Captain’s Blog

Family Forever: Checking in With 6 Resident Orcas of J-Pod

April 19, 2017

The longer days, the scent of spring in the air, and the gently warming waters of the Pacific Northwest ought to bring a sense of pure joy to the team here at Orca Spirit, but unfortunately a tragedy struck a few months back that’s painting everything with a sombre shade as we head into the […]

Giants of the Salish Sea : Humpback Whales

August 7, 2016

Standing at Clover Point and looking out into the Salish Sea, it’s hard to believe there are giants swimming just off in the distance: humpback whales. Humpbacks reach lengths of 17 m (55 ft) and 40,000 kg (88,184 lbs). They are predominantly black with variable amounts of white ventrally. The whales have huge pectoral flippers […]

Why is Family Structure so Crucial to J-Pod’s Resident Orcas?

May 24, 2016

Imagine cruising around in your family’s chosen mode of transportation (when I was a kid that meant a robust, 80’s style Ford Bronco that fit approximately 24 children). You go everywhere together in this vehicle. Someone’s hungry? Let’s whip through the drive through at McDonald’s. Someone has swimming lessons? We’ll drop ‘em off in the […]

Rachael Merrett – “We Can Learn So Much From Them (Orcas)”

December 21, 2015

“Everything they do in the wild is by choice.” That’s Rachael Merrett, one of the friendly faces you’ll see leading the way on Orca Spirit’s Whale Watching adventures. Rachael lives and breathes orca whales, it’s an obsession she’s held ever since she saw these magnificent creatures in the wild as a child. I caught up […]

Neighbours for a Century: What Did Whale Watching Look Like in 1915?

November 25, 2015

“The long and the short of it is that it didn’t exist, at least not in the sense that it does today.” That’s Sheenah Duclos, one of the Head Naturalists at Orca Spirit. For professionals such as Sheenah as well as amateur whale watching enthusiasts (and orca whale bloggers), watching orcas, greys and humpbacks, not […]

Orca Spirit’s Sheenah Duclos: A Lifetime With the Whales

July 22, 2015

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” Do you remember where you were the first time you heard that question? Not many of us do, the memory just isn’t that strong. That’s not the case for Sheenah Duclos. Sheenah’s enjoying her sixth season as the head naturalist at Orca Spirit. “The first […]

4 Unique Orca Behaviours to Watch for this Summer

July 9, 2015

Imagine you could live anywhere in the world. What would your home look like? Would you live on a secluded island where you’d search for fresh fruit and hunt for wild game? Or would you hide yourself deep in the forest in a cabin, chopping firewood and living off the land? Warm-blooded mammals, whether they […]