Sea lions, orcas and bears. Oh my!

By Bill

Eight passengers set sail that day for a three-hour tour, a three-hour tour. Luckily, the weather did not get rough and, unlike Gilligan, we were looking for orcas, not a tropical isle.

After donning bulky survival suits that made us feel like kids in snowsuits, we climbed into the Prince of Whales zodiac moored in Telegraph Cove at the north end of Vancouver Island. Most of the morning fog had burned off. We set off on the glassy sea and within five minutes we saw our first spout! It was a humpback headed north up Johnstone Strait, so we saw only its back as it motored along.

“It could be Conger, but it’s hard to tell until we get a tail shot,” said Sharon Kay, our naturalist guide on board. Armed with a camera and long zoom lens, she takes photos to identify individual whales, most of whom have names. She explained that the tail flukes and pectoral fins are seen only when the whales are feeding or resting near the surface.

(Sharon told us to relax and not worry about taking photos. She was happy to share hers with us afterwards. And she did – the photo above was taken by her and she gave us permission to share it here.)

Andy captained our 12-person zodiac (with a Covid limit of eight people, all wearing masks). He introduced himself as having been born in Alert Bay, a nearby Indigenous community, and worked for 45 years as a fisherman and in the forestry and fisheries industries. But guiding for Prince of Whales “is the best job I’ve had,” he said, adding that he never thought he’d “be standing here talking about the whales I’ve seen all my life.”

About 15 minutes after setting out, we spotted our first pod of orcas, aka killer whales. Tall black fins moved quickly along the far shore – something I had always longed to see. It was so thrilling to see these top predators at home, moving so fast and freely.

There are three types of orcas: resident, transient, and offshore. Each type differs in appearance, diet, habitat, genetics, vocalizations, and behaviour. Andy and Sharon could tell these were resident orcas because this group is frequently seen in the area. Sharon took quick photos, then zoomed in on the greyish patches – called saddles – just behind the dorsal fins. Each saddle is different. Amazingly, she knew many of the orcas by sight, but sometimes she and Andy consulted a photo identification directory they carried on board.

Andy cut the motor and we drifted as the pod swam by us. They’d take turns surfacing and then, with a rush of air and water, they’d slide back under water. Andy restarted the motor and we followed at a safe distance. (The law requires 200 metres.) Sharon said they were likely headed towards Robson Bight – an ecological reserve where orcas rub themselves on the gravel beach. A good scratch? That behaviour is unique to this area and Robson Bight is protected so people don’t disturb the whales. The pod stopped to feed along the way, so we stopped to observe. At one point a juvenile female (about 10 years old) swam straight at us. Everyone on the boat tensed with excitement. At the last minute she veered and surfaced so that she could see us. Sharon took that photo at the top of the story just a second after that ‘drive by.’

We floated and watched as a second pod of orcas arrived. Using the photo directory, Andy and Sharon identified them as transients. All told there must have been two dozen orcas swimming around us. Two of the other passengers said they’d been kayaking in the area for the past three days and hadn’t seen any whales at all. We had hit the jackpot!

Just as quickly as they appeared, the orcas vanished. We had spent nearly two hours watching them though so were thrilled. We carried on to Blackfish Sound where we spotted a few more humpbacks’ backs and spouts. Then Andy steered the zodiac past several huge rocks covered with snorting, grunting Steller sea lions. We laughed as we watched them, especially the big males facing off for macho control over their lolling females. They’re nicknamed “grizzlies of the sea” because of their growly noises. The sea lions were cool, but not as cool as seeing so many orcas!

We motored back into Telegraph Cove. This tiny village is home to only about 15 full-time residents but is a launch point for lots of ecotourism: kayaking as well as whale, raptor and bear watching. The shops, pubs and hotel all sit on piers over the cove’s waters. The surrounding hills are steep and don’t allow for easy building, so that’s why construction over the water made sense. The road in from the highway ends at a parking lot, and from there, you walk through the village on docks and boardwalks. No cars or pavement make it a neat place to visit. Most homes and shops have information panels on them explaining the history of the buildings, people and town. The former warehouse that once held salted salmon boxes now houses a whale interpretive centre – our next stop.

After doffing the survival suits and enjoying lunch and a coffee at the Killer Whale Café (recommended), we headed into the Whale Interpretive Centre. Whale skeletons of all kinds hung from the high ceiling and we craned our necks to see them all.

The enthusiastic interpreter explained the differences between the three types of orcas and played recordings of their different languages and vocalizations. When you hear the three back to back, you really do hear differences. The interpreter also pointed out that several of the fin ‘fingers’ on the orca skeleton exhibited signs of osteo-arthritis.

“It’s ‘killer whale’ or ‘orca’ but never ‘orca whale,’” cautioned our interpreter.

Kathryn was interested to learn that orcas go through menopause around age 40 but can live three to four decades beyond that. The families are matrilineal, led by the grandmothers.

The largest skeleton is from a fin whale killed by colliding with a boat. About 70 feet long, it was found dead on a beach. After excarnation (removing the flesh from the bones), it has a new home and role in the centre’s education program. A new discovery for me was the pygmy sperm whale on display. I’d never heard of such a whale before.

Vancouver Island has many tour companies that will take you whale watching, but Telegraph Cove has a great combination going with the Whale Interpretive Centre, the interesting village, a good restaurant, and proximity to resident killer whales in this less-travelled location. If you’re heading north on Vancouver Island, I recommend a visit. Say ‘Hi’ to the orcas for us!

To see more of Sharon Kay’s wonderful photography, check out her website or find her on Instagram: @sharonwckay.