[8/15/2017 2pm Sea Hawk Naturalist Sarah C.]
Orcas will often stalk shorelines when they travel, in search of their next meal - usually a harbor seal hunting along that same shoreline. It's not every day, though, that we see orcas right up against a shoreline also occupied by dozens of campers!
We departed from Roche Harbor on our daily Sea Hawk departure in search of whales. Today, our reports indicated transient killer whales near Vancouver Island, almost due west of Roche Harbor. We left the dock feeling excited to make our way into Canadian waters in search of the Salish Sea's top predator - the orca.
We passed Sydney Island on our way northwest, zig-zagging through small islands off the coast of Vancouver Island. when we reached the two leading whales, they were traveling up the coast of Salt Spring Island. Pushing right up against the shoreline, the dark backdrop gave the perfect contrast to their tall dorsals and misty blows.
As we continued to follow these two transient orcas, identified as matriarch T10 and her youngest (18-year-old) son T10C, we noticed them moving towards a huge campsite on Beaver Point - these campers were about to get a real show! Watching beach-goers slowly realize that 30-foot-long mammal-hunting orcas were feet from their tents was almost more entertaining than watching the whales themselves. Soon the entire campsite was in a flurry, rushing down to the shoreline to get good looks at the two traveling transients!
We turned back just as T10 and her son were rounding Beaver Point, heading deeper into Canadian waters, and returned to Roche Harbor with the sun shining bright and the entire evening ahead of us.
Naturalist Sarah C.
M/V Sea Hawk
