This photo was a little far off for my Olympus TG 4 camera but my guests sure got some great shot. It was a morning that involved allot of activity within the pods of killer whales. There was spyhopping, tail slapping and even the occasional breach which nobody caught on camera. Reason I show this is because it is my first double spyhop.
Whale Watching
We’re not all about the bears, whales are abundant here too!
Killer whales and humpback whales are often seen during our wildlife tours. There are resident whales and transient whales that can be seen feeding and playing in our waters.
Also After Telegraph Cove
Not a particularly good photo of a humpback whale diving but I liked the sparkle on the water. Being that I am writing the blog and get to pick the photos, this it what you get. I know that if you scroll through the past posting you will find some great tail shots. This just shows that every day on the water is different and I never know what will make a memorable picture for guests.
After Telegraph Cove
After stopping in Telegraph Cove (see yesterday’s post) we head back onto the water for the second half of the day which means stellar sea lions in the spring and fall as the migrate between California and Alaska. This September day is unusual because all seems quiet on the sea lions haul out. Normally when there are this many stellar sea lions on one rock it becomes a mass of moving bodies with all of them wanting their complaints heard.
Telegraph Cove Break
Telegraph Cove is on Vancouver Island, two and one half hours north of Campbell River by car, is an important stop on a day’s whale watching. Important because it has a great public bathroom and a coffee shop that serves hot beverages. We have a good picnic lunch and lots of bottled water and soft drinks but on most days the bathroom is the first choice for our guests.
Bald Eagle Feeding
This bald eagle was coming in to pick up a rock fish to take back to it’s young in the nest behind our lodge. Know these facts because if you are visiting our lodge when there are rock fish leftover from a fishing trip we feed the eagle. Pavlov‘s dog psychology also works on bald eagle: whistle, wave a fish and good photo opportunity occurs.
Black Bears Foraging
Your guide often says, “Black bears are where you find them.” This means although we do a black bear tour on your first evening in the lodge we are constantly looking for black bears. Running up Knight Inlet on a grizzly bear tour, across to Thompson Sound on the extra day in the lodge or out to Johnstone Strait is search of orca and whales we are always watching the shore for bears. This mother and cub were on a whale watching safari and were cooperative enough to stay on the beach for over half an hour. As you can see the cub was in step with mother and followed her example.
Dolphins Do Like to Play
Pacific white-sided dolphins are found continuously throughout the north Pacific. In British Columbia, it is estimated that approximately 25,000 Pacific white-sided dolphins reside along our coast. These dolphins are opportunistic predators feeding on over 60 species of fish and 20 species of cephalopods. In BC, they feed on at least 13 different prey species, including salmon, herring, Pollock, shrimp, sablefish, smelt, and squid. They forage cooperatively, though large groups may separate into smaller sub-groups for foraging purposes. These feeding groups have been observed corralling and herding fish in a coordinated fashion. They are covered by the “Whales Watching Guidelines” in that we are required to keep back 100 meters (yards) while viewing, however they do not appear to read these guidelines and always want to play with the boat.
Surprise Killer Whale Viewing 2 of 2
…we were sitting in Blackney Pass and had lost contact with the orca. They had been diving and changing direction for close to half an hour when they surfaced very close to our boat. As a guide luck often trumps skill.
Planned Killer Whale Viewing 1 of 2
On this day we waited about fifteen minutes for the orca to pass this close for some good photos. While on another day….
Always looking for Black Bears 2 of 2
Black bears come in more colours than any other North American mammal. They can be black, brown, cinnamon, blond, blue-gray, or white. This brown “black bear” is one of two that has been viewed in our area for the past two years. And no we do not have the spirit or white bear in our area, they are much further north.
