JUNE 23, 2009 K pod (travelling with J pod) off Victoria waterfront

It was yet another beautiful sunny day when we departed Victoria Harbour on Five Star Charter’s Fastcat and headed into the Strait of Juan De Fuca. We headed almost due south out of the harbour to see what we could find in the middle of the Strait; both Resident ‘mammal eating’ and Transient ‘mammal eating’ killer whales (Orcinus orca) travel through these waters and we have also had increased sightings of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) over the past decade in this area. We travelled as far as Constance Bank, where the cargo and container ships will wait to pick up or drop off pilots and wait until they head to Vancouver, and then continued on to Race Rocks Marine Protected Area.

Although most of the sea lions have left Race Rocks, to go to their breeding colonies in California and Alaska, we had a nice sighting of 2 Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) swimming in the kelp just off the rocks. We also saw quite a few harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) hauled out...and we had a quick scan for seal pups because we are almost in the pupping season for the harbour seals.

From Race Rocks we travelled through Race Passage back towards the Victoria harbour as there was a report of Resident 'fish eating' killer whales travelling east just off of William Head (also known as Club Fed!). How nice it was to have the whales so close to the harbour...when we arrived we saw members of K pod and some of the other boats told us they were watching some members of J pod (Center for Whale Research ID pages, Whale Museum Orca Adoption). We watched the whales for about an hour and then left them (just south of the Victoria Harbour entrance!) and finished the trip at the Chain Islands in Oak Bay. At Great Chain we had a nice look at a juvenile Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) flying right over the boat and probably checking out all the nesting birds for a potential meal!

Container ship at Constance Bank

Stern of a container ship at Constance Bank

Mount Olympus as seen from Race Rocks Marine Protected Area with seals hauled out on the rocks

Above 2 photos: Steller sea lion at Race Rocks...not the ear flap on the side his head (feature to help identify it as a sea lion)

K14, Lea, a 32 year old female

K26, Lobo, K14's 16 year old son

K34, Cali (8 years old) travelling with his mother K13, Skagit (~37)

K27, Deadhead, a 15 year old female, named in honour of Gerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead!

K34 and K13

K25, Scoter, 18 year old son of K13 and older brother of K27 and K34

K20, Spock, the oldest offspring of K13 (23 years) and mother of K38, Comet. At one point K20 was believed to be a male because of her large dorsal fin and the late birth of K38!

K13

K13 (far right) with her offspring from left to right: K20, K25 and K34