Caught on cam: Orcas delight BC Ferries passengers sailing between Vancouver and Victoria
A family of transient orcas put on a show for passengers aboard a large BC Ferries vessel this weekend.
Video of the encounter shows at least six transient orcas swimming in Active Pass near a BC Ferries vessel sailing between Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen on Sunday afternoon.
Rachelle Hayden, a marine naturalist with environmental group Salish Sea Orca Squad, recorded the video while she was on Mary Anne Point Road on Galiano Island.
Hayden lives in an area overlooking Active Pass, which flows between southern Galiano Island and northern Mayne Island.
"So we actually see orcas and other whales often, especially in Active Pass," she told CTV News.
Neighbours had given Hayden a heads up that orcas were entering the waterway, so she had her camera ready.
"Right away we identified them as Biggs killer whales, which are the ones that eat mammals and not salmon," she said.
The whales entered the pass and hunted down some seals, according to Hayden. After that, they looped back around and exited the same way they entered.
"I had a really good view, I saw the orcas coming around the corner," she said.
At the same time, a BC Ferries vessel was traversing through Active Pass.
"The ferry already knew that the orcas were coming into the pass because there were other vessels in the pass and they always communicate," said Hayden.
She says the ferry did a good job of slowing down, and that passengers flocked to the side of the vessel to catch a glimpse of the orcas.
"We observe BC Ferries all the time in Active [Pass] with the whales, and they do a really good job of trying to slow down for mammals and whales," she said.
In this instance, Hayden says the ferry was moving with the direction of the current, so the crew did its best to slow down without endangering other vessels or passengers on board.
"By observation, it didn't seem like the whales were in distress at all," she said.
The orcas were spotted early Sunday afternoon. (Salish Sea Orca Squad)Hayden believes the orcas caught on video were part of the T49 family. She says another group of orcas was there earlier in the day and that two groups briefly crossed paths, though this wasn't captured in video.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Five areas Canada's foreign interference commissioner says needs more investigation
Commissioner Marie-Josee Hogue released her interim report examining foreign election interference on Friday. Here are five elements of the issue that Hogue says she needs to further probe before she can make conclusions or recommendations.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
New weight-loss drug Wegovy not a 'magic bullet,' doctor warns
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Why your airfare may be getting more expensive
Skyrocketing airfare prices are linked to heightened competition and rising food and fuel, according to the CAA.
Manitoba man sentenced to house arrest for keeping fishing tournament funds meant for Children's Hospital Foundation
A Manitoba man who pleaded guilty to keeping the funds raised from an ice-fishing fundraiser for the Children's Hospital Foundation of Manitoba has been handed a sentence of 18 months house arrest.