Guess what??? Today I saw a Fin Whale! The second largest species of whale/mammal on the planet! They are slowly making a comeback on our coast, though very little is known about their population in the North Pacific at this point. Sightings near Tofino have been increasing with a few different individuals now spotted this season off our coastline!

Not only did we see a fin whale today, we also spotted several humpbacks, including this very active individual who was enthusiastically tail thrashing at the surface, perhaps as a warning to the nearby grey whale?

It was whale soup out here today!

Another shot of the fin whale in front of the snowy peaks of Vancouver Island. There were ~5 fin whales reported offshore ! It’s absolutely unheard of to have these numbers or sightings in our waters.

Check out this humpback rainblow, formed when the sun hits the water vapor in the whales blow at just the right angle! This individual was milling about offshore, possibly feeding or in search of food.

Transient male, T101A, born in 1993, off Tofino this afternoon. He was seen with his two brothers. Another pod was reported nearby. Hopefully this trios mother was swimming safely with them. This was my first time seeing the T101’s and T102!

T102, born ~1984, surfaces off Schooner Cove, Tofino while travelling down the coast with his brothers.

-Marcie