Stubbs Island Sightings

Photo Credit: Geoff Dunstan

Photo Credit: Geoff Dunstan

Photo Credit: Geoff Dunstan

Photo Credit: Geoff Dunstan

Photo Credit: Geoff Dunstan

Photo Credit: Geoff Dunstan

From the Wheelhouse:

On October 5th and 6th we were thrilled to be able to take out 2 groups of international students from the Nanaimo school district! Both days were gorgeous, with glass-calm seas, clear skies, and even some sunshine! We were very fortunate to sight transient (marine mammal eating) orca on both trips! The students were able to watch these magnificent animals as they hunted and traveled. The orca were being quite active at one point; as we observed them with a possible kill they were slapping their tails, spy hopping, and even breaching!

Pacific white-sided dolphins were a definite highlight on both of the trips! On the morning of the 5th we received reports of a massive group of Pacific white-sided dolphins moving quickly past Alert Bay spread 1/2 a mile wide with transient orca not far behind them.  When we encountered them they had scattered into smaller groups, yet the sight was remarkable with dolphins leaping into the air everywhere you looked! On both days the dolphins put a smile on the students faces as they rode in the wake of the boat. At one point we even viewed a mother dolphin and her very young calf!

Many humpback whales were in the area as well, and we were quite happy to watch these massive baleen whales as they fed on schools of small fish using their ‘lunge feeding’ technique. With the huge mouths of the humpbacks coming up out of the water wide open, and lots of hungry seagulls circling in hopes of catching a meal, lunge feeding is always quite the sight to behold. There were also some good photo opportunities as the humpbacks fluked their tails, slapped their pecs, and prepared for long dives.

A large group of Steller sea lions hauled out on a rock were also enjoying the sunshine, while others were swimming in the nearby kelp beds. Lots of sea birds were in the area including Bald eagles, common murres and Northern phalaropes to name a few.

The office staff were happy to have wildlife sightings of their own too. There was a kingfisher who settled on the bow of the Gikumi for a few hours, as well as a black bear roaming on the beach below the boardwalk!

This was a great way to finish off the very end of our 2011 season, and we cannot wait to see what 2012 has in store for us when we start again in May!

Photo Credit: Zoe Schroeder

Today was an excellent day for the last tour of our 2011 season.  We would like to thank all of the people that went out on a tour or visited our office this year for helping to make it a great season! And we hope to see you all again!

The sun was shining as the MV Lukwa left the dock, and while there was a little wind, nothing to deter us from going out in search of wildlife.  And we found it!  There were at least 10 humpbacks in the area today, and at one point while the boat was shut off and drifting we were thrilled to find ourselves literally surrounded by the big baleen whales feeding!  Just awesome!  Guests also got to see a breach near the boat and lots of tail slaps and a couple of good looks at waving pectoral fins.

Photo Credit: Zoe Schroeder

Harbour seals and Steller sea lions were hauled out on the rocks, in some cases along with dozens of gulls.  Other sea birds sighted today included common murres, bald eagles, surf scoters, white-winged scoters and pelagic cormorants.  All in all, a fantastic day to end the season with!

Quote of the Day: “I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul” – William Ernest Henley

Photo Credit - Roger McDonell

The sun was poking out from between the clouds for the morning trip as we searched for whales and other marine mammals. There were some great opportunities to view Humpbacks whales as even more appear in the region. We counted at least ten different animals on today’s tours but we were only able to identify a few. The morning trip’s guests had a good look at ‘Slash’ who was doing some nice high flukes as it went for a deep dives.

Photo Credit - Roger McDonell

Lots of sea lions hauled out on the rocks today. Estimates were that 50 or more were in the area this morning. There were also over 50 Harbour seals out on the rocks enjoying the sunshine like everyone else. Today we had lots of birds including approximately 50 Rhinocerous auklets, a similar number of Common mures and about 20 Northern phalaropes. To round out the bird watching today, there were at least four Bald eagles.

