Active Cetaceans and Full Gamut of Sightings
From Northern Resident Killer Whales to Southern Resident Killer Whales, Bigg’s Orca, Humpback Whales, Minke Whales, Pacific White Sided Dolphins and a few Porpoise to finish the report. Although we are missing a couple of species, such as Grey Whales and a few rarer ones in our report, this report still covers a lot of territory as well as species.
Sightings are picking up, but a reminder that although we receive many from those regularly on the water, we also need to hear from those of you on shore. Every report is valuable and appreciated. Keep your eyes open, and let us know.
Sightings are picking up, but a reminder that although we receive many from those regularly on the water, we also need to hear from those of you on shore. Every report is valuable and appreciated. Keep your eyes open, and let us know.
Susan MacKay, Wild Ocean Whale Society
Society News & Events
Summer 2016 Raffle: This year our draw will be on Canada Day, July 1st. Great prizes include Pacific Coastal Flight, Eagle Eye Adventure Tour, Stubbs Island Whale Watching Tour, BC Ferries Pass, Campbell River Whale Watching Tour, I’Hos Cultural Tour, Discovery Marine Safaris Tour, and Beyond the Road Desolation Sound Cruise. All prizes are for two people. Tickets are $5. each and can be ordered through our Add To Cart button or at our information tables listed below. There are fewer tickets equating to better chances of winning. Do YOU have your tickets yet the clock is ticking? 
Our 2016 Raffle Tickets are also available at our information tables at:
June 15: PRISMA on the Beach Powell River Willingdon Beach 5pm till 10 pm Stop by our booth while listening to some wonderful orchestras.
Vancouver Island and other Locations are being worked on locally by our volunteers.
July 1st: Canada Day Celebrations have been moved to Willingdon Beach, Powell River and we will be drawing the raffle winners at closing.
Full Raffle Details available Here
Our 2016 Raffle Tickets are also available at our information tables at: June 15: PRISMA on the Beach Powell River Willingdon Beach 5pm till 10 pm Stop by our booth while listening to some wonderful orchestras.
Vancouver Island and other Locations are being worked on locally by our volunteers.
July 1st: Canada Day Celebrations have been moved to Willingdon Beach, Powell River and we will be drawing the raffle winners at closing.
Full Raffle Details available Here
Are you the type of volunteer interested in Cetacea and mapping, who would be willing to spend some time with our growing Society network?
DONATE
to the non profit wild ocean whale society
Sightings Update
SIGHTINGS MAP 2016-017
TRANSIENT BIGG’S KILLER WHALES
Tue Jun 14 2016
14:30 • 6-7 Bigg`s Orca between Sentry Shoal , Savary Island and Hernando Island, Georgia Strait. ◦T002Cs◦
SIGHTING MEDIA
Transient Bigg’ s Killer Whales
Tue, 14 Jun 2016 – 5 items
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
SIGHTING MEDIA
Transient Bigg’ s Killer Whales
Tue, 14 Jun 2016 – 5 items
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
13:56 • 6-7 Bigg`s Orca moving slowly, heading West off South-West side of Savary Island, Georgia Strait. ◦T002Cs◦
Lesley Roberts, Savary Island, BC
11:48 • 6-7 Bigg`s Orca travelling, heading West on Mystery Reef, Malaspina Strait. ◦T002Cs◦ Another group is with the T002C’s.
