Some days on the Salish Sea have a nickname before we even tie up at the dock.
We call this one “humpback soup.”
On May 22, humpback whales seemed to be everywhere we looked. In total, we encountered seven individuals, including Nova and Hendrix, feeding in the same general area.
Nova has quite the family history. First documented in 2018, she is the daughter of Apollo, granddaughter of Horizon, and has since become a mother herself. Watching generations of humpback whales return to the Salish Sea is one of the many privileges of spending time on these waters.
Hendrix, meanwhile, is a newer face in the catalogue. First documented in 2021, this whale has become an increasingly familiar sight in the region and is always exciting to encounter.
With whales surfacing in nearly every direction, choosing where to point your binoculars, or your camera, became almost impossible. One blow would appear over 200m in front of us, another 200m behind, then another on the horizon. It’s the kind of day our crew affectionately calls “humpback soup.”
Although humpback whales can often be spread across a wide area, each individual is making its own decisions about where and when to feed. Depending on prey availability, they may lunge through dense schools of fish, rest quietly at the surface between dives, or continue travelling through the region.
Days like this don’t happen because the whales gather for us.
They happen because the Salish Sea provides productive feeding habitat that supports prey species such as herring and other forage fish. The abundance of food draws humpback whales back to these waters year after year, helping them build the energy reserves needed for their long migrations.
Experiences like this are also a reminder of why protecting the Salish Sea matters. Healthy marine ecosystems support healthy wildlife populations, and every incredible day on the water depends on preserving the habitats these animals rely on.