Photo Credit - Roger McDonell

Our afternoon trip was at times surrounded by Humpback whales who were feeding quite actively. Everyone on board was able to watch as the whales lunge fed on small fish being schooled tight near the surface by diving birds. We identified one Humpback as ‘Freckles’ and saw three breaches just off in the distance. On our way back towards Telegraph Cove we encountered a group of 100 Pacific White-sided dolphins. some of the group came over to swim alongside the Lukwa which is always a highlight of any trip on the water.

Quote of the Day: “Every path has a puddle!”

Next Available Tour:

Sunday, October 2, 2011 at 1:00 p.m. (Last tour of the season!)

Photo Credit: Geoff Dunstan

The wind was not a deterrent for today’s trips out looking for whales and other marine life. The morning trip had guests delighted to see 50+ Stellar sea lions hauled out on a rock near the Plumper Islands. Some of these 800-1000 pound animals are getting quite curious and approaching the boat to have a closer look at our guests. After everyone had a good look at each other, it was off to find some Humpback whales. Not to be disappointed, Captain Rick was able to find several humpbacks nearby in the area protected from the wind. The humpbacks were busy feeding and doing long dives with a few good lunge feeding attempts. While there were no orcas in the area, 50 or more of their smaller cousins, Pacific White-sided dolphins, swarmed around the Lukwa and rode the wake.

Photo Credit: Geoff Dunstan

The afternoon was again windy with a promise from the forecasters that it would ease off later in the afternoon. The Lukwa handled the waves quite nicely as we headed across to Weyton Passage where there were two or three humpbacks doing long dives and a few lunges for feed. We did identify one humpback as “Domino” with its striking two white spots on the bottom side of his fluke. At least twice we saw a whale breach in the distance sending up a huge splash in the air.

Photo Credit: Roger McDonell

Again the Stellar seas lions were crowding a rock but this time it was a high tide and they were in close quarters and some taking issue with their neighbour’s private space. One sea lion found what looked to be a large piece of plastic floating just below the surface near the boat. He was extremely curious and spent quite a bit of time examining this odd floating piece of trash. It did provide some exciting moments as he surfaced just a few meters off the side of the boat.

Next Available Tours:

Friday, September 30, 2011 at 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

Sunday, October 2, 2011 at 1:00 p.m. (Last tour of the season!)

Photo Credit: Zoe Schroeder

Yesterday’s trip was cancelled due to stormy weather, but today with no high winds predicted we set off on an afternoon tour.  The Northern resident orca have been out of our area for the past few days, but the humpback activity has continued to be just awesome!  Today the guests aboard the Lukwa were thrilled to see at least 10 humpbacks, including those locally known as ‘Ripple’ and ‘Jigger’ both with calves.   There was playful activity from the whales, including lots of breaches that we saw from a distance.

Photo Credit: Zoe Schroeder

One of the most exciting things that we were privileged to witness today though was what appeared to be a mother (Jigger) teaching her calf how to feed!  Mom was actually rolled over on her side seemingly corralling herring with her pectoral fins, and it looked like she was encouraging the calf to lunge feed.  Just an amazing sight!

There were also over 50 Steller sea lions spotted today, including some that were leaping right out of the water!  Harbour seals and lots of sea birds, including marbled murrelets, sooty shearwaters, common murres and pelagic cormorants rounded out an afternoon that came to an end under overcast skies back in Telegraph Cove.

Quote of the Day: “Life is not complex, we are complex.  Life is simple, and the simple thing is the right thing.” – Oscar Wilde

Next Available Tours:

Wednesday, September 28, 2011 at 1:00 p.m.

Friday, September 30, 2011 at 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

Sunday, October 2, 2011 at 1:00 p.m. (Last tour of the season!)

