Many Local Sightings Reports

Many local Sightings – Long report covering a few days with some late reports too. The Northern Resident Killer Whales came down Johnstone Strait for a short visit, but our ‘Resident’ Transient (Bigg’s) Killer Whales are popping up all over. The Humpback Whales seem to have left our area, but the Pacific White Sided Dolphins are spreading out in smaller groups. There have also been a few Dall’s and Harbour Porpoise sightings and one report from the West Coast of Vancouver Island. Keep those reports coming everyone – Great Network!

1:40 pm After everyone had searched for the Transients for a number of hours. The radio got extremely active with the report from Joss, Eagle Eye Adventures that he had found in the exact place the others had been. 6 Orca by Mary Point, Cortez Island. The last report was at 5 pm that those whales were heading into Desolation Sound past Kinghorn Island.

Around 3:30 pm Joss again found the other group of Transients in Calm Channel right by Raza Island. This time, I could get out to see them! Aaron from Sonora Lodge was with them when I arrived. We counted a total of 8 Orca including T20 and two calves. They stopped for a bit of play close in to the Raza shore and we had the opportunity to listen to some very nice vocalizations and echolocation. They continued through Raza Passage and into Pryce Channel. The thought is, that they may be meeting up with the other Orca found by Cortez since they were travelling loosely together by Savary Island. I left them at around 5:20 pm slowly making their way towards Desolation Sound.

We saw three adult Orca and one calf swim past at 6:25 am. One adult
had a large fin.

7 am 6 Transient Orca right in front of Powell River, just off the viewpoint heading North. One huge dorsal and a couple of calves.

Then by email: Hi Susan, You must be on the high seas by now and the Orca are here in Powell River. Last night July 11 at about 10pm I saw 3 dorsals several times in the growing darkness just off shore of my place in Westview. They seemed to be heading towards the north end of Texada Island. This morning at about 7:10 am I noticed a pod of 6 Orca, looked like the usual transient pod with the large male and small calf, within 100 meters of shore right below our houses. 15 minutes later another pod of 5 or 6 Orca caught up to the first group and they proceeded to head out further into the Malaspina Strait in a northerly direction. The morning light caught their blows beautifully and I could see their markings very well from my deck using the spotting scope. A great start to another beautiful day! Have fun Susan!

8:30 am Received two calls from a cell phone number I recognized as one used on Savary Island. Calls were all dropped in my location, but I could send text messages. So I texted with the assumption that the call had to be about the Orcashowing up….. To my amazement, yes, the number belongs to a regular contributor, but he texted back that he was in Chicagoand never placed the call. Boy does Ron have good eyes or well trained cell phone! There were Orca right off his location on Savary.

around 10:30 am 5 or 6 orcas travelling North between Lund & Major Rock, heading towards Thulin Pass, but then there was a fair bit of boat traffic, so they may not have continued North.

10:22 am 6 Orca between Savary and the Mainland – no direction. Kurt just on scene. Anothe 6 still at Dinner Rock, below Lund heading North.

12:30 pm 8 – 10 Orca Close to Twin Islands.

Jack & Kurt, Campbell River Whale Watching

2 pm Orca now Westbound out Baker Pass between Hernando and Cortez Islands.

4:10 pm Orcas are West side of Twin Islands milling about towards Baker Pass Scotty, Painter’s Lodge

9 pm 5 – 6 Orca including one really big dorsal Northbound towards Powell River between Albion Point and Myrtle Rocks.

9 pm 6 Orca Northbound by Myrtle Rocks. One has a really big fin.

8:40 pm 2 groups of Orca Northbound.This was overheard on the radio while I was at Twin Islands. Unfortunately, the boaters talking didn’t get back to me as to the whales’ location. All I could tell is that they were somewhere South of my position.

July 9: (rec’d July 10)

Hello, Yesterday (9th) my husband and I were lucky enough to spot a pod of killer whales just past Vivian Island (off Harwood) heading towards Comox/Campbell River. The group was actually split up in two, with approximately five orcas in each group. I was able to get a couple of excellent photos and identify the large male as T020.

