After a few days off the water, today was quite the event. We first encountered the L12's swimming together in a resting pattern northbound just south of Darcy Island. L41 / Mega with family and calfs were swimming in sync with one another - something I had not seen before, and quite the eye full. Apparently J's & k's were up in Swanson Channel and Active pass but might have turned around south. After some incredible passes of the L12 whales we traveled northbound to Battleship Island where there were other groups of L's milling, breaching, tail slapping, cartwheeling, spyhopping and even... playing in kelp. Cascadia Research was out today gathering scat samples of the whales after a milling, breaching or a frolic.
One male, we think to be L74 / Saanich (a sprouter) was swimming with kelp drapped over his dorsal fin, and would seek out piles of kelp to roll around in. At one point we could see him on his side with his pec out of the water while drapping himself in kelp. What a sight! It appeared as though this male wanted to be sure he was seen as he swam quite close to our boat, and then to the boat ahead and on from there. Breaching and more breaching in every direction you turned, sometimes 2 at one time, but just in different locations. There are some pretty intense photos above of what we saw today. It was quite the full show. Another day I have to say is piled high on the list :). Please excuse the long list of photos but today was just so jammed packed with action that I have to share!
The following 3 photos of 5 Star © Marc Pakenham (Marine Mammal Monitoring). Images edited and enhanced by Chantelle Tucker.
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