Whale Tales

A map of the Salish Sea with different colored dots indicating sightings of different populations of killer whales that were seen throughout September 2025

Here's our September Salish Sea orca sightings map! For once it was a busy month not just on the Bigg's killer whale front, but for both Southern and Northern Residents as well!

Read all the details here:
www.orcabehaviorinstitute.org/sightings-ma...

#whalesky

Humpbacks are known to intervene during orca hunts. On Saturday, the T46B1s were craving seal for lunch while BCX1377 "Nike" was nearby. Nike positioned himself between the seal and the orcas, but in the end, his efforts were unsuccessful.

📷: Mollie Cameron, @whalewatchingbc.bsky.social

Big Mama and her Calf in the Strait of Georgia. Read the full story here: buff.ly/332q4Q0
Photo by Gary
This is an encounter from 2014.
#WhaleTales #humpback

Did someone say it's take an octopus to work day?

Brilliant photos from @akwildlifefalmouth showing the extent of the octopus surge in the southwest. This Risso's dolphin seemed to be having fun 🐙

Jokingly linking four tracks of Taylor Swift's new The Life of a Showgirl album to specific Bigg's killer whales

Before returning to our regular programming, we are enjoying our Release Party of a Showgirl weekend. Like many Swifties, we've been trying to figure out who each track on the new album is about, and I think we're on to something! 👀

Looking for a Salish Sea Tour shirt?
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My First (Whale) Mugging. Read the full story here: buff.ly/2nYxO6J
Photo by Kathryn
This is an encounter from 2017.
#WhaleTales #humpback

Rottnest Island Orca – 5/10/19 The Rottnest Island Orca Pod have been sighted regularly over the southern Humpback migration this season. There is a lot to learn about this Pod as we know of and have ID’s on the North West…

Rottnest Island Orca. Read the full story here: buff.ly/CfTGfpQ
This is an encounter from 2019'
#WhaleTales #orca

Orcas Hunting Turtles. Read the full story here: buff.ly/Mt2fSxZ
Photo by Brittany
This is an encounter from 2025
#WhaleTales #KillerWhales

An Incredible First Trip to BC -10/23 I was out with Ocean Ecoventures, with the wonderful Gary Sutton, on a tour where we went up into the Gulf Islands. After encountering several Bigg’s killer whale groups in the Strait of Georgia, a…

An Incredible First Trip to BC. Read the full story here: buff.ly/gTq610E
This is an encounter from 2023
#WhaleTales #KillerWhales

A Unique Humpback Encounter. Read the full story here: buff.ly/ufK3lJL
Photo by Erin
This is an encounter from 2019
#WhaleTales #whales @pacificwhalewatchassociation.com

Jem Cresswell’s striking whale images – in pictures The photographer spent five years documenting humpback whales in the waters surrounding the Tonga Trench

Jem Cresswell’s striking whale images – in pictures www.theguardian.com/environment/... 🦑🌎🧪

Happy #WorldAnimalDay! We're celebrating every species, from the tiniest creatures to the giants of the ocean. Because of you, we’re able to make real change for the rights, welfare, & protection of whales, dolphins, & porpoises. Let’s keep showing the world just how incredible they are.

Bigg's killer whale T101A "Rush" showed off his MASSIVE pectoral flippers during a spyhop last week. 😲 Naturalist Melisa Pinnow of San Juan Excursions got the shot.

Back Offshore. Read the full story here: buff.ly/auMZuZk
Photo by @birdingdad.bsky.social
This is an encounter from 2025
#WhaleTales #BottlenoseDolphins

The Life of a Showgirl It's Rapturous Edition with a spyhopping killer whale

The Life of a Showgirl It's Frightening Edition with a lunging killer whale

The Life of a Showgirl It's Beautiful Edition with a breaching killer whale

Salish Sea Tour T-Shirts - Limited Quantities will be available. See the link in the post to get on the wait list.

Like life behind the curtain, life under the waves is one we're never, ever gonna know, but one thing's for sure: it's beautiful, it's rapturous, it's frightening.

Salish Sea Tour shirts disappear like tiny bubbles in champagne, but get on the wait list for more here:

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Which whale species did I see? Leatherwood et al. (1982, p. 10) is hard to beat...

Cetacean Highway. Read the full story here: buff.ly/x5r5Pg1
Photo by Krisztina
This is an encounter from 2025
#WhaleTales #WhaleWatching

Epic Day with the T036A's and T065B's Steller Sea Lion Take Down!! Read the full story here: buff.ly/2RnrKhM
Photo by Ashley
This is an encounter from 2016.
#WhaleTales #Orca

Humpback calves need 38 times more energy after birth than in womb The energy required for newborn humpback calves to grow after birth is 38 times greater than what they needed inside the womb according to research from University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Hawaiʻi Institut...

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Taylor swift's new album the life of a showgirl but she has a gar's head and it's the life of a showgar.

Don't worry, @solomonrdavid.bsky.social @garlab.bsky.social I did one for you too

Taylor Swift album cover from The Life Of A Showgirl but instead of Taylor there is a whale shark coming straight at you, mouth agape and the title is The Life of a Megamama Supreme. and there's lots of rhinestones and red feathery stuff.

Best I could do

I can’t find a PhD on marine mammals. What now? Finding a PhD on marine mammals is no easy task, and not everyone succeeds. But your dreams of doing marine mammal research did not end...

With the PhD application process looming (at least in the UK), here’s an interesting article on why you may want to consider research outside of marine mammals (we know! shock horror!) and why this doesn’t have to be the end of a career in marine mammal science 🐬
whalescientists.com/i-cant-find-...

A Gorgeous Day Filled with Humpbacks! Read the full story here: buff.ly/2N9wTH5
Video by Marc
This is an encounter from 2016.
#WhaleTales #humpback

We're drooling over this gorgeous photo of a young Bigg's killer whale breaching under a pastel sky near Lummi Island. 🤩 We are so incredibly lucky to call this place home.

📷: Lincoln Humphry, San Juan Cruises

I just couldn't stop thinking about how weird sperm whale mouths are and yet how perfectly shaped for inserting giant squid into

we have been lucky enough personally to see humpbacks up close many times. You can check out almost 1600 #WhaleTales on our website similar to this story from Gary!

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Time for a baby dolphin ✨ timeline cleanse! ✨

💔 Today we say goodbye to Dr. Jane Goodall — conservation icon, friend to wildlife, and voice of hope for our planet.

She showed us that protecting nature isn’t just possible, it’s our responsibility.

Thank you so much, Jane, for your hard work, persistence and passion. 🌱🐒🕊️

Humpbacks and Dolphins. Read the full story here: buff.ly/Ggw2b3W
Photo by Victoria
This is an encounter from 2025
#WhaleTales #WhaleWatching

Epic Day in the Straight of Georgia. Read the full story here: buff.ly/3612CqZ
Photo by Gary
This is an encounter from 2014.
#WhaleTales #humpback