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.