Transient Orcas and Humpback Whales, Aug 14th and 15th 2007.

The last two days we have had a number of Transient Orcas (Marine Mammal Eaters) in the waters around Victoria. These supreme hunters have been feeding on the abundance of Harbor Seals and Porpoises in the area and a number of kills have been observed. The Transient Orcas were seen near Race Rocks and also the Chain Islands over the last two days. Transient Orcas differ only slightly in appearance from Resident Orcas. The tips of the Dorsal Fin of a Transient Orca tends to be more pointed than that of a resident and their saddle patches are more uniform. Transient Orcas will attack any Marine Mammal if the opportunity arises, but are highly intelligent and will assess the risks and energy required before attacking prey. In the Juan De Fuca Strait Transients have been observed attacking Minke Whales on occasion, but mostly they are observed hunting Harbor Seals or Porpoises.

Apart from the Orcas we have also been seeing more Humpbacks in the area and also Gray Whales. We have even had rumours of Fin Whales being sighted in the Juan De Fuca Strait but no evidence so far to provide proof. Fin Whales are the second largest Whales in the world and have been sighted on very rare occasions over the last two years in the waters around Victoria. The fin whale is one of the Roquals, a family that includes the Humpback Whale, Blue Whale, Bryde's Whale, Sei Whale and Minke Whale. Rorquals all have a dorsal fin and throat grooves that expand when the animal is feeding. The Fin, or Finback Whale is second only to the blue whale in size and weight. Among the fastest of the great whales, it is capable of bursts of speed of up to 23 mph (37 km/hr) leading to its description as the "greyhound of the sea." Its most unusual characteristic is the asymmetrical coloring of the lower jaw, which is white or creamy yellow on the right side and mottled black on the left side. Fin whales are found in all oceans of the world, though they seem to prefer temperate and polar waters to tropical seas. Adult males measure up to 78 feet (24 m) in the northern hemisphere, and 88 feet (26.8 m) in the southern hemisphere. Females are slightly larger than males. Weight for both sexes is between 50-70 tons (45,360-63,500 kg).

Fin Whale.

With so much wildlife in our area, no wonder the Salish Sea is world renown for being one of the best places to see Marine Wildlife.