With a playful slosh and a flash of white, Courtney, the ever-bold matron of the bay, spent her summers turning Witless Bay’s calm into a lively stage. There's a thrill that comes with spotting her, like stumbling upon a secret cove or a hidden trail only whispered about between old friends.

Courtney’s story reads like a well-thumbed map dotted with favourite haunts. Back in early July 2008, she was seen cruising the blue quilt of Witless Bay, no doubt stirring memories and barnacles alike. Four years later, she made a double appearance in July 2012, splashing in the very same waters, as if revisiting an old summer cottage, each visit drawing curious glances from whale watchers and eager seabirds overhead.

July to August became regular months for Courtney’s appearances. In 2016, a short voyage took her from the familiar embrace of Witless Bay to the sweeping stretch between Renews and Cape Race by August’s turn. Perhaps the capelin were plentiful, or maybe she simply fancied the sprawling horizon where sea and land banter in distant echoes.

One August day in 2017, Courtney was spotted twice: leaping off Witless Bay’s rocky edges and then meandering up by Seal Cove. Those two sightings on a single day felt almost like a wink from the sea—a reminder she wasn’t far, just ducking behind the headlands. In 2018, she was back yet again, keeping her rendezvous. By 2020, Courtney wandered farther east, her tail flicking over to Trinity Bay and Bonavista Bay, leaving laughter and questions in her wake.

Courtney’s legend grew even more when she found herself in the midst of an intense encounter among killer whales, a reminder that even the mightiest wanderers must dance with the unexpected.