Transient Orcas and 2 Humpback Whales. Aug 31st 2007.

Cormorants in Flight.

Cormorants at Chain Islands.
Harlequin Ducks at Chain Islands.

Cpt "Scotty"

Passengers on Fastcat enjoying the view from the Bow.

In the evening we encountered the Transient Orcas just a few minutes outside Victoria Harbor and were again witness to some amazing activity!

Several Sealions were seen swimming near Race Rocks, perhaps agitated by the presence of Transient Orcas nearby!

California Sealions are seen here sleeping near the boat ramp at Race Rocks.

These two pictures show just how close to shore the Transients were. Many locals were watching from their homes.

The 7 pictures above show extensive foraging and underwater kills of prey. It was an amazing display by these supreme hunters!

I don't think this Dog or its owner knew the potential danger it was in!

Gulls fly overhead and pick off prey remains.

T44

T46
T36, if you look closely you can see the two marks on her chin that make her easy to identify.

These pictures are of a Mother and Calf Humpback we encountered south of Constance Bank.

August finished the way it began, with another incredible day of adventure on the water. Today we had three different groups of Transient Orcas in the local waters, with two groups in particular very close to Victoria Harbor. We spent time with the T10's and T40's, including the Bull Male T44 and observed a number of kills.

Apart from the Transients we also encountered a mother and calf Humpback Whales a little south of Constance Bank and they gave us a nice Tail Fluke display as they did a deep dive. It is nice to see a Mother bringing her Calf into the Juan De Fuca Strait in the summer time and imprinting this area into the Calfs brain.

We also stopped by Race Rocks in the afternoon and saw several Stellar Sealions swimming in the water, possibly spooked by the close proximity of the Transient Orcas. The number of Stellar and California Sealions on the Rocks at Race continues to grow in size and also volume.

In the evening we encountered the Transient Orcas again just a few minutes after leaving Victoria Harbor heading towards Trial Island. Again, we saw signs of hunting and a possible kill as the Orcas patrolled a tide line and the Kelp beds near Trial. August was an amazing month for whale watching and this evenings tour was the perfect way to end such an unforgettable month.

Humpback Whale. Aug 30th 2007.

Our Crew onboard Fastcat were the heros of the day as they found a Humpback today near Constance Bank. It saved our boats from having to make a long and tiring journey to the North or out West and meant our guests spent some quality time with this Large Baleen Whale. It alsomeant time could also be spent at Race Rocks and admire the wonder of this incredible ecological reserve.

During our afternoon trip a large Crane on a deep sea vessel was sighted moving along the Juan De Fuca Strait. This crane was one of the largest any of us had ever seen and especially on a ship. I hate to think what would have happened had this vessel encountered any of the large waves or swells that occur on the open ocean!

Superpod, Superpod!!!! Aug 29th, 2007.

For most of today we had all three pods J, K &L together off the West Coast of the San Juan Islands forming a Superpod.

L41 "Mega", his sister L77 & L94, plus L25, were also encountered just south of Victoria Waterfront.

The Orcas were spread out over a wide area but it was a thrill for our passengers to see so many of the nearly 90 Orcas that make up the Southern Resident Orca Pods.

Superpods do not happen every day so these days are always special days to be on the water, although I personally find everyday on the water special as there is always something new and exciting to observe!