Killer whales come close to shore in wild-coast spectacle in Nanaimo

Nanaimo residents got to see killer whales feasting close to shore this week.

Photographer Douglas Fisk and a lot of others with cameras and binoculars were treated to hours of circle-of-life activity near Rocky Point in north Nanaimo on Tuesday.

Fisk said he follows a local whale-watch Facebook group that has grown to become a wonderful resource for hearing about whale sightings in a timely fashion, and that’s how he was alerted to the orcas this week feeding on a Steller sea lion.

“It’s one of those things you can’t take your eyes off, because they sit there and they bumble around and then all of a sudden there’s a whole bunch of action,” he said.

Fisk took pictures from Rocky Point first, then decided to try for a better vantage point from a pump station on Fillinger Crescent. He spent three hours taking photos until he “ran out of batteries,” ending up with 3,000 shots.

Fisk said he thought about post only pictures without the sea lion carcass, but ultimately decided to share photos showing the whole scene.

“It’s lucky that we can see nature balancing itself out, and that’s a good thing,” he said.

For more photos, click here.