Western Prince Whale Watching

Written by Elah
on May 03, 2018

Bigg’s Killer whales versus the massive Steller Sea lions in the Salish Sea

Bigg’s Killer whales versus the massive Steller Sea lions in the Salish Sea

As whale watch enthusiasts it can be easy to forget the other creatures that live in our backyard.  Today we had a surprisingly close encounter with a raft, or group, of steller sea lions. These agile and territorial creatures are usually enjoyed from a distance while they sunbathe on one of their many haul outs.   Up to twelve feet in length and roughly 2,000 pounds, the Steller Sea Lions seem hasty to make decisions, appear annoyed when bothered and just want an easy meal. They are a creature many can relate to.

Today, however, our guests were privy to another Sea Lion trait; fearing for one’s life.  The Western Prince was coming upon Eastpoint, off of Saturna Island, when we noticed many Sea Lions hauled out on the rocks, with a few stragglers in the water.  It’s a commonly held observational belief that marine mammals can tell the difference between non-threatening resident orcas (fish eaters) and the extremely threatening transient orcas (marine mammal eaters).  The Sea Lions in the water seemed oblivious to the approaching transient orcas, the 36A family, mom and her three offspring. That is until they were acutely aware of them.

The orcas were working the churning currents off of Eastpoint when they suddenly seemed to zero in on the floating raft of Stellers.  The Sea Lions realized they were in immediate danger and bolted, staying as close together for protection as possible. Still far from the rocks, they took shelter in the closest thing to them; another whale watching boat.  They zoomed in between the catamaran-type vessel, breathing heavy, necks swiveling, eyes peeled. The orcas were taking long dives and no one knew where they would pop up again. They eventually surfaced roughly 100 yards from the sea lions’ hiding spot.  However, some of our more seasoned naturalists have seen killer whales pretend to leave, luring their prey into a false sense of security. They appeared to circle the boat before deciding to move on. After all, four steller sea lions vs. four killer whales is not the ideal ratio for an easy meal.  Especially when that meal fights back.

The sea lions remained in the protection of the boat for another 30 minutes, while the T36A’s swam farther north.  We got a few more good looks as they cruised on and we left the Stellers to go about their day.

As we left the area we observed a flock of gulls and at least 3 bald eagles tearing into a bait ball of schooling fish right off of Boiling Reef.  Eventually, some Steller Sea Lions joined the fray for their easy meal, hopefully able to appreciate their immediate switch from prey to predator.

Written by Elah
on May 03, 2018

Bigg’s Killer whales versus the massive Steller Sea lions in the Salish Sea

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