SIGHTING MEDIA
Transient Bigg’ s Killer Whales
Tansient Bigg’s T002Cs by Savary Island
Tue, 14 Jun 2016 – 1 items
Leif Nordman, Campbell River Whale Watching
SIGHTING MEDIA
Transient Bigg’ s Killer Whales
Tansient Bigg’s T002Cs by Savary Island
Tue, 14 Jun 2016 – 1 items
Leif Nordman, Campbell River Whale Watching
Leif Nordman, Campbell River Whale Watching
10:58 • 6-7 Bigg`s Orca travelling, heading South close to the South shore of Savary Island angling towards Grant Reefs, Malaspina Strait. ◦T002Cs◦
10:34 • 6-7 Bigg`s Orca travelling, heading South approaching Savary Island, Malaspina Strait. ◦T002Cs◦
10:25 • 6-7 Bigg`s Orca travelling, heading South between Savary Island and Lund, Malaspina Strait. ◦T002Cs◦
John and Joan Treen, Powell River and Savary Island, BC
Sun Jun 12 2016
10:00 • 3 Bigg`s Orca heading South off Lund, Malaspina Strait. One was massive and I would suspect it was a male. A few fishing boats and a prawn boat around but the whales didn’t interact. Just kept swimming South . ▫ Observed from Shore
Leslie Ius, Powell River, BC
Fri Jun 10 2016
14:30 • 2 Bigg`s Orca travelling, heading North East of Keats Island, Collingwood Channel. One adult female and a juvenile. ▫ Observed from Shore
Darren Thompson, Bowen Island, BC
Wed Jun 08 2016
16:10 • 4 Bigg`s Orca moving slowly, heading North between Cortes Island and Twin Islands, Baker Passage. ◦T002Cs◦
SIGHTING MEDIA
Transient Bigg’ s Killer Whales
Wed, 8 Jun 2016 – 9 items
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
SIGHTING MEDIA
Transient Bigg’ s Killer Whales
Wed, 8 Jun 2016 – 9 items
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
15:15 • 4 Bigg`s Orca heading East into Baker Passage. ◦T002Cs◦ ▫ Leaving the Scene
Jack Springer, Campbell River Whale Watching
14:30 • 4 Bigg`s Orca heading into Baker Passage. ◦T002Cs◦
Jos Krynen, Eagle Eye Adventures
12:32 • 4 Bigg`s Orca heading South mid-channel between Smelt Bay and Marina Reef, Sutil Channel. Heading towards Mitlenatch Island.
John Lewis, Discovery Marine Safaris
08:41 • 4 Bigg`s Orca heading West through Baker Passage.
Jack Springer, Campbell River Whale Watching
NORTHERN RESIDENT KILLER WHALES
Sun Jun 12 2016
13:45 • 6-10 NRKW Orca foraging, heading West off Bere Point on Malcolm Island, Queen Charlotte Strait. ◦C10s◦ A group of 6-10 NR Orca came in to the Bere Pt campground on Malcolm Island from the east. They looked like they were feeding in front of the Bere Pt campground around 1:45pm, stayed in the area until departing to the west of Bere Pt around 2:25pm. Last seen still westing at 2:45pm near Malcolm Pt. From the photos it is clear it was the C10’s which were also seen yesterday by MacKay whale watching off Round Island, near Port Hardy yesterday. ▫ Observed from Shore
SIGHTING MEDIA
Northern Resident Killer Whales
Sun, 12 Jun 2016 – 7 items
Darryl Luscombe, Sointula
SIGHTING MEDIA
Northern Resident Killer Whales
Sun, 12 Jun 2016 – 7 items
Darryl Luscombe, Sointula
Darryl Luscombe, Sointula
SOUTHERN RESIDENT KILLER WHALES
Mon Jun 06 2016
20:30 • 40 SRKW Orca breaching, heading South-West off East Point, Boundary Pass. Spread out..observed two babies, feeding, rolling, fin slapping. Very close to shore West of the lighthouse. ▫ Observed from Shore
Shirley Sparks, East Point, Saturna
UNIDENTIFIED KILLER WHALES
Tue Jun 14 2016
17:00 • 6 Orca off Baron Reef outside Growler Cove, Johnstone Strait.
HUMPBACK WHALES
Tue Jun 14 2016
16:30 • Humpback Whales heading South off Bowyer Island heading towards Point Atkinson, Queen Charlotte Channel.
Aaron Nagler, Vancouver, BC
10:18 • 2 Humpback Whales mid-strait off Middle Point, Discovery Passage.
09:26 • 2 Humpback Whales at the Menzies Bay Log Sort, North of Campbell River, Discovery Passage.
Leif Nordman, Campbell River Whale Watching
08:00 • 2 Humpback Whales moving slowly, heading South at Browns Bay, Discovery Passage. ▫ Second Hand
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
07:00 • Humpback Whales heading South off Separation Head, Discovery Passage.
Aaron Webber, Campbell River Whale Watching
Mon Jun 13 2016
16:07 • 2 Humpback Whales moving slowly, heading North close to the Quadra shore at Whiskey Point, Discovery Passage. ◦BCY0291 KC and BCY0767 Arial◦
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
15:03 • 1 Humpback Whales about 1 mile East of the Cape Mudge Lighthouse, Georgia Strait. No direction.
