2024 - There She Blows! Whales in British Columbia

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'There she blows!" Beth bellowed in the middle of the Strait of Georgia.  This is time timeless call that signals the sighting of a whale.  "Where away" I hollered back.  "To port, windward side", was the response.  We slowed to idle and watched a small group of Humpback Whales swim past us, headed south.  Our encounter occurred during our passage from Silva Bay on Gabriola Island to Vancouver.

Since 2004, the Humpback Whale population has grown in BC.  In 2004, only 42 individual whales were identified.  By 2019, the population had grown to 426,  and in 2023 the observed population had grown to nearly 800 ,a dramatic improvement.  

The whales were commercially hunted from the 1800's until 1965 in the Pacific Northwest.  During this period of time it is estimated that 28,000 whales were harvested.

Humpback spend from spring to fall feeding in the waters of the Pacific Northwest.  In the fall they migrate to their breeding grounds in Mexico or Hawaii.  As there is no food in those locations, the whales will not eat again until after their calves are born and they return to the PNW.  Upon their return, a feeding frenzy starts that lasts from dawn till dusk.


Here you can see the whales tail fluke as it dives



Here the whale is swimming on the water's surface.

If you sight a mother whale with calves, it is easy to imagine their ongoing work teaching their calves the skills they will need to survive.  Whales are social creatures and do travel in groups.  Doing so is helpful for protection and also for hunting food.  During our west to east passage of the Strait of Georgia, we made tow separate whale sightings.

Sea Lion Sighting


Our next sighting was rather unusual.  We saw a sea lion eating a ray of some kind.  we observed the sea lion fighting with the ray at the waters surface.  Initially, we could not tell what he had in his mouth.  It was only later, when we zoomed in on the photos that we could see they true content of his meal.








Sea Lion with a ray in its mouth
Seagulls ready to clean up any scraps





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Location: Strait of Georgia

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