Our third day was the most exciting for me because we would be doing an activity that I had never done before – whale-watching! In a sense, this was the one and only activity in Victoria that my husband and I would be both doing for the first time.
Victoria is one of the best places for whale-watching. Majestic mammals and marine wildlife abound in the waters surrounding Vancouver Island, including the orca (or killer whale), gray, humpback, and minke whales, as well as sea lions, seals, porpoises, and marine birds.
Whales love the Pacific Northwest (and so do I…maybe I am part-whale), especially the waters around Vancouver Island. The San Juan de Fuca Strait (an inlet of the Pacific Ocean between Vancouver Island in Canada and Washington State in the US), the Haro Strait (a passage lying between Vancouver and Saturna Islands), and the Strait of Georgia (the arm of the Pacific Ocean between Vancouver Island and the extreme southwestern mainland coast of British Columbia) are part-time homes to three pods of “resident” orcas. Pods of whales are groups of families and individual whales. These pods live and thrive mainly on salmon and other species of fish found in these waters.
We booked a three-hour whale-watching tour aboard a 12-seater zodiac boat. Just before the ride, we were suited up in our whale-watching gear – flotation suits, hats, and gloves – aimed at both comfort and protection. We were also provided with hydrophones that would enable us to listen to whale calls as they communicated in the water below. These machines could pick up and amplify the beautiful sounds of the orcas. Maybe we could even hear whale songs!
The tour was conducted by a marine naturalist guide, who did not only lead the way as we searched for orcas, but also gave us an educational commentary on the environment and natural history of the West Coast, as well as the biological and ecological features of the whales and their ocean environment.
He happily announced that we had chosen a very good day for whale-watching. According to the day’s sighting reports, the J Pod of orcas was spotted around the vicinity that very morning, so it was very likely for us to encounter them. But he also reminded us that we do have to follow certain rules and codes of conduct.
We were to play the role of silent spectators. We were to sit and observe from a distance. We were to admire but not interact, nor interfere.
Most whale-watching operators in British Columbia are proud members of the Pacific Whale Watching Association and are committed to responsible, ethical, and educational wildlife viewing.
They strictly follow the “Be Whale Wise” viewing guidelines and ensure that all participants understand. This includes being cautious and courteous when in an area of known or suspected marine mammal activity, slowing down (reducing speed to seven knots) within one kilometer of the nearest whale, avoiding abrupt changes, avoiding approach of more than 200 meters to any killer whale or 100 meters to any baleen whale, stopping immediately to allow whales to pass when the vessel is within 100 meters of a whale, not approaching whales from the front or behind, approaching and departing from the side and moving in a direction parallel to the whales, keeping clear of the whales’ path, staying on the offshore side of the whales when travelling close to the shore, and not swimming with or feeding the whales. Our guide reiterated that the manner in which he would be manning our vessel and the direction we would be going would all be in accordance with these rules.
This is all about respect – respect for all living creatures and their habitats, and respect for our environment. Oftentimes, we humans make it all about us. In our excitement and eagerness to experience something unique, we disregard our fellow creatures and our environment. Our first urge is to get up close for a better look or a better photo opportunity. Others even dare to touch, pick-up, or dive right in, just to be able to say, “I got this close,” or “I did this cool thing!” But we have to keep in mind that selfish acts like these threaten our wildlife’s safety and are disruptive to their natural behaviours.
Sure, we can view whales. But we have to do our part and act responsibly. We have to think about them too, and ensure that they can go about their business free of stress and negative impact from our curiosity. And you know what? Sometimes, good behaviour is rewarded. Quite often, when boaters turn off their engines and float silently, and when watchers stay quiet and observe respectfully, the whales could even approach the vessel to get a good look at humans, or initiate contact!
In our case, we managed to find the J Pod orcas in no time and we kept in mind all the guidelines. We all “behaved.” And, lo and behold! As our zodiac stayed inconspicuous and we, the passengers, remained steady and silent while admiring these stunning mammals as they swam in unison, they put up a show for us. The orcas showcased their flipping skills, one after the other, as if they were doing it for the sake of their audience (there were a couple of other zodiacs and a small sail boat “parked” nearby).
Orcas are toothed whales that belong to the oceanic dolphin family. They are also called “killer whales,” though they don’t typically attack humans. They are called as such because of their ability to take down large marine mammals such as sea lions, seals, and other species of whales. They are ”apex predators,” meaning, no other animal preys on them. But orcas can also have diverse diets depending on where they live, and individual populations often specialize in particular types of prey, with some feeding exclusively on fish and squid (like in Victoria, where they eat salmon and other local fish). They are highly social and are composed of matrilineal family groups. Their sophisticated hunting techniques and vocal communication (often specific to a particular group and passed across generations), have been described as manifestations of their culture.
On the BC Coast, the resident orcas are divided into two groups - the Northern Community and the Southern Community. The latter resides in the waters surrounding southern Vancouver Island (where Victoria is) and is made up of three pods – the J (the ones we were tracking), K, and L Pods. These pods frequent the inshore waters of the Pacific Northwest in the summer months, feasting on returning Chinook salmon populations that are running from the Pacific Ocean to their spawning sites in the Fraser River.
This community is the most studied group of whales and for the past 35 years, each individual orca has been identified and tracked. The saddle patch (the white marking behind the dorsal fin) acts like a fingerprint and allows researchers (and even expert whale-watching guides) to keep track of their information, including ID numbers, nicknames, ages, and family relationships. They know them like they know their friends. Births, deaths, and population dynamics are tracked by the Centre for Whale Research based in San Juan Island. Each whale has an adoption name (either a Western or an Indigenous name) – Tofino, Kiki, Nova, T’ilem I’nges, Notch, Star, Se yi chn, Moby, Echo, Eclipse, Suttles, and Talehquah are some of them, and each whale has a story.
These three Southern Community pods mate amongst each other, but do not interbreed with the Northern Community that frequent the northern part of the island. There are also some transient whales in the region that are genetically distinct from the residential whales and travel in small groups, usually just up to eight animals.
The J Pod has 22 members (in 2019) – ten adult females, three young females, two adult males, and seven young males. The most popular was Granny, who was thought to have been around 106 years old, but sadly died in 2006. The other one is Talehquah, still alive, who gave birth to a calf that died shortly after it was born. The grieving mother carried its body on her rostrum for 17 days, and this captured world attention. You see, they are truly part of this community and are well cared for.
I asked our guide how they can identify the pods. He said the easiest way is through their vocalizations, which are so distinct from each other. Ecological naturalists and trained whale-watching guides are all familiar with them and can recognize them easily. Another way is through their regular whale trails. For example, the J Pod has been known to frequent the west side of San Juan Island in Haro Strait during the summer months. They spend more time there than the other pods in the inner Salish Sea, traveling as far north as Texada Island on BC’s Sunshine Coast. In the fall and winter, they return a few times each month to central Puget Sound near Seattle, following winter salmon runs. The other pods have their own distinct whale trails as well. How interesting!
We were soaked by the time we returned to shore, but we were happy. It was indeed a privilege to have a “meet and greet” with this pod and for them to “welcome” us with their amazing water stunts. This goes to show that when there is respect for each other, all creatures of the Earth can live in harmony.
Photo Credits:
vicnews.com, Mikhal Klajban (Wikipedia), abbeymoore.com, MARELBU (Wikipedia), Brian B. (Yelp), victoriawhalewatching.com
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