SUNDAY, MARCH 28, 2010 FIRST CRUISE OF THE SEASON
Five Star Whale Watching began a new season of Responsible Wildlife Viewing with a rush today as we saw Elephant Seals, Steller Sea Lions, Harbour Seals, Harbour Porpoise, Bald Eagles, and Transient Killer Whales... all on our first trip!
Heading out from Victoria at 2:00pm on a day that oscillated back and forth from rain and wind to Sun and a warm glow, we headed South West towards Race Rocks Ecological Reserve.
Early in the year Race Rocks ( see www.racerocks.com) offers our best chance to see the widest variety of marine species that its ambundance of prey species (Salmon, Rock Fish, Cod, Shrimp, Pilchard, etc.) attracts.
Approaching Race Rocks we received a report of Transient (Marine-Mammal-Eating)Killer Whales heading into the Ecological Reserve. Our protocol in such an instance is for us to stay outside of an imaginary boundary 800m from Race Rocks Lighthouse. The purpose of staying back is to allow the Transient Killer Whales to search for food (for them that includes Harbour Seals, Steller Sea Lions, Harbour and Dall's Porpoise and even Elephant Seals) within that boundary.
We chose to watch from a distance, then traveled far away in search of other species. After seeing a few Harbour Porpoise, Harbour Seals and Bald Eagles we returned to visit the Transient Killer Whales when then had exited the Ecological Reserve and were out into open water. We saw a large male (T103), and five females in the group known as the T49's.
Great start to 2010!
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