Victoria (Oak Bay) was graced by some rock star transient orcas (meat eating orcas) - T41 (matriarch), T44 (male), T43 & calf and some rock star behavior this morning. Our naturalist Claire witnessed the group of 4 tendarize then feast on a dalls porpoise. Apparently the orcas were tossing the porpoise around in mid air before feeding (gosh I wished i'd seen this). After that they also fed on a harbour seal and then put on a breaching show!. When we arrived this afternoon in thick fog, we found the group heading south through Oak Bay. They had gone out into Haro Strait but turned around and cruised very closely to the Oak Bay shoreline, giving golfers, marina folks, residents one amazing view. At one point it looked like they were going to enter the marina as they were right at the enterance!.
In one photo, you can see several golfers standing in awe while a transient lay on it's side looking up at them. The large male (T44) took a stroll in some kelp, dragging quite a bunch with him for a bit. We watched them turn the corner near Trial Island then headed to Race Rocks to check out the pinnipeds. We decided to take one last spin on our way home, and checked out the transients once more who were well on their way across the Juan De Fuca Strait when we found them. We caught a beautiful pass of the group before heading home. The last image in my head was seeing the large dorsal fin disolve into the sunset. What an amazing experience today was.
With fog thick along San Juan Island today, we were unable to venture over where JKL pods were reported to be milling. They had come in from out west yesterday morning.
1 comment:
sounds like these guys were seen today (aug 24) at ogden point, right in front of the cruise ships! i missed it however cought a glimpse from this series in oak bay. will be on the water tomorrow am.
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