Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Oceam Magic Wildlife Adventure June 26 12:15

The 12.15pm Ocean Magic vessel with Capt Scott in the wheelhouse, and crew members, Casey, Rhonda and Sophie on board set sail to the east , passing Trial Island lighthouse, where Harbour Seals were spotted on the low lying rocks. With plenty of sunshine, a little summer breeze and slight chop on the water, we were bound to have a great time. A chance encounter with a young Gray Whale off Oak Bay, made for an exciting beginning to our adventure. Two very shy Harbour Porpoise were spotted on our way over to False Bay, San Juan Island, where we observed several members of J Pod , one of our Southern Resident Pods, that are frequently seen at this time of year. A big male Orca, J 27, affectionately know as 'Blackberry ' was seen with other members of his family. They were well spread out and foraging for their favourite food, salmon. Our time with these magical creatures was soon over and we had to return to the harbour. It was another delightful encounter with these much loved Orca of the west coast.
Marie, Orca-Magic.

Monday, June 28, 2010

Ocean Magic Wildlife Adventure June 27 12:15pm

With extremely flat conditions out on the water today, our guests were going to experience a most enjoyable trip. The weather created an ideal situation for spotting wildlife. We soon found marine mammals, those shy Harbour Porpoise that set the tone for our Sunday afternoon trip. We headed east and south past San Juan Island toward Whidby Island. Capt Scott and crew members Mika, Rhonda and Sophie kept our guests informed of the wildlife present. It wasn't long before a Minke Whale surfaced to the surprise of all, near Hein Bank. A few members of L Pod, fish eating Orca, were reported earlier in the Whidby Island vicinity and we found them well spread apart, and traveling leisurely north. Members of this Pod, were identified as a female, L 12 'Alexis ', and Skana L 79, a big male, who wowed us with a double breach and some active tail lobs. Other Orca were seen foraging off in the distance. This was an amazing encounter for our guests with those delightful Orca once again.
Marie "Orca-Magic"

Ocean Magic Wildlife Adventure June 26 4:30pm

Our 4.30pm Ocean Magic wildlife adventure this Saturday afternoon, took us east and then north up Haro Strait in search of those constant moving Orca. Large, noisy marine traffic share these waters with the wildlife. The Orca had traveled on the flood tide to Turn Point, 2 hrs after we had seen them at False Bay. We caught up with them at the Stewart Island Lighthouse. J 27, 'Blackberry' was traveling near J 28 'Polaris' a new mother since November 2009. Her young calf was seen close by with another youngster. Other members of J Pod, fish eating Orca, were observed foraging far apart in the late afternoon light. They all appeared to be heading north. We watched for a while in pleasant viewing conditions, with Mt. Baker looking very majestic. Other marine mammals seen this trip were Harbour Seal and Porpoise. Our expert crew ,Capt. Scott, Casey, Rhonda and Sophie shared their knowledge with our guests. Once again, this was a great 'Prince of Whales ' marine adventure.
Marie "Orca-Magic"

Ocean Magic Wildlife Adventure June 25 9am

A spectacular day of whale watching was had by all those lucky enough to be aboard the Ocean Magic 2. With the sun shining and a light breeze we set off from Victoria harbor just after 9am with Captain Scotty along with first mate Casey and naturalist Lichelle. We headed up towards San Juan Island and it wasn’t long before Captain Scotty had found us some of the resident whales from J-pod. We were very fortunate this morning as the whales decided to stay in relatively one area for almost an hour. This allowed Captain Scotty to shut down the engine and let us just float there while the whales decided to put on a show giving all on board some fantastic and breathtaking views of the animals. The whales were particularly playful this morning with around 7-10 whales splashing about, slapping tails and even a double breach. With the incredible views, warm sun and playfulness of the animals the guests on board left with some incredible memories.
CJ

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Ocean Magic Wildlife Adventure June 20 12:15

Captain Gord slipped the Ocean Magic from the dock and took us just a short distance out of harbour to view a Grey Whale. This whale has been working the waterfront area for the past few days. Gord then steered the Magic East and went in search of Orca. We headed north up Haro Strait and it wasn't long before we were viewing members of J pod. These were the fish eating resident Killer Whales. We saw many breaches and playful behaviour as the whales headed south towards San Juan Island. With the sun playing hide and seek and the waters calm, it was a perfect wildlife adventure. On our way back to the harbour Gord stopped by some small islands off Oak Bay were we viewed some Harbour Seals. This was a great afternoon on the water with Prince Of Whales.
Clint "Orcawizard"