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.
Again the time stamp on the photos show that this breach was three minutes after the previous breach in yesterdays post and the pectoral fin slapping was just one minute after this second breach. Anette managed some incredible photos to save her memories.
“….and with the young humpback that put on an hour long show of 5-6 breaches and countless tail and fin slaps just for us.” I remember this day as it was also memorable for me as I never tire of my time on the water. This humpback would take a deep dive and then breach almost as if on a schedule. If you notice the back ground hills it is the same from a different angle. I have the advantage of the time stamp that says these photos were taken with in the same minute.
If I read the time stamps on the photos correctly after our time with the killer whales would have come a stop in Telegraph Cove to use the bathroom and stretch our legs. The length of time in the Cove is determined by the guests but in most cases it is short as the action is on the water. After leaving Telegraph we visit the Steller sea lion that spent some time in the area when migrating between California and Alaska. If you look closely to the left of the sea lions there is a bald eagle sitting in the tree drying it’s wings wet from the morning mist. Yesterday’s post continues tomorrow …..
Anette’s visit was September 3, 2015 and she has sent us some first class photos of their time with us last season. She provides: “A little story to go with some of the pictures: We had a great day spotting whales with George. Our son Nicolas (12 at the time) summed it up when he exclaimed “This is the best day of my life”. At that time we had had a long day with lots of orcas, including the bull on the picture who chose to take his herd very close to the boat,……”
This photo was NOT taken the same time as the previous two days posting. If I had seen whales I would not have gone that close to a herring ball. The point of locating a herring ball is to be “close by” when the humpback whales come to feed. “Close by” does not mean sitting on the herring ball as that would not be a comfortable or safe place to be located. This photo is thanks to Gary Wilson from Australia.
This is a small herring ball near the edge of the boat. The two white flashes are not herring but ducks feeding in the herring and this is why the herring get in a tight ball for defense. So they are now providing food for ducks, seagulls and eagles. The “safe” aspect mentioned in yesterdays post will be shown in tomorrows….
Grizzly bears are the “stars” of the lodge but time is spent looking for marine “wildlife” in the water off the East Coast of Vancouver Island. We normally manage to find eagles, orca, sealions, seals, dolphins, and humpback whales. All this and still time for a stop in Telegraph Cove to use the facilities and maybe grab a cup of hot chocolate or coffee.
Photos by
Bruce & Carole Cripps 11-11
One of the benefits of our location is that we are protected from the open ocean and the big swells. We do get afternoon winds in the summer, but more often than not the mornings are nice and calm. Thanks Tom for this great picture of a peaceful morning on the water at Sailcone
No matter where we are going at Sailcone’s Grizzly Bear Lodge, the guides are always keeping their eyes open for wildlife. This could be a Black Bear on the way to view Grizzlies, an eagle family or in this case a group of Pacific White Sided Dolphins. These dolphins are common in our area and it is not unusual to spot them in large groups. They are incredibly intelligent and often come to us for a closer look.
It is mid morning on Johnstone Strait and we came upon a pod of what appeared to be orca resting. I am not sure that I would call this resting as most of the time seemed to have been spent playing. This pod of orca took more than an hour to move a hundred meters (yards). The adults would drift with the current while the young spy hopped, tail slapped and rolled on their backs. Fantastic viewing and I even saved on fuel.
Just like that another season has come to an end. We are grateful for all the wonderful staff and the guests this season. It was an excellent season and we are already looking forward to next May.
One of the highlights of the season was all of the new cubs out. It was awesome to see so many new cubs of the year and that is great news for our bear populations moving forward. We had great spring viewing and this continued through summer. On our river trips we started to see salmon arriving in August and enjoyed some great shoulder season viewing. The fish at the viewing platforms were a little late showing up this year, but viewing during late September at the platforms was great and the estuary viewing remained strong throughout the season.
Out in the whale watching world it was another year that saw large numbers of resident Orca who remained in the area right into October. The Humpback viewing was also great with large numbers feeding in Blackfish Sound. It is so amazing to have these magnificent animals back in our waters in such numbers.
Over the winter and spring we will be doing some repairs and maintenance. We rebuilt the front deck last spring, utilising cedar cut on site. We will continue with some siding, rooms improvements and hopefully a floating sauna ready for the start of our season.
2026 is already looking like a very busy season for us. We only have limited high season availability so please book early to ensure we have space for your group.
Looking forward to seeing you next year
Angus Reid
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