On our April 23rd whale watching trip, we left Steveston and were met by some choppy waves, a crowd of sea lions sleeping on the jetty, and hundreds of cormorants. There were no nearby reports of whales in the area, which meant we had to set out and find them! Captain Dan decided to take us south towards Active Pass.
Active Pass is one of the most beautiful places to look for whales, with crystal blue waters, green trees on the islands, and hundreds of birds in the sky and ocean. We passed by several flocks of Bonaparte’s gulls. Soon, these black-headed gulls will migrate further north and into BC’s interior for their breeding season, so it was an exciting treat to find them soaring through Active Pass.
As we swung northward, Captain Dan slowed the boat when we spotted some more rare birds: rhinoceros auklets! A close relative of the puffin family, an estimated 50% of their global population breeds in BC. Despite their relative abundance in BC, we don’t see them every season, so the passengers were thrilled to see this pair paddling and diving near the boat.
After many hours of looking, we finally got the report we were waiting for—killer whales near Bowen Island! We zoomed further north to find four killer whales travelling leisurely through the now calm waters. It was the 124Ds, a family that is comprised of the matriarch Field (b. 1996), and her three children Salish II, Lupine, and Dune. It was the perfect reward after a few hours of searching. While one passenger remarked that the scenery through the Gulf Islands was worth the trip alone, we were very happy we found this family of killer whales, and we listened to their blows until it was time to turn the boat around and head home.