Jerry Weldon, Eagle Eye Adventures
12:53 • 2 Humpback Whales moving slowly, heading East halfway to Mitlenatch Island from Cape Mudge, Georgia Strait. ◦BCY0291 KC and BCY0767 Arial◦ ▫ Leaving the Scene
Geoff Dunstan, Discovery Marine Safaris
10:29 • 2 Humpback Whales heading South in front of the Cape Mudge Lighthouse, Georgia Strait. From Fishing Guide. ▫ Second Hand
Geord Dunstan, Discovery Marine Safaris
10:13 • 2 Humpback Whales doing circles, off Wilby Shoals, Georgia Strait. ◦BCY0291 KC and BCY0767 Arial◦ Between Quadra and Vancouver Island shore.
Jerry Weldon, Eagle Eye Adventures
09:35 • 2 Humpback Whales heading South near We Wai Kai Village, Cape Mudge, Discovery Passage. ◦BCY0291 KC and BCY0767 Arial◦ 200 meters off shore.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
09:08 • 1 Humpback Whales off Whiskey Point, Discovery Passage.
09:07 • 2-3 Humpback Whales observed from Campbell River Dolphins Resort, Discovery Passage. Must be fairly large. ▫ Observed from Shore
Kurt Staples, Eagle Eye Adventures
09:03 • 2-3 Humpback Whales playing, near the Campbell River Fishing Pier, Discovery Passage.
Jos Krynen, Eagle Eye Adventures
07:45 • 2-3 Humpback Whales milling, in Gowlland Harbour. ▫ Second Hand
Name Withheld, by Request
Sun Jun 12 2016
16:50 • 2 Humpback Whales heading South at Browns Bay, Discovery Passage. ◦BCY0291 KC◦
SIGHTING MEDIA
Humpback Whales
Sun, 12 Jun 2016 – 5 items
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
SIGHTING MEDIA
Humpback Whales
Sun, 12 Jun 2016 – 5 items
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
15:43 • 2 Humpback Whales moving slowly, heading South in front of green light at Browns Bay. ◦BCY0291 KC◦
Jos Krynen, Eagle Eye Adventures
15:06 • 2 Humpback Whales moving slowly, heading South in front of Browns Bay. ◦BCY0291 KC◦
Jerry Weldon, Eagle Eye Adventures
14:51 • 2 Humpback Whales at Browns Bay.
Leigh Nelson, Adventure Quest Tours
13:46 • 2 Humpback Whales very active, just North of Browns Bay.
10:54 • 2 Humpback Whales heading North approaching McMullen Point, Discovery Passage.
Jos Krynen, Eagle Eye Adventures
09:43 • 2 Humpback Whales off Browns Bay, Discovery Passage. ▫ Leaving the Scene
Gordon Prezioso, Eagle Eye Adventures
09:09 • 2 Humpback Whales doing circles, in front of Browns Bay. About 0.5 miles off the Vancouver Island shore near fishing area.
Leigh Nelson, Adventure Quest Tours
06:55 • 1 Humpback Whales breaching, West of Broken Islands by the mouth of Port Harvey, Havannah Channel.
Sat Jun 11 2016
17:34 • 2 Humpback Whales moving back and forth between Copper Bluffs and Race Point, Discovery Passage.
John Lewis, Discovery Marine Safaris
12:15 • 2 Humpback Whales doing circles, between Middle Point and Race Point, Discovery Passage. Pointing South. ▫ Leaving the Scene
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
11:21 • 2 Humpback Whales heading South mid-channel of the Walcan Seafood Quadra Island, Discovery Passage. ▫ Leaving the Scene
Jos Krynen, Eagle Eye Adventures
10:11 • 2 Humpback Whales heading South passing green light at Seymour Narrows, Discovery Passage. ▫ Leaving the Scene
SIGHTING MEDIA
Humpback Whales
Sat, 11 Jun 2016 – 3 items
Leif Nordman, Campbell River Whale Watching
SIGHTING MEDIA
Humpback Whales
Sat, 11 Jun 2016 – 3 items
Leif Nordman, Campbell River Whale Watching
Leif Nordman, Campbell River Whale Watching
09:37 • 2 Humpback Whales Browns Bay, Discovery Passage. ◦BCY0291 KC◦
Jordan McLean, Campbell River, BC
08:37 • 1 Humpback Whales Browns Bay.
