Orcas, sea lions, grey whales, oh my!
On April 23rd (a warm and sunny day in Vancouver for once) a group of 40+ eager biologists from UBC set off on a whale watching adventure courtesy of Whale Watch Vancouver. Spirits were high as the biologists loaded the boat, acquired their sea legs and scanned the horizon for any signs of dorsal fins. After over an hour of searching, the hope to see BC’s most iconic species began to dwindle. But not all was lost! The views were incredible and the gentle rocking of the waves allowed for some much-needed R&R. There would always be a next time for whales!
Much to everyone’s delight however, the tides soon changed, and a dramatic U-turn by Captain Rich once again had everyone scanning the surface of the sea. While driving back (3 miles from where the tour started…) not one but two separate transient orca groups graced the crew with their presence!
After admiring their playful antics (from a respectable 200m distance, of course) the boat set off again in search of more. A spout was soon spotted and the boat’s lovely naturalist Joan introduced the group to a grey whale lazily feeding in the waters outside of UBC (rumour has it, it’s visible from campus so go grab a pair of binoculars!).
Sadly, the tour was coming to an end and it was time to head back to port. But not without one last stop past a sea lion colony which are always just #mood.
After contemplating how ~800lbs of blubber with four tiny flippers can haul themselves to the top of a rocky jetty, it was time to let the pinnipeds bask in the sun while the humans returned to land. The adventure didn’t end there however because no trip can really be complete without a stop for delicious snacks. 
What better way to end the day then a box of assorted mini donuts from the Outpost Mini Donut Company (the best donuts in all of Richmond!). How could you resist?
A massive thank you to Julia Adelsheim, Kristen Sora, Polina Orlov and the whole IOF Student Society for organizing such an amazing event!
Tags: grey whales, IOF Student Society, IOF students, sea lions, whale-watching, whales