Vancouver Killer Whales, Dall’s Porpoise and Pacific White Sided Dolphins
Orca have been popping up her and there as have a few of the smaller species. There is so much going on behind the scenes we are working on here at Whales and Dolphins BC that we need to do a much more complete update on its own to keep you informed. We have been kept hopping and working very hard to improve what we do. Please bear with us as we are all non paid volunteers and there is also the need for some of us to actually work to make a living and pay bills.
Extremely brief summary: Burger and Beer Night Fundraiser, Bigger and Better 2015 Summer Raffle, Presentations, Car Wash, Sea Fair, Mapping of Cetacean movements, Live Web Camera and Hydrophone Systems, Web Site Updating…the list goes on. We promise updates on our projects as soon as possible in a special report on this Sightings Reports pages!
Last, but not least, Please remember to keep the reports coming in to us. Every one is so valuable to the monitoring of these amazing animals.
Susan MacKay & Lynne Cracknell, Whales and Dolphins BC
Have you seen a whale, dolphin or porpoise?
We are the non-profit Wild Ocean Whale Society
Here’s Looking at You Orca
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale & Wildlife Tours
TRANSIENT BIGG’S KILLER WHALES
March 14:
Report heard on Global News of around ten Transient Bigg’s Orca hunting Sea Lions in the waters in Northwest Bay, between Parksville and Nanaimo on Vancouver Island today. See Links below for clip.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins B.C.
March 7:
8:00 am: About 6 Orca off Willow Point, which is just south of Campbell River, angling northbound towards the Cape Mudge lighthouse on Quadra Island.
8:16 am: There are about 10 Orca – they are spread out across Johnstone Strait with at least 2 big fins, moving pretty quickly with the ebb tide.
Elvis, Eagle Eye Adventures.
March 7:
10:40 am: Found Orca by Separation Head, Quadra Island. I have Transient Bigg’s T18 and T19B in the mix.
10:58 am: They are almost to Elk Bay, Vancouver Island side of the strait, now.
11:38 am: I have four animals in total including T018’s, T19B and T19C. Just coming up to Chatham Point now. That is at the junction of Johnstone Strait and Discovery Passage.
There are some Dall’s Porpoise running ahead about half a mile.
1:00 pm: They have all shown up by the Walkem Islands. I have the Transient Bigg’s T060’s, and T018’s, T19B, ten animals in total.
Nick Templeman, Campbell River Bear and Whale Excursions.
UNIDENTIFIED KILLER WHALES
March 15:
6:25 pm One big male Orca spotted from shore. Campbell River. Looked like possibly heading North, but didn’t have a chance to stop. He’s the only one I could spot.
Elvis, Eagle Eye Adventures
March 15:
4:45 pm: Five Orca sighted off Royston, close to Comox, on Vancouver Island. There was no direction given.
Aaron Webber, Campbell River Whale Watching
March 13:
4:30 pm: Four or five Orca heading south through Dodd’s Narrows. (see Links for a video clip and possible Transient Bigg’s Identifications we obtained.- SM)
Moira Parkinson.
March 8:
My family and I sighted a pod of Orca heading south off the coast in the French Creek area, just south of Qualicum Beach on the east coast of Vancouver Island. A few jumped totally in the air and at least one was slapping his tail vigorously. Two or three seemed to have large fins, and there was one very small fin. We could see at least 7 whales at a time.(We believe these to be Transient Bigg’s but cannot confirm at this time – SM)
Emily Parker.
March 11 (Received report)
I am reporting this so late as I’ve just found your site. Rob and I were out on the boat the last week of August, 2014 when we came across a pod of three whales, one being a calf. They were traveling towards Powell River just south of Lund at the Iron Mines, so we stayed with them while they stopped to eat, presumably, very close to shore. The exciting part happened when we turned off the motor near Emmonds Bay and they came towards the boat and stayed with us for one hour while feeding. Then the female turned over belly up and then sideways and appeared to nurse the calf for a few minutes. We felt so blessed that they were comfortable enough with us to do this. The bad news is my phone camera battery was too weak to take pics. Another small boat with a family of 5 putted over and they took some photos and videos. They sent me a couple which I will try to get to you but then their computer crashed and I never got the precious video that I am sure was amazing. Is this the calf from the Transient Bigg’s?
Liz and Rob Verwoord, Savary Island
PACIFIC WHITE SIDED DOLPHINS
March 1:
See links below for video clip of Pacific White Sided Dolphins just South of Powell River.
Kimmy Faerie. Powell River
DALL’S PORPOISE
March 7:
1:00 pm: Group of Dall’s Porpoise have gone into hiding in behind the Walkem Islands, which are just off East Thurlow Island, staying out of the way of a pod of Transient Bigg’s Orca coming up behind them.
Nick Templeman, Campbell River Bear and Whale Excursions.
LINKS
March 13: Video clip from the Orca in Dodd’s Narrows (Josh McInnes felt pretty sure that the ones in here were the Transient Bigg’s Orca known as the T137’s):
Exciting times for whale watchers in Vancouver this week as Transient Bigg’s Orca visited Deep Cove and then continued up into Burrard Inlet and right up as far as Stanley Park. The following are various links to these sightings. These whales were identified thanks to Josh McInnes as the T124’s and T086’s who were last reported by Powell River:
Thanks to Randy Hodge for the two video links below of the same Orca:
Thanks to Kimmy Faerie for this great video of large numbers of Pacific White Sided Dolphins sighted near Powell River on March 1st:
A fascinating video documenting what appears to be purely altruistic behaviour on the part of Humpback Whales:
An older but very good link to a good compilation of video clips from the Sechelt area of the Sunshine Coast of BC:
A whale watching group in Mexico was accidentally rammed by a surfacing Gray Whale, resulting in the tragic death of a Canadian women and significant injuries to some other passengers on board. A reminder to us all to be very cautious when travelling in waters where whales are known to exist. Watch for blows, reduce speed, and please slow right down, for your safety as well as the whale’s.
Have you seen a whale, dolphin or porpoise?
Every sighting report is valuable!
We are the non-profit Wild Ocean Whale Society
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