Pacific White Sided Dolphins Make an Appearance
Many Humpback Whales have stayed in North Pacific this year with reports from even around Prince Rupert of bubble net lunge feeding still. Others are still in the Georgia Strait. It is possible the food was so late that instead of carrying on to their usual breeding grounds they have chosen to stay where the food is. Whatever the reason, it’s wonderful to have them around. The Transient Bigg’s Orca known as T087 has once again been spotted roaming the central Georgia Strait on his own. He has a large dorsal so look forward to hearing of his ongoing travels. There have been a few other pods of Orca reported including the Northern Resident pod known as the A42s and some unidentified as yet. The family pod of Bigg’s known as the T002Cs are also expected to be seen this time of year. Keep your eyes open. The birth of the ninth Southern Resident Killer Whale J55 is incredibly good news. In the meantime, K-Pod has made it all the way down the coast to central Oregon. Pacific White Sided Dolphins are usually in the upper Georgia Strait in relatively large numbers at this time of year, and finally we received a couple of sightings of them. It appears that they weren’t in any mood to stay around and were last spotted heading up Discovery Passage. Susan MacKay, Wild Ocean Whale Society
Transient Bigg’s T087 off Texada Island
Photo by Jay Feaver, CCG Powell River
Society News
AGM Minutes will be sent to Members shortly.
Our VP Judy Brant has started a GoFundMe Campaign to help us out with our Real Time Monitoring Stations. The on line live streaming will be available free of charge for the viewing and underwater listening of what goes on in various locations in our waters. Thank you Judy! It can be accessed at: https://www.gofundme.com/WOWsociety
On Earth Day, April 22nd. we will be having a fun evening during our Buffet Dinner and Fundraising Event which will help out with the costs of our Real Time Monitoring Stations we have planned.
We will also be holding another one of our yearly raffles with a slightly earlier expected draw date – details to follow.
Our Volunteers (we are all volunteers) logging 50 hours, which is less than one hour a day, or more in a year will receive the next year’s membership in WOWs at no cost for their efforts. Although we have not named and welcomed individuals recently, we do welcome them all and appreciate our volunteers and their efforts. A huge thank you for stepping up to the plate!
Would you like to Volunteer and be a part of our growing Society?
Review our current Volunteer Job Postings
For our DONATE page click here
Have you seen a whale, dolphin or porpoise?
We are the non-profit Wild Ocean Whale Society
Call 1-877-323-9776
Sightings Update
SIGHTINGS MAP 2016-003
TRANSIENT BIGG’S KILLER WHALES
Tue Jan 19 2016
14:35 • 1 Bigg`s Orca heading North off Pocahontas Bay on Texada Island in Malaspina Strait. ?T087? ▫ From Power or Sail Boat
Jay Feaver, Powell River, CCG
Transient Bigg’ s Killer Whales
Tue Jan 19 2016 – 3 Images / Media Files
Jay Feaver, Powell River, CCG
Transient Bigg’ s Killer Whales
Tue Jan 19 2016 – 3 Images / Media Files
Jay Feaver, Powell River, CCG
14:35 • 1 Bigg`s Orca travelling, heading North off Texada Island. ?T87? Reported as lone transient bull orca. From the submitted photos, the ID is T87 who has been previously seen traveling alone. It’s likely T87 was also the male seen in Nodales channel recently. ▫ From Power or Sail Boat
Jay Feaver, Powell River, CCG
NORTHERN RESIDENT KILLER WHALES
Wed Jan 13 2016
09:00 • 5 NRKW Orca heading South off Dinner Rock in Malaspina Strait. ?A42s? The bull orca was travelling in front of the other 4 orcas. The four were also travelling but they were also circling and jumping. They were quite close to shore – maybe about 100′ out, right at the edge where the water is deep. ▫ Observed from Shore
Nell Dragovan, Powell River.
Northern Resident Killer Whales
Wed Jan 13 2016 – 4 Images / Media Files
Nell Dragovan, Powell River.
Northern Resident Killer Whales
Wed Jan 13 2016 – 4 Images / Media Files
Nell Dragovan, Powell River.
Fri Jan 08 2016
18:00 • NRKW Orca between Cortes Island and Lund in Malaspina Strait. ?A42s? When we sailed from Cortes Island to Lund, we saw for almost the whole time an Orca family.
Paul and Caroline Gieb, .
UNIDENTIFIED KILLER WHALES
Tue Jan 26 2016
11:47 • 3 Orca travelling, heading South already past Myrtle Rocks, Powell River in Malaspina Strait. They were moving quickly – with a purpose. ▫ Observed from Shore
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
Unidentified Killer Whales
Tue Jan 26 2016 – 10 Images / Media Files
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
Unidentified Killer Whales
Tue Jan 26 2016 – 10 Images / Media Files
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
10:34 • 2-3 Orca heading South towards Grief Point, Powell River. ▫ Observed from Shore
Madeline Lockstead, Powell River
Fri Jan 15 2016
13:52 • 6 Orca off Campbell River in Discovery Passage. The Orca are passing the fishing pier in Campbell River.
13:44 • 6 Orca heading North almost to Cape Mudge in Strait of Georgia.
13:19 • 6 Orca off Willow Point.
