On both our morning and afternoon trips on board the Aurora with Captain Earl we headed through the bank WAY out past the SE Corner. This long voyage built up the suspense and excitement of our passengers, but once we arrived on the bank we were graced with the presence of copious amounts of kick-feeding humpback whales! 

After yesterday’s sparse sightings, I was completely surprised to find that there were so many whales actively feeding in the area today. It’s amazing how things can change so dramatically overnight! Throughout both trips we spotted Echo and her 2016 calf, Timberline, Apex, Landslide, Apostrophe, Tau and so many more that I still need to ID! 

We enjoyed viewing the varying kick-feeding strategies exhibited by the different humpback whales in the area today. One whale would kick things off with a speedy chin-slap and subsequent arch of the back which was always very dramatic. Others focused more on their tail flicks, but each bout of kicking and thrashing always had the end result of wide open mouths and plenty of baleen! The food of choice today appeared to be sandlance and it was just about everywhere!

Can’t wait for tomorrow!

— Annie