March

Herring eggs on sea grass. It's amazing how much this small fish impacts the entire ecosystem, especially around Barkley Sound.

Bigg's killer whale T011A, "Rainy", in Browning Passage. Rainy was likely born in or before 1978, making him 41 years old. This was the first time he had been recorded in Clayoquot Sound without his mother, T011, "Wakana". This could mean nothing, and they may be reunited, but she's quite old and could be a sign that she's passed.

Sanderlings at Long Beach, feeding in the surf zone.

The impact of the herring spawn highlighted by the shear number of gulls in the area.

Herring surfing and leaping out of the water to avoid predation.

A pair of coastal wolves, seen on the shoreline of Vargas Island. These guys were seen 6 months previously, in September, and it's been great to note their development.

Pacific chorus frog, or Pacific tree frog, inflating its throat to make its call. From now until May these little guys can be found in fresh water and are best heard, and possibly seen, after dark.

A first for me, a northern elephant seal, on a beach in Ucluelet. Unfortunately there was some debate as to the health of this individual. It wasn't the right time to see this juvenile female moulting, so there's a chance it was displaying elephant seal skin disease.

Another pinniped first for me, a northern fur seal, surfacing offshore. Note the obvious ear flaps on this guy. They are actually "eared-seals" and are more closely related to our sea lion species than harbour and elephant seals.

A black-footed albatross skims the surface with its wing as it glides across the water.

The blow of a fin whale, off the Kwisitis Visitor Centre. The sheer size of the spout was unreal.

My first whale watch of the season featured these two beautiful humpback whales.

A bald eagle soaring above the herring spawn near Salmon Beach.

Steller sea lions on Cleland Island. The branded animal was marked 602Y. The branding is part of a study conducted by NOAA in the US. This individual was branded after the last version of the catalogue was produced in 2014, so I'm not sure of its exact age.

Emre out for a rip inside Lovekin Rock.

This young male coastal wolf displayed a classic wolf pose as it foraged through the intertidal.

I have never seen any animal even close to as large as the fin whale producing the blow on the right. How's this for scale? The animal producing that blow has its dorsal fin at the surface just behind the spout on the left. Fin whales can be 25m long and this animal must be close to that size. Just huge!

T011A, "Rainy", on a beautifully calm day back in Tsapee Narrows.

Post-surf Emre.

The second largest animal in the world: fin whale.

A bald eagle checks its catch after hunting between Vargas Island and Meares Island. I've never seen an eagle make out so well. The fish it caught are herring.

A herring, washed up on the shoreline in Barkley Sound.

The male of the pair, with the classic coastal wolf pose.