Captain’s Blog

Meet the Whales of J-Pod from the Southern Resident Orca Population!

March 11, 2019

Updated June 2021 J-Pod orcas are one of three orca pods that belong to the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whale population. It is believed that this population has used the Salish Sea for tens of thousands of years to hunt their preferred prey- Chinook salmon. The population is the most highly studied population of marine […]

OS Scholarship Winner Ciara Verstraete: #SaveOurOceans

March 30, 2018

The pursuit of education, knowledge, and compassion is everlasting. At Orca Spirit, it’s imperative to get the word out about the magical orca whales, humpbacks, sea lions, seals, and all the marine life living off the coast of British Columbia. That’s why we’re so proud to introduce the very first winner of the Whale Watcher’s Scholarship, […]

Saying Goodbye to Granny, the World’s Oldest Orca

October 4, 2017

This summer when I embarked on my first whale watching adventure with orca spirit, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I mean, I knew there would be wildlife, but I didn’t know what I’d feel. I was excited, but would I be blown away? Mesmerized? Terrified? I even allowed for the small possibility that I […]

May 31, 2017 – J-Pod Orcas

May 31, 2017

As most days begin, today we could not wait to get off the dock. Beautiful skies, calm water, and reports of J-pod near by, we darted off East this morning. We were able to catch up with J-pod as they traversed North along the Haro Strait. Members were spread out along the straight with many […]

May 7, 2017 – JPod Southern Resident Orcas Return

May 7, 2017

This morning was a special treat in the Victoria whale watching world as we welcomed one of our Southern Resident Killer Whale pods back! Our morning trip didn’t have to go too far out of the harbour before encountering the J16 family group of J pod heading east towards their favorite foraging grounds. The J16s […]

Resident Orcas and Amazing Humpback Encounter

August 24, 2016

Today was a beautiful sunny day spent searching for whales on glassy calm waters out in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Our morning trip journeyed west along the shoreline of Sooke to catch up with a group of our resident killer whales who were on their way out to the open Pacific in search […]

3 J-Pod Behaviours to Watch For This Whale Watching Season

August 16, 2016

It’s the middle of August and the whale watching season is in full swing! We’ve seen a dazzling array of behaviour, from quirky to common, deliberate to downright hilarious. And that’s just from the whale watchers on the deck of the boat! Seriously though, the summer whale watching season has been as wondrous and captivating […]

Southern Resident Orcas & Humpback Whales

August 13, 2016

Saturday morning was spectacular, with sunny skies and really calm waters as we made our way west on the Juan de Fuca Strait. We passed by beautiful and rugged landscapes of Vancouver Island, then something else caught our attention. Triangular black dorsal fins started popping up! We found members of both J and L pod […]

The Orca Families Living in BC’s Coastal Waters

February 10, 2016

There’s really no substitute for the real thing, and when it comes to animals – wild animals living their lives as they’ve done for thousands of years – the behaviours we’re fortunate enough to witness drive this point home. For Orca Spirit’s Rachael Merrett, an encounter with an orca when she was six years old […]