Photo Credit: Noor-un-nisa Koller

From the Wheelhouse:

This morning started with some heavy rain, but it cleared up about half way through this morning’s departure which made everyone very happy! Shortly after leaving the dock at Telegraph Cove we encountered 40 Pacific white-sided dolphins, who were very active and entertaining to watch!

Photo Credit: Noor-un-nisa Koller

Afterwards we encountered 100 Steller sea lions, some of which were hauled out on a rock. The other 70 or so were swimming in the surrounding kelp beds. We spotted 6 different humpback whales this morning, and were able to observe as they fed and fluked their tails. 3 of the whales were identified as ‘Freckles’ and ‘Ripple’ with her calf, but unfortunately we were unable to identify the other 3.

Photo Credit: Noor-un-nisa Koller

This afternoon we headed out on glassy calm seas and quickly sighted some humpback whales. Then we encountered a large group of Steller sea lions, and watched as one of the sea lions was whacking a fish! A black bear spotted on an island eating Salal berries was also quite interesting!

Photo Credit: Noor-un-nisa Koller

A group of 12 very active Dall’s porpoise thrilled everyone as they rode along side the bow of the boat. Then we had up to 8 humpback whales feeding in the same small area! We identified ‘Congor’, ‘Humpless’ (a.k.a. ‘Slash’), ‘Ripple’ with her calf,  and ‘Freckles’. Guests were all very impressed as these huge marine mammals were lunge feeding.

Photo Credit: Noor-un-nisa Koller

20 harbour seals, 100′s of common murres, 4 Bald eagles, 2 belted kingfishers, 20 surf scoters and 20 pelagic cormorants capped off a great day spent on glass like seas.

Captain Wayne’s Quote of the Day: “Charity begins at home, but should not end there.” – Thomas Fuller

Next Available Trip:

Monday, September 26 @ 1:00 p.m.

Tuesday, September 27 @ 1:00 p.m.

Wednesday, September 28 @ 1:00 p.m.

Photo Credit: Zoe Schroeder

From the Wheelhouse:

It was quite rainy today, but that sure didn’t seem to bother the humpback whales! This morning we were able to view 4 different humpback whales, one of which we were able to identify as ‘Conger’. A group of about 60 Steller sea lions who were hauled out on a rock, a small group of Pacific white-sided dolphins, and lots of sea birds rounded out the trip.

Photo Credit: Zoe Schroeder

This afternoon we were thrilled to encounter 3 resident (fish eating) orca! These three whales were identified as the two A36 brothers and A12, and were spotted off of the backside of Malcolm Island. Guests were quite intrigued when one of the brothers moved through the water in very quick bursts, which Captain Wayne called ‘power charges’. Several groups of Pacific white-sided dolphins, with about 8-10 dolphins in a group, were also a joy to watch.

Photo Credit: Zoe Schroeder

A few of the 100+ Steller sea lions that we encountered this afternoon were interacting quite closely with a humpback whale, which was very neat to witness. Today we also viewed 8 Dall’s porpoise, 30 harbour seals, 20 sooty shearwaters, 100′s of common murres and 4 Bald eagles.

Captain Wayne’s Quote of the Day: “You have not converted a man because you have silenced him.” – John Morlet

Next Available Tour:

Saturday, September 24 @ 9:00 a.m. & 1:00 p.m.

Monday, September 26 @ 1:00 p.m.

Tuesday, September 27 @ 1:00 p.m.

Photo Credit: Geoff Dunstan

This morning began with some showers, but the sea was calm as  Wagalus School joined us for a field trip.   We were once again very happy to view over 200 Stellar sea lions hauled out on the rocks, and lots of harbour seals too!  There were four humpback whales in the area, “Corporal”, “Argonaut”, “Guardian” and “Freckles” which was just wonderful to see.  The common murres were everywhere, and there were bald eagles and other sea birds to view as well.

