Marine Adventure – Ocean EcoVentures, French Creek
Parksville, British Columbia, Canada
Anthony & I had the day to explore local attractions as our faithful house sitter was tending to the fur-crew throughout the day. We were going to adventure to Quadra Island and have a picnic lunch at Rebecca Spit, but at the last minute decided to head south to French Creek, Parksville to embark on a 4-hour marine tour with Ocean EcoVentures.
We set sail at 12 noon for the four-hour tour. Captain Andi of the retired coast guard vessel, “Skana”, travelled southbound until we reached a group of humpbacks feeding near the tip of Lasqueti Island. All guests were happy to observe several humpbacks feeding and showing off their beautiful tail flukes as they dove into the depths of the Strait of Georgia, but it would be one mother & calf pair that would steal the show.
After Captain Andi and I were able to get good photos of the underside of the mother humpback’s tail, her unique pattern set us off into a state of surprising shock! It was Big Mama [BCY0324] with her 8th known calf born in 2025 by her side.
Why the excitement? well – Big Mama is a legend in her own right and one that I consider the Queen of the Salish Sea. Humpback Whales were hunted to extirpation (local extinction) in the Salish Sea; that is – hunted until there was none left! Then! in 1997, a single humpback was spotted near Race Rocks, Victoria by a tour operator (Mark Malleson). Big Mama was spotted yet another time, and then another – when she was then spotted with her first known calf, “Divot” in 2003. From that point on, history would be made, as Big Mama continued to return to the Salish Sea bringing “home” calf after calf and calf and then the calves began having calves and so on and so forth. Being a great-grandmother herself, it was an absolute thrill to find out she did it again, the reigning Queen, bringing back an 8th calf in 2025.
Her legacy, as shared on the best humpback database, “Happy Whale” is as follows (click on hyperlinks for more information about these whales in Happy Whale):
Divot (BC) aka Isosceles (2003) (known from Tasli Shaw’s investigative work for the Humpback Whales of the Salish Sea)
Split Fin (2006)
Canuck (2010)
Tulip (2012)
Beak (2014)
Poptart (2016)
Moresby (2022)
2025 calf of Big Mama
Big Mama is the grandmother of 5 calves of Divot (BC) aka Isosceles:
The grandmother of 1 calf of Tulip.
2020 calf of Tulip
The grandmother of 1 calf of Poptart:
2023 calf of Poptart
and the great grandmother of 3 calves of Zephyr:
2019 calf of Zephyr
Chi (2021)
2024 calf of Zephyr
as well as, the great grandmother of 2 calves of Olympus:
2025 calf
Achilles (2023)
After our extraordinary encounter with Humpback Royalty, the Skana then headed north towards Texada Island. Near the north end now, we then came across the path of a very beloved family of Bigg’s Killer Whales, the T002Cs.
The matriarch Tasu (T002C) is a descendent of the “Pointed Nose Cow” who was part of the “Pedder Bay 5”, a family of Orcas destined for a life in captivity. It just so happened that the Pointed Nose Cow (“Florencia”) and Charlie Chin were “released” in October 1970 and they escaped back to the Salish Sea. Florencia would go on to have a few calves, most notably T002B “Pedder” (1979) who is still alive (May 2025) and “Tasu” T002C born in 1989.
Tasu has had several calves in the course of her lifetime, with 4 remaining alive as of now (July 2025). Her first calf, T002C1 born in 2002 is the remarkable “Rocky” who is a mature bull with huge presence. Locals revere in his sighting, no many how many times one sees him.
Tasu is now 36 years of age and soon to approach menopause. Her daughter Lucy (2011) is now 14 years of age and the anticipation of her first calf is great amongst local admirers. She will hopefully be the next to carry on the matriarchal lineage of the “Pedder Bay 5”.
I always remind myself that without the “release” of Florencia (Pointed Nose Cow) and Charlie Chin almost 55 years ago, this beloved family that calls the Salish Sea home, would not exist.
The T002Cs are dear to my heart for many reasons, but the biggest reason is that they are my “full circle moment”. You see, prior to the release of the Florencia (Pointed Nose Cow) and Charlie Chin; within the captured Pedder Bay 5 – there were 3 other whales that did not escape. Chimo & Nootka were sold to Sealand of the Pacific, Victoria and Scarred Jaw Cow died in the holding pen.
When I was a mere 5 years of age, I saw Chimo & Nootka in captivity and that visit sparked the fire in my heart for an obsession of killer whales that I have until this very day. Therefore, whenever I see the T002Cs (or T002B who travels independently of her sister); I get choked up and I recall the day that I fell in love with killer whales; but now, I get to see them wild and free as they were always meant to be.
A very special thank you to Captain Andi and Ocean EcoVentures for an extraordinary day viewing two different species and each one being a legend of their own right within the Salish Sea.
Contact information for Ocean EcoVentures, visit their web site below:
https://oceanecoventures.com
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