely by one of the adults who appeared to look down haughtily upon us. The magnificent silver grey sky was the perfect backdrop for some bald eagles that wheeled around in circles.
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