Group of Bigg’s killer whales off B.C. coast marks first encounter of 2026 for researchers

There was an exciting start to the year for a team of orca researchers in B.C.

It was an exciting start to 2026 for a team of orca researchers, who had their first encounter with a group of Bigg’s killer whales off Vancouver Island on New Year’s Day.

The Washington-based Center for Whale Research shared the details of its Jan. 1 encounter on Sunday, during which watchers observed seven identified transient orcas.

Researchers Mark Malleson and George Hamilton first received a report of four killer whales between Trial Island and Clover Point travelling toward Oak Bay that morning, and headed out from Victoria around 10 a.m., a news release recounts.

They received another report that the whales were heading northeast in the Haro Strait toward Henry Island and followed.

“With flat light under overcast skies, they stopped to do a binocular scan just south of the Kelp Reef marker,” the news release reads. “Within a minute, Mark started to laugh when a dorsal fin filled the frame of his binoculars, as a killer whale passed within 60 metres of the team, heading northwest. ‘Good start to the new year!’”

One of the orcas was identified as 13-year-old T166A1, marking only the second time that whale has been seen in the Salish Sea. The other was a 15-year-old dubbed T073A2, and the pair of sub-adults “loosely” travelled together as they “zig-zagged” toward Kelp Reef.

A 20-year-old bull identified as T073A1 was spotted near Kelp Reef, and a group of six whales were seen approaching from the west, near D’arcy Island. The group included the original pair as well as a mother and her youngest offspring, the other members of the T073A pod.

“These six were now grouped, appeared to have made a quick meal of (likely) harbor seal at the west edge of Kelp Reef, and were now making tracks quickly northeast, likely headed toward the 20-year-old bull, T073A1. Mark and George relocated him near Battleship Island as he was milling about while the rest of the group caught up and eventually joined them,” researchers wrote.

“With hopes they were going to predate one of the many stellar sea lions in the area, the Mike 1 crew shadowed them at a distance for the next 30 minutes as the whales sauntered east in Speiden Channel along the shoreline of Speiden Island.”

The researchers did not get to see the whales predate, and they ended the encounter at 1:30 p.m. The whales then headed east toward the San Juan Island side of the channel.

Each orca encounter the Center For Whale Research documents can be found on an interactive map.