Pure magic with Humpback Whales and bow-riding Porpoises in the morning and Orcas in the afternoon!

Today's Sightings: Humpback Whales, Resident Orcas, Dall's Porpoises, Steller Sea lions (5 hauled out), Pacific White-sided Dolphins, one White-tailed Deer, Bald Eagles, Belted Kingfishers, Red-necked Phalaropes, Common Murres, Pigeon Guillemots, Rhinoceros and Cassin's Auklets.

What a day to be exploring the diversity of our local waters and the abundance of marine mammals and sea birds, all of them close to home port!  The morning tour had some wonderful viewing of Humpback Whales including a mother and her calf who were observed near the White Cliff Islands where the Coast Range Mountains of Mainland BC added greatly to the viewing experience of the area in which we tour. It was absolutely superb to sit back and allow the beauty reveal its magic to us! The bow-riding Dall's Porpoises were fabulous, seeing them close-up and darting so happily back and forth alongside, was a highlight for us all to remember for a long while!

Our afternoon tour took on an adventure of its own when there was a report of a large group of Orcas heading east from the Queen Charlotte Strait where they had been sighted travelling east of Port Hardy. It was an amazing tour in which several Matrilines were observed. The Orcas identified were the A35s/A73 and her offspring A104, A34s, A42s, A24s and incoming C10s, it was a wonderful surprise to observe and identify them in the mix! There was a lot of socialization amongst the pods with spy-hops, tail slaps and beautiful A-Clan vocalizations heard via our hydrophone. Pacific White-sided dolphins were also seen and Humpback Whales on the way home.

What more can we say other than, it was a wonderful day and Pure Magic!

All photo credits: Muriel Halle.  All photo's have been taken with a telephoto lens and cropped.