T030C “Salix” launching from the water while approaching the T050s offshore of Tofino BC yesterday. Despite the saddle patch never being visible during this breach sequence, the eyepatch and it’s very convenient freckle helped make this ID.
This 21 year old female is so big that several of us assumed it was her big brother T030A “Sequoia” who had breached. It was only while looking at the photos, we realized it wasn’t even him.
We travelled nine and a half miles offshore yesterday (after getting past 3 pods and around 15 different orcas) to see flick feeding humpback whales in glassy calm conditions! There were countless blows in the distance and at least three far off breaches, but the tail action and waving pec fins of the nearby congregation of humpbacks kept us well entertained!
Flick feeding is a method of stunning krill and concentrating them in one area, by flicking their tail at the surface. Afterwards they will take a slow motion lunge through the smorgasbord.
-Marcie
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