Oh baby! Record number of humpback whale calves spotted in our waters
Posted October 22, 2021 10:28 am.
Last Updated October 22, 2021 10:31 am.
Humpback whales are back in the waters off Vancouver Island, and they have brought some adorable additions with them.
Nearly two dozen humpback whale calves have been spotted in the Salish Sea in recent months, much to the delight of local whale watchers.
Humpback mom and calf flippers. (Val Shore, Eagle Wing Tours, PWWA)
“This year we kind of blew the record out of the water. We saw twice as many calves than the previous record,” said Erin Gless with the Pacific Whale Watch Association.
She says the 21 calves spotted recently were born in warmer waters, and then swam north with their families to feed in the cooler water off B.C.’s mainland and Washington state.
“We are peak humpback feeding season, and then in the next month or two is when they will start heading back down to their winter grounds,” Gless said.
Malachite, calf of Slate. (Ashley Keegan, Wild Whales Vancouver, PWWA)
They primarily feed on krill, but Gless she says they aren’t selective about what’s on the menu.
“They are not picky eaters, they’ll eat just about everything,” she joked, adding, “they are also eating lots of different types of bait fish: so anchovies, sardines, herring, little fish like that.”
They are expected to stick around for the next month, which gives locals a chance to see the babies before they swim away.
“You can view them from shore but we at the Pacific Whale Watching Association, still, weather permitting, [are] running whale watching tours, so you get out on the boat and see them as well,” Gless said.
