Humpback Whale Guardian in our backyard and so much more!

 

July 8th

After two days of steady rain, Northern Vancouver Island put on a splendid day with warm sunshine and tranquil seas.

Eagles were perched high on the tips of tall trees and on outstretched limbs that leaned gently out towards to sea. Harbour seals, mothers and their pups rested side by side, making the most of the rocks exposed by a dropping tide.

Due to the calmness of the sea, Dall's porpoises were easily spotted by our guests who constantly scanned and admired the horizon. Lingering blows of Humpback whales were sighted from afar as they worked hard searching for food. Their giant bodies surfaced, breaking the water in their stride and then an enormous blow released. Their deep dives lasted several minutes, testing everyone's concentration.

We moved on to explore another area and were soon stopped in our tracks by the sighting of another blow. This whale had predictable movements and seemed to be travelling. Five shallow dives, followed by one deep dive and a handsome fluke stunned everyone as it descended to a deep dive. The unique all-white underside with a few significant darker circles was the pattern that belonged to Guardian. Our guests were thrilled to have a name to the whale we observed on our tour today.