Both Fish Eating and Meat Eating Killer Whales, Dolphins and Porpoise are Around
The Northern Resident (fish eating) Killer Whales known as the A42’s may have headed down towards Sechelt as they we last seen in Malaspina Strait. The Orca noted under the Unidentified Killer Whales heading may very well be Transient Bigg’s, but it’s difficult to be sure as we do not have photos or known specific pod movements to confirm identities. We do know that the Transient Bigg’s (meat eating) known as T087 was wandering about on his own. The information on the satellite tagged Southern Resident (fish eating) Orca J27 is infrequent, but it is known that J-Pod had gone out to the Carmanah area of the West coast of Vancouver Island and were last know to be heading back towards Victoria. Pacific White Sided Dolphins are still in Georgia Strait and Dall’s Porpoise were seen above Johnstone Strait.
Our governing body Wild Ocean Whale Society held its Annual General Meeting and there many exciting things happening in the background. We will be bringing you updates as soon as we can.
Susan MacKay & Lynne Cracknell, Whales and Dolphins BC
Have you seen a whale, dolphin or porpoise?
Every sighting report is valuable!
Transient Bigg’s Orca T087 by Davis Bay
January 18, 2015
Becky Wayte, Sechelt
UNIDENTIFIED KILLER WHALES
Most likely Transient Bigg’s Killer Whales
January 25:
12:15 pm: Spotted 5-7 Orca Stuart Channel. First spotted south of Round Island. Then came slowly with lots of tale flapping and full body splashes on the west side of Round Island. They were headed for Dodds Narrows and I am sure gave the Sunday hikers on Cable Bay a Show. Always a thrill!
Janette Dyck
Janette Dyck
January 24;
1:55 pm 7-8 Orca are Westbound towards Porlier Pass. No large male dorsals spotted. Seeing them from the ferry.
Bill Kennedy
Jan 20:
2:30 pm: Between 2:30 pm and 3:00 pm watched 5 Orca off Mace Point, Savary Island, heading towards Hertado Point, Lund, then south towards Dinner Rock. There were 2 very large dorsals, two smaller ones, and one quite tiny calf. (with the 2 big dorsals, doesn’t fit with the NRKWs known as the A42’s who were in the area earlier – SM)
Garry Primrose, Savary Island.
Jan 17:
12:23 pm: About one hundred, yes, ONE HUNDRED Orca near Camp Point spread across Johnstone Strait. From a Fisherman friend Steve.
Elvis, Eagle Eye Adventures.
Jan 16:
2:20 pm: Report from a ferry worker of 6 Orca southbound past Quathiaski Cove on Quadra Island.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours.
Jan 16:
3:00 pm: About a dozen Orca including two big dorsals leaping and looking like Transient Bigg’s Killer Whales on the hunt by the Anchor Inn, in Campbell River. No final direction, just back and forth.
3:22 pm: The Orca are now center channel northbound passing Tyee Spit at Campbell River.
Elvis, Eagle Eye Adventures.
NORTHERN RESIDENT KILLER WHALES
Jan 20:
11:15 am: Just saw 4 Orca out in the middle of Malaspina Strait angling towards Beach Gardens, Powell River. Looked more like they were headed almost north-east. (Later identified as 4 out of the 5 Northern Resident Killer Whales known as the A42’s. S.M)
Clyde Burton, Powell River.
Jan 20:
1:00 pm: Spotted the Northern Resident Killer Whales known as the A42’s off Vananda, on Texada Island, moving slowly south.
Geord, Roger and John, Discovery Marine Safaris/Stubbs Island Whale Watching.
TRANSIENT BIGG’S KILLER WHALES
Jan 18:
3:30 pm: Spotted a lone large looking Orca off Davis Bay, Sechelt yesterday afternoon at around 3:30 pm heading south towards Gibsons, on the Sunshine Coast. Here’s a photo I managed to grab before he disappeared. (Identified as Transient Bigg’s Killer Whale T087. S.M.)
Becky Wayte. Sechelt
Combination Report from Port Renfrew
Grey Whale Bones
in Port Renfrew – 2 Photos
Lynne Cracknell, Sayward
January 20:
First thing that caught my eye was the skull and jaws of Grey Whale leaning against the motel we’re staying at. I saw two Grey Whale (?) blows only off China Beach, but some Albertans staying closer to Jordan River told me they saw 5 Orca Jan 20th and 8 Orca January 19th. (No other information provided)
Lynne Cracknell, Whales and Dolphins BC
PACIFIC WHITE SIDED DOLPHINS
Jan 21:
2:00 pm: Perhaps someone else has already reported the large pod of Pacific White Sided Dolphins we saw near Secret Cove on Wednesday January 21 between 2:00 – 2:30 pm. A group of us were one a boat heading from Jedediah Island to Secret Cove Marina in the Strait of Georgia when we saw them in the distance and then caught up to them. What a thrill! There was a large pod of them spread out over a large area. Sorry but I don’t know enough about the area or the animals to give much more detail but you can check out my amateur video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOVW6PIPC_I&feature+youtu.be
Laurette Hamoline.
DALL’S PORPOISE
Jan 16:
4:11 pm: Herd of 8-10 Dall’s Porpoise at Lewis Rocks, at the entrance to Well’s Passage in Queen Charlotte Strait.
Nick Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions.
LINKS:
Ex Dolphin trainer Ric O’Barry is pleased to see that his long term efforts to end the keeping of dolphins in captivity are starting to bear fruit:
The US navy has applied for permission to detonate explosives and use harmful sonar in an area known to be home to Grey whales, Fin whales, the highly endangered Southern Resident Killer whales, porpoises and dolphins.
Some disturbing news reports that a Humpback whale was illegally hunted and killed off the coast of Haiti.
Three men in a boat experience a visit from curious Orca. One man describes the encounter as "possibly the best moment of my life."
Have you seen a whale, dolphin or porpoise?
Every sighting report is valuable!
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