Haleigh | M/V Osprey | June 4, 2022 | 12:30 pm and 5:30 pm
The start of the summer has shown off the Humpbacks returning to these waters. The presence of these Humpbacks is a reminder of the days these creatures feared the inland waters. Whaled out of the area in the 1900’s, Humpbacks were a memory of the past pre-human influence. As time passed and Humpback populations rebounded, thanks to the banning of whaling internationally, these large baleen whales slowly reentered these inland waters. Communication spread among North Pacific Humpback populations that could use the Salish Sea as a summer feeding ground. By the 2000’s we had more and more Humpbacks returning to these waters to where we have an estimated 500 individuals returning to or passing through during the summer months.
Each day of the summer so far has been a testament to the strength of the Humpback population. Today, we spent the day with two Humpback Whales, a mom known as Big Mama and her newest calf. They were seen earlier in the day traveling southbound through the Strait of Georgia hugging the Canadian coastline of Mayne Island and Saturna Island. Off the shoreline of East Point, this mom and calf duo spent their day feeding in the shallow to deep waters, sometimes in as low as 30 feet of water. These whales seemed to prefer this coastal feeding spot because 5 hours later, we found them there again during our sunset trip! The weather held up for us and we got some beautiful shots of mom and calf surfacing side by side in the calm waters.
It’s a joy to share the wildlife of the Salish Sea with guests visiting from around the world. It’s also an honor to tell the comeback story of an animal once endangered by the threat of humans and now rising back to a stable population that continues to grow.