Photo Credit: Geoff Dunstan

This afternoon we were excited to find three humpback whales, these animals were the ones locally known as “Conger”, “Argonaut” and one that was unidentified.  Guests were thrilled to see about 150 Pacific white-sided dolphins being very active, and we were able to hear some great vocals from them on the underwater microphone.  It is always so wonderful to be able to add the sounds to the experience of seeing the wildlife in our area!

Captain Wayne’s Quote of the Day: “Promises may get friends, but it’s performance that keeps them.” – Thomas Fuller

Next Available Tours:

Friday, September 23, 2011 @ 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

Saturday, September 24, 2011 @ 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

Sunday, September 25, 2011 @ 1:00 p.m.

Photo Credit: Geoff Dunstan

From the Wheelhouse:

This morning we ended up cancelling our 9:00 a.m. departure, due to high winds and rough sea conditions. Luckily, just before our 1:00 p.m. departure, the seas flattened out and the winds calmed considerably which allowed us to depart Telegraph Cove as scheduled. This afternoon we had some rather heavy rain, but it wasn’t enough to dampen our passengers’ sense of adventure!

Photo Credit: Geoff Dunstan

Everyone aboard was thrilled to view a humpback whale as it breached clear out of the water! And with 8 humpback whales sighted, we had excellent opportunities to take some great photos of these majestic marine mammals as they dove and fluked their tails. Guests were also quite pleased to be able to listen to the humpbacks as they trumpeted!

Photo Credit: Geoff Dunstan

A remarkable and quite interesting sight was when a Steller sea lion was interacting quite closely with one of the humpback whales. He/she was swimming through the humpback’s raised pectoral fins, as well as all around the body of the whale. At times it looked almost like the sea lion was ‘caressing’ the large whale! What a sight!

Photo Credit: Geoff Dunstan

We also had a brief encounter will a small group of Pacific white-sided dolphins, and watched a group of over 150 Steller sea lions! Most of the sea lions were hauled out on the rocks, with a few swimming in the surrounding kelp beds. The bird enthusiasts were happy to view: a rhinoceros auklet, lots of sooty shearwaters, 6 common murres, 1 Bald eagle, 20 Northern phalaropes and a lone pelagic cormorant. A small group of harbour seals capped off a mild, wet, and satisfying afternoon!

Captain Wayne’s Quote of the Day: “Everyday we have some weather, and yesterday was no exception.” – John Carr

Next Available Tour:

Thursday, September 22 @ 1:00 p.m.

Friday, September 23 @ 9:00 a.m. & 1:00 p.m.

Saturday, September 24 @ 9:00 a.m. & 1:00 p.m.

Photo Credit Zoe Schroeder

Despite some strong SE wind we had a great trip this morning .  Lots of very social orca were quite active in the waves and our guests got to see spy hops, belly rolls and tail slaps and even breaches!  There were also 4 humpbacks sighted on this trip – “Stripe”, “Crescent” and 2 others that we were unable to identify.  Active Dall’s porpoise around the boat and approximately 300 Stellar sea lions hauled out on the rocks rounded out this trip.

Photo Credit: Zoe Schroeder

This afternoon was among the days with the largest number of orca in the area at one time this season!  Over 70 orca! Groups in the area included the following; G3′s, A34′s, A30′s, A23′s, I11′s, I31′s and A36′s.  There were some great vocals as the orca entered the Strait.  Some passengers were actually brought to tears by the experience.  Also sighted this afternoon were 4 humpbacks – “Guardian”, and 3 others that were unidentified.  In addition, there were harbour seals, Pacific white-sided dolphins, rhinoceros auklets, bald eagles, Northern phalaropes, pelagic cormorants and a belted kingfisher spotted today.  We can’t wait to see what tomorrow will bring!

Captain Wayne’s Quote of the Day: “Opposition may inflame the enthusiast, but never converts him.” – Friedrich Von Schiller

Next Available Tours:

Wednesday, September 21, 2011 at 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

Thursday, September 22, 2011 at 1:00 p.m.

Friday, September 23, 2011 at 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.