Hi Susan, We were out sailing off Westview, Powell River on the Ninth and at about 1 pm witnessed a pod of Orca, about eight, including one large male and a calf, and followed them under sail for a while as they headed for Little River, Comox passing between Rebecca Rock and Vivian. Lots of breaching and spy hopping. Wonderful. Pics may follow when my crew member Harvey gets them off his phone.

Late report re: July 7^th: Never saw the whales heading past Myrtle Rocks, but at around 11 pm we could hear their blows close to shore between Albion Point and Myrtle Rocks, Powell River. Also, some friends had come over and told us they had seen some Orca off the NW tip of Texada from the Comox ferry earlier in the day.

1:18 pm Group of Orca at Greene Point Rapids – Chancellor Channel. 4 small dorsals so far. 4:30 pm Northern Resident Orca Westing into Johnstone Strait – it’s the A35’s

4:45 pm 6 female Northern Resident Orca by Harding Island Westbound. At first I thought they might have been Transients because once the Orca got into Nodales Channel and headed West, where there were some PWS DolphinsEastbound. It seemed once they got wind of the Orca, the Dolphins headed quickly West at about 13 knots. Later, looking at the photos, they were the A11’s, Resident (fish eating) Orca. Just seemed strange that the Dolphins turned and headed back out so quickly…Coincidence.

8 am Approximately 100 PWS Dolphinsin a hurry Northbound between Shelter Point and the fishing Hump off Cape Mudge.

8 am 20 – 40 PWS Dolphins fast foraging in Raza Pass heading towards Calm Channel. About 35 min. Later, they headed back towards Deer Pass then Pryce Channel disappearing around the corner.

1 pm 30-40 PWS Dolphins slowly foraging in Frances Bay across from Raza Island.

2:48 200 PWS Dolphins by Fawn Bluff in Bute Inlet. Milling and feeding.

1:11 pm Approximately 200 PWS Dolphins by Fawn Bluffs in Bute Inlet.

3:20 pm Just leaving 150 – 200 PWS Dolphins heading South from Bute Inlet close to shore.

12:05 pm 40+ PWS Dolphins bow and wake riding two larger boats heading towards Cortez Island between Twin Island and Powell Islets. They left the boats by Powell Islets and turned towards the Copeland Islands.

4:20 pm 30 PWS DolphinsWestbound by Chatham Point.

7 pm Caught bits of transmission of PWS Dolphins in Nodales Channel.

On Saturday, July 7th we also spotted a pod of white sided dolphins between Harwood and Savary Islands heading across towards Campbell River. I would estimate the number to be between 30-40. Best regards,
Jessica Dohm

6:18 pm 2-3 Harbour Porpoise near Simms Creek.

5:55 pm 2 groups of Harbour Porpoiseto report: 2-3 at Wilby Shoals off Cape Mudge and 3-4 closer to Simms Creek.

8:15 am 2 Dall’s Porpoiseforaging between Cortez and Twin Islands.

I was on a kayak trip in the Broken Group Islands last week. On Friday 7/6/12 (early afternoon) I saw at least 1 whale very close up in rough waters (hence no picture). We were on the outside of Wower island heading towards Batley (we had just gotten past Wower and were starting to head North toward Batley). At first the whale seemed to be heading with us Northish surfacing a few times, each time very close to our kayaks, then was headed South (toward open ocean). A few minutes later saw what was probably a second whale heading south close to us again. I never saw two fins or blows at the same time. Is it possible this was a Fin Whale or a Sei? Any other reports? It was dark brown to black with a smooth back and small curved fin set far back (but not far enough for a Minke also to big for a Minke). I did not see any mottling, color was solid. It was not blowing on every surfacing. I never saw a tail, my partner saw a tail once. It seemed to surface quite often. After looking at this link (http://www.abc.net.au/oceans/whale/char.htm#fin)I believe it to be Sei because the fin seemed to be in the middle during the dive sequence. I have looked at many internet pictures and there is no way it was a Gray, Humpback, or False Orca, and was way too big for Minke. If you had any other reports or might know what I say please let me know. When we made it over to the Southwestern side of Batley we saw what I am sure was a Gray Whale there close to the shore (No fin). It may have been a Juvenile because it did not look very big. Thank You,