Orca
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Orcas on the Hunt – 3/4/25
We arrived to find a huge oil slick spread across the surface at the hotspot this morning, with birds swirling overhead. Amongst them was a beautiful juvenile wandering albatross, nearly its entire body still covered in dark plumage, yet to turn white as it matures. The slick was big and was giving off the unmistakable…
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Three Species in a Day – 3/11/23
There are some days when you do not need to go far to bump into whales. This morning, we could already see, driving down to the harbor, you could spot the blows from shore. However, the reality blew our minds. We went out, and there were whales everywhere. Orcas, where the eye could see, groups…
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Orca Feeding Interrupted by Pilot Whales – 17/1/25
Orca feeding was interrupted by the Pilot Whales today as a hectic morning of surging, high energy and a fast kill unfolded shortly after our arrival in The Patch. Greeting us firstly were the Pilot Whales who were busy and surging quickly through the swell. It is always fantastic to see them and the large…
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A Breach from Hartley – 7/9/25
T069A2 “Hartley” breached several times for us yesterday while his pod milled a couple miles offshore of Tofino. Orcas are rare enough in Clayoquot Sound but breaching orcas are even rarer. Hartley was named after the village of Hartley Bay near the rocks he stranded on in 2015. His full rescue story can be found…
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Who is Chasing Whom – 2025
The other day, we witnessed something extraordinary that does not happen every day/ We met a small group of pilot whales, mainly females and calves. At the start, they were socialising and resting. After a while, it seemed like they had started traveling and they seemed quite focused. After 30 minutes they seriously sped up.…