We started off the day with hopeful reports of a group of transient killer whales just off of Victoria, BC. As we left the dock, we headed south down the San Juan Channel towards Cattle Point, the southernmost tip of San Juan Island. We stopped briefly to catch a look at a large group of harbor seals hauled out on a rocky bank only to realized that on the other side of the rocks was a large group of Steller sea lions, with a few California sea lions dispersed among them. The male Steller sea lions gave us their typical chorus of grunts before we continued on northwest in search of some killer whales.
When we arrived on scene, we had a brief moment of serenity watching a group of 5 transient killer whales surface periodically against the Victoria skyline before their calm formation turned into a flurry of flukes and dorsal fins. They were on the hunt!
Since transient killer whales are marine mammal eaters, they can be found around the San Juan Islands year-round because their prey (mainly harbor seals and porpoises) are found here year-round. Transient killer whales have the added challenge, however, of sneaking up on their very perceptive prey. Travelling quietly is a necessity for hungry killer whales, and today it was a success. Each adult male killer whale eats about 450 pounds of food a day, but they’re mainly focusing on the fat and muscles of their prey. This means that each individual snacks on several harbor seals a day. Being social creatures, and cooperative ones, they share every hunt with each other to make sure everyone is fed.
With full bellies, this satisfied group of transients now had time to socialize and play. We identified four individuals as the T-123 family group, which consists of T-123 and her two offspring. Among the group was also two unrelated adult males. All five of them were travelling together, spyhopping, moonwalking (swimming backwards), and socializing even as we left.
On the way back we got some brief glimpses at some harbor porpoises and stopped to look at a bald eagle perched on the top of a tree, overlooking more harbor seals. Overall, it was a picture perfect Pacific Northwest day!