We were treated to a wonderful surprise today as we pulled away from the dock for one of our eco-tours this afternoon. We could see splashing in the distance, as we got closer we suspected harbour porpoise feeding on a bait ball, but it actually turned out to be a pod of 20-30 Pacific White-Sided Dolphins.

We were hoping they would get curious and follow our wake, but they were much too preoccupied with enjoying their lunch.  We’d did our best to get out of their way, shut down the engines and just enjoy the show. They swam in circles around us,  just milling, and could care less we were there. 

Pacific White-Sided Dolphins have life expectancy of 35-45 years and can grow up to 2 meters. They can be seen travelling in pods up to 1000 and known to feed on schools of herring, sardine, salmon, and other small bait fish. These dolphins are fast and can swim up to 47 km/h, because of their speed they have very few natural predators that can keep up with them! 

They don’t grace us with their presence very often, but when they do, they leave a lasting impression!