Jack Springer, Campbell River Whale Watching
Fri Jun 10 2016
14:32 • 2 Humpback Whales in Browns Bay.
Jerry Weldon, Eagle Eye Adventures
11:07 • 3 Humpback Whales North of Seymour Narrows, Discovery Passage. ◦BCY0291 KC◦
Leif Nordman, Campbell River Whale Watching
10:15 • 2 Humpback Whales heading North at Race Point, Discovery Passage.
Jack Springer, Campbell River Whale Watching
Thu Jun 09 2016
14:31 • 2 Humpback Whales heading South at Cape Mudge on Quadra Island, Georgia Strait.
Jos Krynen, Eagle Eye Adventures
14:07 • 1 Humpback Whales moving slowly, heading South approaching Browns Bay, Discovery Passage. ◦BCY0291 KC◦ ▫ Leaving the Scene
13:59 • 1 Humpback Whales bucking tide, Loggers Bay, Discovery Passage. ◦BCY0291 KC◦ Across from Deepwater Bay.
Jack Springer, Campbell River Whale Watching
12:46 • Humpback Whales near Mitlenatch Island, Georgia Strait. ▫ Second Hand
Geord Dunstan, Discovery Marine Safaris
12:39 • 1 Humpback Whales Browns Bay, Discovery Passage. ◦BCY0291 KC◦ ▫ Second Hand
Jack Springer, Campbell River Whale Watching
Wed Jun 08 2016
17:17 • 1 Humpback Whales heading South into the fishing area of Browns Bay. ◦BCY0291 KC◦ ▫ Leaving the Scene
17:02 • 1 Humpback Whales just North of Browns Bay. ◦BCY0291 KC◦
Leif Nordman, Campbell River Whale Watching
MINKE WHALES
Wed Jun 08 2016
09:56 • 2 Minke Whale breaching, heading West off Hyde Creek, Broughton Strait. ◦Eclipse◦ They were breaching in front of a number of passing boats, in between the boats and behind the boats! I got a few very distant shots from near Kemps Bay, Malcolm Island. A couple of kilometres away. ▫ Observed from Shore
SIGHTING MEDIA
Minke Whale
Wed, 8 Jun 2016 – 2 items
Darryl Luscombe, Sointula, BC
SIGHTING MEDIA
Minke Whale
Wed, 8 Jun 2016 – 2 items
Darryl Luscombe, Sointula, BC
Darryl Luscombe, Sointula, BC
PACIFIC WHITE SIDED DOLPHINS
Sun Jun 12 2016
16:16 • PWS Dolphins spread out, Denham Bay, Dent Rapids.
SIGHTING MEDIA
Pacific White Sided Dolphins
Sun, 12 Jun 2016 – 1 items
Jerry Weldon, Eagle Eye Adventures
SIGHTING MEDIA
Pacific White Sided Dolphins
Sun, 12 Jun 2016 – 1 items
Jerry Weldon, Eagle Eye Adventures
Jerry Weldon, Eagle Eye Adventures
15:05 • 75 PWS Dolphins milling, between Hall Point and Gomer Island, Nodales Channel.
SIGHTING MEDIA
Pacific White Sided Dolphins
Sun, 12 Jun 2016 – 5 items
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
SIGHTING MEDIA
Pacific White Sided Dolphins
Sun, 12 Jun 2016 – 5 items
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
11:36 • 100 PWS Dolphins between Horn Point and Gomer Island, Dent Rapids.
Gordon Prezioso, Eagle Eye Adventures
Fri Jun 10 2016
10:31 • 200 PWS Dolphins heading North at Cinque Islands, Discovery Passage. Doing 10 knots. ▫ Leaving the Scene
10:24 • 200 PWS Dolphins heading North in the area of Kanish Bay.
Leif Nordman, Campbell River Whale Watching
Thu Jun 09 2016
09:38 • 200 PWS Dolphins milling, between Greensea Bay and Elk Bay, Discovery Passage. ▫ Leaving the Scene
SIGHTING MEDIA
Pacific White Sided Dolphins
Thu, 9 Jun 2016 – 4 items
Jos Krynen, Eagle Eye Adventures
SIGHTING MEDIA
Pacific White Sided Dolphins
Thu, 9 Jun 2016 – 4 items
Jos Krynen, Eagle Eye Adventures
09:01 • 200 PWS Dolphins heading North between Greensea Bay and Elk Bay.
