Tag Archives: Whale Watching

Northern resident A72

Orca A72

If you Google “orca A72” and go into  “A30 matriline – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia” you will learn about all about Bend (born 1999). Bend is a young female and has a distinctive cut at the middle of her dorsal fin, the cause of which is not known. Above photo.

The orca pod often viewed on our tours is the A30.  A30 matrilineal is the name given to the most commonly seen orca matriline in British Columbia. The matriline was present in over 60% of all of the encounters in the Johnstone Strait region, making it one of best known matrilines. The group’s size has increased, from 6 in the mid-1970s to 10 as of 2013, including 4 calves. It is most frequently seen in Johnstone Strait from late spring to early fall, often traveling with other pods of the Northern Resident Community. The second photo shows this pod minus the three adult males which were in the area but not traveling with the family. Note A72 is the fifth one in the photo.
Orca Pod

 

 

 

 

 

 

Humpback Whales Breaching

Humpback breaching

Many reasons have been suggested for breaching. Whales are more likely to breach when they are in groups, suggesting social reasons, such as an assertion of dominance, courting or warning of danger. It is also possible that the loud “smack” upon re-entering is useful for stunning or scaring prey. Others suggest that a breach allow the whale to breathe in air that is not close to the surface, which may aid breathing in rough seas. Another widely accepted possible reason is to dislodge parasites from the skin. But to tell truth I do not think the guests I have in the boat care about the reason they are just happy to see breaching whales.

 

 

Almost three heads whale watching

Humpback lunge feeding

Whale watching over the past five years has become more interesting as the number of humpback whales in our viewing area has increased from four or five to twelve on a normal day. On this day the first head of blonde hair is to give you perspective for the closeness of the humpback whales lunge feeding through a balls of herring. One whale has not completed its lunge out of the water and the other to the left side of the picture is just starting to poke its head out of the water. If I had waited about ten seconds it would have been a great photo but that is the reason we normally spend several hours with the humpbacks so you can get the “good” photo. My excuse is it is hard to run the boat and take good pictures.

 

 

Male Resident Killer Whale

Male killer whale

Male because of the large dorsal fin as the species shows considerable size difference between males and females. Adult males develop larger pectoral flippers, dorsal fins, tail flukes, and girths than females. Resident because the dorsal fin is rounded at the tip and curved and tapering while the transient is shorter and sharper. The other key reason that this is a resident is that it is coming close to the boat while transients are less curious and will not approach a boat.

 

 

Steller Sea Lions 2 of 2

sealions

Steller sea lions are social and gather at various times throughout the year when mating and breeding are not taking place. They use traditional haul out sites (an area used for resting) and rookeries (an area used for breeding and rearing young) on remote and exposed islands. These sites can be rock shelves, ledges, boulders, and gravel or sand beaches. Even in crowds, the big bulls are unmistakable—they are three times larger than females.

Weight:   males: up to 2,500 pounds (1,120 kg)   females: up to 770 pounds (350 kg)   pups: about 35-50 pounds (16-22.5 kg)

Length:   males: about 10-11 feet (3-3.4 m)    females: about 7.5-9.5 feet (2.5-3.0 m)    pups: about 3.3 feet (1 m)

 

 

Stellar Sea Lions 1 of 2

Sea lions close

Steller sea lions range throughout the Pacific Rim (from northern California to Northern Honshu in Japan, and to the Bering Strait). About 70 percent of the Steller sea lion population reside in Alaska. They do not migrate like some pinnipeds, but they do move seasonally to different feeding and resting areas. Late May and early June as well as September and October seem to be the time of the year when there are more sea lions in our area. However over the past several years more have remained in the area all year.  In the water they do not seem that large but they are curious and often visit us as we watch them on shore (see tomorrows posting).

 

 

Humpback Whale Fluking

Humpback Whale Tail

 

 

 

 

 

Humpback Whale Tail 2

Humpback Whale Tail 2

Humpback Whale Tail 4

Not much to say except that Angus (guide and owner) got a great sequence of photos. Even thought there are many whales in our viewing area it is still hard to be in the right place at the right time and get a good photo especially when you are the one operating the boat and that is a full time job.

 

 

Killer Whales Dorsal Fin – Collapsed

Killer whale

A wild orca often travels far, and quickly, in deep water. The water provides pressure to the fin, keeping the tissues inside healthy and straight, and encouraging the dorsal fin to remain straight. However, it is not impossible for a wild orca’s dorsal fin to collapse or become bent. A study in 1998 of killer whales in New Zealand showed a relatively high rate (23%) of collapsing, collapsed, or even bent or wavy dorsal fins, and noted that this was higher than that observed in populations in British Columbia or Norway. It has been found from a well-studied group of wild killer whales (the ones in our viewing area) off the coast of British Columbia that the total rate of dorsal fin collapse is around 1%.  This is only the second collapsed fin I have seen in ten years.  Researchers have theorized that dorsal fin collapse in wild whales may be due to age, stress or altercations with other killer whales.

 

 

Killer Whale Dorsal Fin

orca reflection

A male killer whale’s dorsal fin can grow to as much as 6 feet tall. Despite the fact that the dorsal fin is very straight, it is not supported by bone, but a fibrous connective tissue called collagen. This male is a member of the “A” Clan. The northern resident population numbers approximately 250 whales made up of three clans – A, G, R Clan. Resident (fish eaters) killer whale pods are MATRIARCHAL, meaning that sons and daughters stay with their mother throughout their lives, even after they have offspring of their own. The bonds between siblings usually remain strong even after the mother has died. A matriarch and all of her descendents are referred to as a MATRILINE. A POD is a larger unit that is made up of one or more matrilines that travel together at least half the time and that probably stem from a deceased matriarch. A CLAN is a group of pods that share similar calls or dialects.

 

 

Humpback Whales Lunge Feed

Humpback whale

This is one of the reasons for our day of whale watching from Grizzly Bear Lodge. The numbers of humpback whales that are in our viewing area has increased dramatically over the past five years from four or five a trip to twelve to sixteen. The whales are frequently seen lunge feeding, tail-lobbing and breaching. The picnic lunch break while whale watching is normally the best time for photos because we stop the boat in an area of active whales and drift. The only problem guest have is to decide to eat or take pictures and on most days the realize that it is best to eat because the whales will be there when they finish.