Elvis Chikite, Eagle Eye Adventures
HUMPBACK WHALES
Fri Jan 22 2016
17:07 • 8-10 Humpback Whales breaching, lunge feeding, off the west shore of Smith Island just south of Prince Rupert Harbour in Hecate Strait. Observed from a helicopter on a flight between Campbell River and Prince Rupert. Around 10 humpbacks breaching and lunge feeding. Some in a circle while one or more surfaced in the circle to feed. It was spectacular. I first saw a big splash from a distance and then another one….as I was getting closer I could see it was humpbacks breaching. Then I saw those big bubbles and the whales coming to the surface with the mouth wide open….pretty intense. Amazing moment for pilot and passengers!. ▫ From the air
Fabien Minfray, Helicopter Pilot
Sun Jan 03 2016
15:23 • 2-5 Humpback Whales travelling, heading North near Prince Rupert in the vicinity of Ridley Island in Hecate Strait. From the BC Ferry, Inside Passage route. Possible sighting of two groups of humpback whales. Two whales closer to the ferry, with another group of 2-3 whales further out. ▫ From Ferry
Terry-Lynn Wood, Queen Charlotte.
Humpback Whales
Sun Jan 03 2016 – 4 Images / Media Files
Terry-Lynn Wood, Queen Charlotte.
Humpback Whales
Sun Jan 03 2016 – 4 Images / Media Files
Terry-Lynn Wood, Queen Charlotte.
Sat Jan 03 2015
15:00 • 5? Humpback Whales travelling, heading Unknown Direction in the vicinity of Kinahan Islands in Hecate Strait. 2 groups, not sure what type but was told by a Ferry officer that they were humpback whales. I got a few pictures of tails. ▫ From Ferry
Terry-Lynn Wood, Queen Charlotte
OTHER WHALES
Thu Jan 21 2016
14:46 • 1 Other Whales heading North toward Harwood Island near Algerine Passage. Unknown species. Blow sighted. ▫ Observed from Shore
Dave Carbery, Texada Island, Westview Harbourmaster
PACIFIC WHITE SIDED DOLPHINS
Mon Jan 25 2016
12:06 • PWS Dolphins heading North from April Point off Campbell River in Discovery Passage.
Kurt Staples, Eagle Eye Adventures
Sun Jan 24 2016
11:42 • 100-200 PWS Dolphins heading North passing Black (Albion) Point just below Powell River in Malaspina Strait. ▫ Observed from Shore
Bill Taylor, Powell River
SIGHTINGS HEAT MAP 2016-003
The Magazine
REGIONAL & WEST COAST
Vancouver Sun
The tiny new orca, estimated to be just a few days old, was first seen on Monday in Puget Sound with members of J pod and is the ninth live birth in the population since December 2014. The apparently healthy calf was seen close to two female whales, J14 and J37, so its mother has yet to be identified.
CHEK News
The waters of Vancouver Island are full of marine life, and these days, the sea is swimming with whales.
Daily Breeze,
Torrance CA
Pacific gray whales are making another big showing off the Los Angeles coastline this year.
This is the 33rd year the research count has taken place off Point Vicente from dawn to dusk throughout the gray-whale season, from December through May. "We are well above average, but still below our record year last year," Schulman-Janiger said. "Last week, we had three days in a row sighting 37 or 38 gray whales, and those were rainy or windy days with low visibility."
This is the 33rd year the research count has taken place off Point Vicente from dawn to dusk throughout the gray-whale season, from December through May. "We are well above average, but still below our record year last year," Schulman-Janiger said. "Last week, we had three days in a row sighting 37 or 38 gray whales, and those were rainy or windy days with low visibility."
The Pacific gray whale population, which lives most of the year in Alaska, migrates in the winter to Mexican lagoons to mate and give birth in warm water. Schulman-Janiger said their migrations have been occurring earlier in the season in recent years. That could be due to warmer seas causing Alaskan ice sheets to melt quicker, making it easier for the whales to reach the small crustaceans they eat on the sea floor.
National Geographic
Turtle Island’s latest report, California Driftnet Fishery: The True Costs of a 20th Century Fishery in the 21st Century Overview, by Doug Karpa, Peter Fugazzotto and Todd Steiner, makes a compelling case for phasing out this deadly swordfish fishery that kills large numbers of whales, dolphins, sharks and non-target fish. The report exposes the facts about this fishery.
CANADA
CBC News
It’s not uncommon to see whales in Notre Dame Bay, but Byron Sheppard was surprised to see the animals when he looked out his window in January.
Whales put on a show in Portugal Cove-St. Philips
Winter whale watching in Bonne Bay? Scientist says send photos
Sheppard has been living near Lewisporte Harbour in Notre Dame Bay for 30 years, but he said he has never seen them in the winter.
“We’ve been seeing whales now here since Jan. 3,” he said.
The Atlantic Monthly
Marine biologists have crowdsourced a facial-recognition algorithm to help them identify the animals on the spot.
Macleans
New research reveals an unprecedented view into the social lives of these ocean mammals, who can use “vocal clans’ to distinguish themselves
INTERNATIONAL
The Malibu Times, CA
Spain’s Environment Ministry plans to create a whale highway to protect whales, dolphins, tunas, sharks, sea turtles and so many other species that require help along its Mediterranean coast.
Express & Star, UK
The second tranche of protected areas covering 4,155 square miles, and bringing the total so far to 50 marine conservation zones, was welcomed by conservationists as a step to creating a “blue belt” in the UK’s seas, providing protection from harmful activities such as over-fishing.
BBC, UK
A pollutant is present at “dangerously high levels” in Europe’s killer whales and dolphins, scientists say.
PCBs were once used in electrical gear, paints and flame retardants, but were banned from the 1970s because of their toxic effect in humans and animals.
However the manmade chemicals have persisted in the environment, and are accumulating in top predators.
The study finds Europe’s cetaceans have levels of PCBs that are among the highest found in on the oceans.
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Have you seen a whale, dolphin or porpoise?
We are the non-profit Wild Ocean Whale Society
Call 1-877-323-9776
