After a very welcome break over the holidays, crew and staff at Bluewater Adventures have hit the ground running! We are in full preparation mode for the Spring School program, finishing up winter maintenance for Island Roamer and Island Odyssey while managing the final adjustments and adornments on our new vessel, Island Solitude. We are gearing up for our busiest season to date with new and talented Crew joining the Bluewater Team. We look forward to hosting our guests from around the World on incredible trips exploring the wilds of the BC and Southeast Alaska coast!
Island Solitude Emerges
Bluewater’s new sailing yacht, Island Solitude made her maiden voyage across the shipyard on December 19th, on a very soggy winter’s day. The engineering feat we witnessed was intricate and impressive. Moving her from the hangar required a specially built trailer with rear wheel steering to maneuver her to the awaiting travel lift. She was harnessed in huge slings, lifted from the trailer and then driven to the launch slip and lowered slowly – meeting the briny waters of the Fraser River for the very first time! Here are a few snaps of her transport to the water! .
The Island Solitude emerging
Southern Resident Killer Whales in Peril
Southern resident killer whales (SRKW) have recently appeared in news headlines that state they are listed as endangered and have been since their numbers began to drop in 2003.
Through extensive research, certain threats have been identified. Ocean noise linked to large vessel shipping routes is found to disturb the SRKW’s cooperative hunting of prey (salmon) and their ability to communicate. It has also been determined that fisheries are accessing their prime foraging areas. Their population has since dwindled to only 76 individuals which is exacerbated by zero successful births since 2015 – potentially due to lack of prey.
Typically, it is the northern resident and transient or Biggs killer whales we see on Bluewater Adventures expeditions, but the southern resident killer whales are often seen off the south coast of Vancouver Island in summer and early fall.
Several research and conservation groups, that Bluewater Adventures actively supports, are calling on Canada’s government to issue an emergency order under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) to activate the protection of this important population of whales before it is too late.
Visit Raincoast Conservation Foundation for more information on southern resident killer whales conservation
“Orca are the charismatic megafauna of the marine environment around here. They absolutely captivate you to watch them. You’re in the presence of something that’s obviously bigger than you and maybe spiritually beyond us too.”
– ken balcomb, marine researcher
