Written by Alison
on Aug 18, 2024

Killer Whales Hunting

Killer Whales Hunting

July 18, 2024 PM – When we left the dock we headed north. We had a bit of wind and in this direction it was supposed to be minimal and we had Orcas in that area too! Our first stop was at the beautiful Cactus Islands. There we saw a Bald Eagle sitting in a nest, some Pigeon Guillemots flying around and some Harbor Seals including a mum and pup pair. While we were there we heard that the whales had crossed Haro Strait from Canada and were cruising along the Stuart Island shoreline. When we started our encounter they were tucked in close to shore and moving at a good clip. We were surprised, but not shocked when they turned into Reid Harbor. Reid Harbor is a mile plus long, but probably less than a third of a mile wide. With a marine State park near the head of the bay it is a popular anchorage for recreational boaters. Anyways, it seems to also be a good place for Orcas to hunt as the seals don’t expect them to be there. The whales were successful today. It appeared the the youngsters (aged 1 & 3) in this young family of 5 started to hunt a seal. Eventually the rest of the family came to help finish what they had begun. We knew they were successful when a blood slick appeared at the surface! Yikes! The lighting was stunning and it was a privilege to experience such an amazing encounter. There were a couple of anchored sail boats that got a very close up view of the action. Our Bigg’s KW on this day were the T109A2’s. Mom is just 19 and already has 4 offspring aged 8, 6, 3 & 1 year of age!

Photographer and Naturalist: Alison Engle – Instagram: @Alisonengleart – Website: www.alisonengle.com

Western Prince Wildlife Adventures – Instagram: @Westernprincewildlife – Facebook: Western Prince Whale Watching

Written by Alison
on Aug 18, 2024

Killer Whales Hunting

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