On March 20, Tom Averna, of Deer Harbor Charters, spotted about six to ten transient orca up near Pender Island, B.C., just across Haro Strait from Stuart Island.

“This was my first transient sighting of the season but we will probably start seeing more transients as we get into April and before the resident orca come back,” said Averna.

The male is T-40, known as Captain Hook. He doesn’t show up very often around the islands but when he does he’s easy to ID because of his “hooked” dorsal fin.