Whales play ‘I spy’ with Victoria breakwater visitors

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Walking Victoria’s shoreline can be the perfect opportunity to spy on the region’s abundance of wildlife; but are you aware of what’s watching you?

Recently ‘spying’ on visitors at the Ogden Point breakwater was a pod of four Bigg’s killer whales – but their presence did not go undetected for long.

As news spread of the wildlife spectacle, crowds of people gathered along the breakwater and shoreline to enjoy the free performance.

A pod of transient Bigg’s killer whales entertained onlookers at the Ogden Point breakwater on March 12. Supplied by Rachelle Hayden

Capturing the moment on camera was Rachelle Hayden, who was on the water with whale watching tour group Prince of Whales.

Her photos show one whale close to the breakwater ‘spyhopping,’ lifting its head vertically out of the water to better see its surroundings. This behaviour is thought to be used for curiosity, social interactions or hunting.

Another of Hayden’s snaps captures the moment a whale passes onlookers on shore, offering a friendly salute to its fans: a misty spray exhaled through its blowhole.

Crowds gathered along the shoreline near the breakwater to watch the Bigg’s killer whales frolick in the water on March 12. Supplied by Rachelle Hayden

“I felt so happy and excited for the people on shore watching the whales so close to the shoreline,” says Hayden, co-founder of the Salish Sea Orca Squad, a non-profit society dedicated to increasing awareness about orcas, most notably the critically endangered southern resident killer whales.

“It was fun watching the whales work the coastline looking for seals, chasing river otters and catching birds.”

Stars of the wild water show were four transient orcas, who are known as the family group T041s. The oldest member is Lawrie, a female born before 1966.

A pod of transient Bigg’s killer whales entertained onlookers at the Ogden Point breakwater on March 12. Supplied by Rachelle Hayden

According to the Comox Valley Wildlife Sightings group – a Facebook group that shares real-time sightings – the pod of whales stayed in the area for over three hours before heading towards San Juan Island in Washington State.

The next day, the same pod were seen at Duke Point in Nanaimo.

Visits from Bigg’s killer whales to Victoria’s Inner Harbour and shoreline have seemingly become more frequent in recent days. Last year, 23-year-old killer whale Noah, identified as T049A1, made a splash in the downtown harbour. Weeks before his visit, a pod of five orcas, identified as T109As, were caught on camera exploring the harbour.

Experts have explained the abundance of ‘easy picking’ seals in Victoria Harbour, could be why the predatory whales are visiting more regularly.

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