The 'I's Have It!

What a spectacular day to be out on the water! The MV Seasmoke went out on both a morning and afternoon tour in beautiful calm conditions with a light breeze, with some mist in the morning gradually clearing to a lovely sunny day.

Passengers on both tours were delighted to catch sight of our Northern Resident “I” pods - identified as I27s, I4s and I65s - foraging at Cracroft Point and near Telegraph Cove, where a large group of 14-16 were spread out. What a thrill to spot Orca of all sizes - the beautiful black and whites that are on the move fishing for salmon for their daily sustenance.

Humpbacks also made an appearance at Cracroft Point - a party of three, with two being identified as Lucky and Smiley. In the afternoon, two were spotted in Blackfish Sound out from Stubbs Island. These majestic whales, the third largest in the world are wonderful to watch - especially as they prepare to make that final dive - the hump goes up, the whale curves its mammoth body down, then up comes the magnificent fluke!

Dall’s porpoises once again visited the boat and our guests had an excellent view of these smaller black and whites - so friendly and playful, near Stubbs Island where Stellar sea lions were also spotted swimming. It is always a treat to see Harbour seals swimming through the gorgeous Pearse group of Islands, and here everyone also witnessed a juvenile eagle being fed by mom, for the first time, seeing the youngster then taking off in flight .

Many Common Murre and other waterfowl also appeared at Cracroft Point. Guests from both trips came back with happy faces, feeling they had a terrific day in a beautiful setting, watching nature’s creatures at home in their natural habitat.