A whale of a time was had by many when a transient male orca made a surprise visit to VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 Inner Harbour.

The 23-year-old killer whale, identified as T049A1 but known as Noah, made a splash in the downtown harbour on Dec. 14.

With a front-row seat to the action onboard her houseboat, Jackie Cowan captured the moment on video.

B次元官网网址淢y neighbour sent me a text that simply said, B次元官网网址極rcaB次元官网网址�, so I rushed out,B次元官网网址� said the former whale-watching tour operator.

In prime position, Cowan and her neighbour watched the whale enter the harbour before it disappeared underwater next to the Delta Hotel.

B次元官网网址淚t was gone for quite a long time,B次元官网网址� said Cowan, who added it took a couple of minutes before the marine visitor resurfaced.

B次元官网网址淚t most likely went under the Johnson Street Bridge, so we stood and waited B次元官网网址� then he came right across in front of us. It was totally exciting B次元官网网址� hereB次元官网网址檚 the thing, it never gets dull."

CowanB次元官网网址檚 close encounter with Noah comes only two months after she spotted a pod of five orcas near her home.

Visiting the harbour in early October was the family of orphan orca Brave Little Hunter, the famous calf which has been surviving alone in the wild after escaping from a tidal lagoon off northwest Vancouver Island in late April.

B次元官网网址淚t's fantastic,B次元官网网址� said Cowan about her recent sightings. B次元官网网址淚 can't say enough about how exciting it is.B次元官网网址�

Referring to NoahB次元官网网址檚 harbour visit, Cowan suspects he was B次元官网网址渇ollowing the food chain,B次元官网网址� having spotted a number of seals in the water that same day.

B次元官网网址淚 personally think it's now that orcaB次元官网网址檚 route,B次元官网网址� she says, noting she saw the transient male in the harbour two years ago. B次元官网网址淏ecause he's following the exact same route when he comes in."