Jos Krynen, Eagle Eye Adventures
DALL’S PORPOISE
Wed Jun 08 2016
15:02 • 2 Dall`s Porpoise, Toba Inlet.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
HARBOUR PORPOISE
Sat Jun 11 2016
14:19 • 6 Harbour Porpoise heading South Wilby Shoals, Georgia Strait.
Dustin Luchak, On A Dime Outdoor Adventures
SIGHTINGS HEAT MAP 2016-017
SUBMIT sightings
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we welcome your sighting reports, photographs, video and audio recordings. please review our media submission guidelines
The Magazine
REGIONAL & WEST COAST
San Juan Islander, WA
They may be called common, but they certainly aren’t in these parts.
A Pacific Whale Watch Association crew documented a small school of what appear to be short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) in the harbor of Port Angeles, WA on Saturday, June 11, 2016.
Short-beaked common dolphins were spotted off Port Angeles last Saturday, possibly the first-ever sighting of the species in the Salish Sea. Photo by Naturalist Erin Gless. Island Adventures Whale Watching/Port Angeles Whale Watch Company.
Photos have been sent to John Calambokis and his team at Cascadia Research Collective in Olympia and if confirmed, this could be the first live sighting of this species ever in the inland waters of Washington and British Columbia. Short-beaked common dolphins are tropical or temperate animals and generally do not journey north of California….
Public News Service – CA
MONTEREY, Calif. – On Monday, a coalition of conservation groups sent more than 105,000 signatures to the National Marine Fisheries Service asking the agency to speed up a plan to expand habitat protections for killer whales.
The Southern Resident orca spend their summers in protected waters near Puget Sound in Washington state, but in winter they roam down the Oregon and California coasts as far south as Monterey….
The Province
Beachgoers on the Sunshine Coast enjoyed an unexpected visit from a pod of orcas in Davis Bay on Sunday.
Sechelt resident Ken Custance captured the extremely close encounter on his smartphone while his three children continued to splash around…
Pacific Wild
The Magazine revisits a spectacular Video from last fall that reminds us all why we are enchanted by the Cetaceans of the BC Coast:
“Looking across the foreshore of Campania Island at the many whale spouts hanging in the air, I am reminded of how our conservation work is guided by field seasons – fall’s great salmon migration, cold and clear wintertime diving, spring herring spawn and, come summer, it is all about cetaceans.
At no other time of the year are there so many different species of whales on our coast. Northern resident killer whales, the fish-eaters, are coming together to form superpods. On some ….
CANADA
Financial Post
Shell Canada is donating its controversial Arctic energy exploration permits to clear the way for creating Canada’s third national marine protected area.
The permits cover 8,600 square kilometres north of Baffin Island at the eastern gate of the Northwest Passage. They also encompass the waters of Lancaster Sound, a particularly rich area of Baffin Bay that is home to belugas, narwhals, seals, walrus and many other Arctic animals.
INTERNATIONAL
Unique footage of a Bryde’s Whale
Auckland University of Technology
Unique footage of a Bryde’s Whale has been released today by Auckland University of Technology. The footage shows an adult whale feeding, briefly joined by a young calf, and was filmed from a drone off the coast of Auckland. It is thought to be the first time the feeding behaviour of a Bryde’s Whale has been recorded by an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).
The footage was captured by AUT post-graduate students, Ticiana Fetterman and Lorenzo Fiori, while on the water conducting their respective Masters and PhD research. They were stunned to glimpse the whales, and to share the rarely seen moment with their research supervisor Dr Barbara Bollard Breen.
4K footage of Dolphins bow riding enroute to the Skellig Islands
Ireland
After leaving Derrynane with John O’Shea, we were joined by a few dolphins who were playing with the boat and bow riding most of our way to the Skelligs from Scarrif and Deenish Islands. Recorded in 4K
iomtoday, Isl of Man
Some 22 volunteers completed a training course so they can take part in boat surveys of whales, dolphins and porpoises.
The marine mammal surveyor training was carried out at the iMuseum by members of UK charity ORCA, which is dedicated to studying and protecting whales, dolphins and porpoises in British and European waters.
Pelican Point Kayaking, Namibia
