Orcas appear in Victoria’s Inner Harbour, delighting residents and visitors alike

Five orca whales delighted visitors and residents Friday morning when they appeared in Victoria’s Inner Harbour.

The family of orcas, a group of transients (T049s) including three females, one male and a baby, spent about half an hour diving and surfacing around the harbour — a rare treat.

Passengers on whale-watching vessels and passenger ferries crowded the decks to get a glimpse of the orcas as they splashed their way around the harbour. Countless others lined walkways around the Inner Harbour to watch the orcas.

“We came out for a walk along the Inner Harbour and we could see the whales,” said one woman. “It’s caused a lot of excitement around here,” one woman told CHEK News.

It isn’t clear whether the whales were hunting for a meal in the harbour or just showing off and having a bit of fun for an adoring crowd.

One couple told CHEK News they were sitting on their deck when they saw the orcas.

“We were wondering about all the fuss with all the boats coming back in, the boats coming back in to have a look. We haven’t seen this before,” they said.

While the southern resident population is struggling, transients are thriving by comparison. According to marine experts, the reason for that is because there is a good supply of seals and sea lions keeping them well fed.

READ: Quadra Island orca encounter thrills people two metres away

Orcas delighted residents and visitors as they swam through Victoria's Inner Harbour on Friday, Sept. 2, 2022. (CHEK News)(CHEK News)(CHEK News)People on a whale watching vessel gather to see orcas swimming in Victoria's Inner Harbour. (CHEK News)

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