A family of killer whales has made a rare trip into waters off downtown Vancouver for what an expert says was likely a 91裸聊视频済rocery shopping91裸聊视频� hunt for harbour seals.

Video shared on social media by False Creek Ferries shows the whales cruising past highrise towers at the entrance to False Creek on Sunday.

The captain of the ferry, Jack Hemsworth said the passengers on board were stunned as the whales91裸聊视频� dorsal fins cut through the surface. He put the engine into neutral as the whales glided by.

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檝e never been that close, even on like a whale watching tour,91裸聊视频� said Hemsworth, adding that at one point, the whales passed within five feet of his little vessel, which was crossing from the West End in Vancouver to Kitsilano Beach.

The boats in the ferry fleet are only about 20 feet long 91裸聊视频� smaller than most adult orcas.

Andrew Trites, director of the University of British Columbia91裸聊视频檚 marine mammal research unit, has identified the whales as a family group of transient orcas consisting of a mother and her three offspring.

Trites said the video shows the whales moving quietly like 91裸聊视频済hosts91裸聊视频� to avoid alerting their prey.

91裸聊视频淭hey91裸聊视频檙e on the hunt, and so they don91裸聊视频檛 want to make a big splash about it. They want to come in very stealthy-like, as though they weren91裸聊视频檛 even there,91裸聊视频� said Trites.

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 sure there were hundreds of people walking along the seawall that day and they didn91裸聊视频檛 even notice and these people aboard the boat, they had a very special moment they will remember for the rest of their lives.91裸聊视频�

He said it91裸聊视频檚 the first time the 26-year-old mother orca, known as T35A, has shown up in downtown Vancouver with her children aged six, 11 and 14.

Trites said the well documented family has previously been seen by marine researchers from Alaska to the Strait of Juan de Fuca south of Vancouver Island.

He attributes the pod91裸聊视频檚 surprising downtown appearance to seals also changing their habits as they hide from orcas, forcing killer whales to hunt in backwater areas like False Creek.

Killer whales have previously been spotted in False Creek, including in 2019, and in 2010 a grey whale swam all the way to the end of the inlet, near Science World.

Trites said researchers are hearing more reports of killer whales being seen in places where they91裸聊视频檝e never been seen before.

He said the behaviour captured on the video suggests the whales didn91裸聊视频檛 catch anything.

Trites said the sighting was an indication of the recovered health of the Salish Sea, saying it was 91裸聊视频渋n a state that we haven91裸聊视频檛 seen it for over a century.91裸聊视频�

He likened it to living next to Tanzania91裸聊视频檚 Serengeti National Park.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 a very healthy, vibrant system 91裸聊视频� we91裸聊视频檝e seen humpback whales come back. We91裸聊视频檝e seen our seal numbers recover and stabilize,91裸聊视频� he said.

91裸聊视频淲e see killer whales here every single day now and when I first came to B.C., I hardly ever saw a seal, never saw killer whales in here and it91裸聊视频檚 all changed.91裸聊视频�

In 2021, the B.C. government estimated there were 206 91裸聊视频渕ature91裸聊视频� transient orcas in the province91裸聊视频檚 coastal waters, while U.S. authorities have put the total population at about 350.

The species is designated as threatened, meaning they are likely to become endangered without interventions.

But Trites said the population was growing, in association with the recovery of prey species, such as the Steller sea lion.

As a marine researcher who has been through many encounters with killer whales, Trites said those aboard the ferry should feel privileged.

91裸聊视频淭hey are magical experiences,91裸聊视频� he said.

Hemsworth, who has worked for False Creek Ferries since 2019, agreed.

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 sure they shared all those videos with their friends and family, and it91裸聊视频檚 nothing that they91裸聊视频檙e gonna forget anytime soon,91裸聊视频� he said.