Whales – Surprise!
Cover Image:
Transient Biggs Orca at sunset!
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
During the past four weeks, sightings of Transient Orca and of Northern Resident Orca have been reported. On at least two occasions, Transient Orca were observed hunting sea lions. Humpback whales have appeared sporadically in different parts of Georgia Strait. Behaviours displayed by the Humpbacks include foraging and tail lobs. Last week, Pacific White-Sided dolphins were present in Howe Sound for a few days and some Pacific White-Sided dolphins were also observed by Sechelt a few days later.
As a reminder that if you are boating and out on the water, please be aware of the presence of whales and dolphins. Signs of their presence may include blows of the Cetaceans and other boats stopped or moving slowly in an area. Boats and other water craft (e.g. kayaks) must remain at least 400-meters away from all Orca and at least 100-m away from other species. See the full government regulation in the paragraph below.
The Federal Government (DFO) issued the following statement about watching Orca in the wild: “Vessels must stay 400-m away and may not position a vessel in the path of killer whales in southern BC coastal waters between Campbell River and just north of Ucluelet until May 31, 2026.” For all other areas of B.C. outside of the area indicated above, a minimum distance of 200-m must be maintained when viewing Orca OR while viewing any Cetaceans that are resting or with a calf. When viewing whales, dolphins, and porpoises under other circumstances not described above, a minimum distance of 100-m must be kept. A great resource for up to date Canadian or US regulations: Be Whale Wise Guidelines
WOWs works throughout the year, so please continue to keep your eyes open, and report your sightings to us.
Ivan Ng, Wild Ocean Whale Society
Society News & Events
2025 Donaton Receipts:
Donation Receipts for 2025 are being prepared to be sent out to those not already having received one for this tax time. Please ensure we have your current email or physical address. If you have contributed specifically Restricted to our Colony Cats Initiative, please rest assured that your funds are only being used for that purpose.
Thank you all for your kind and continuing donations. Your support is greatly appreciated – we can't do it without you.
Thank you all for your kind and continuing donations. Your support is greatly appreciated – we can't do it without you.
Donatons:
Donations can be made directly by e-transfer to accounting@ wows.org (remove the space after the @) as well as through our Donate button on our website pages.
Thank you all for your kind and continuing donations. Your support is greatly appreciated – we can't do it without you.
Thank you all for your kind and continuing donations. Your support is greatly appreciated – we can't do it without you.
Websites:
Whales and Dolphins BC is our educational website where these reports are also published and our Wild Ocean Whale site is our Society website. Information on our Feral Cat Initiative will be updated again soon. We apologize for delays, but we are volunteers working on this.
Real Time Monitoring Station Live Update
Our Live Web Camera YouTube Channel streams from Powell River 24/7 with views towards Texada – Vancouver Island – Savary and up towards Cortez. Hope you've been seeing some of the many whales and the Aurora Borealis.
Thank You to our Volunteers and Contributors!
Our team of online Volunteers continue to do a great job in making sure all your sightings reports are mapped and published regularly. Would you like to join us? Updates on current availabilities and revised links will be posted here.
Review our previous Volunteer Job Postings Job Postings are slowly being revamped (we're volunteers too, so sorry for the delays) and not up to date on our web sites.
Data For Research:
For research access to 40,000+ sightings in our database in downloadable csv files for use in spreadsheets, please Click Here. to fill in your request.
Sightings Update
SIGHTINGS MAP – ISSUE: 2026-001
TRANSIENT BIGGS KILLER WHALES
Fri Dec 26 2025
09:15 • 2 Biggs Orca travelling, heading west between Read Island and Rebecca Spit, Sutil Channel. Two Orca travelling in opposite direction to Cortes-bound ferry. One Orca to the port and one to starboard as we passed through. ▫ From Ferry
Vic Gladish, Quathiaski Cove, BC
Mon Dec 29 2025
17:25 • Biggs Orca heading south off the wharf at Powell River Westview Harbour, Malaspina Strait. A few Orca.
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
Transient Biggs Killer Whales
Transient Biggs Orca at swimming at dusk
Mon, 29 Dec 2025 – 3 items
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
Transient Biggs Killer Whales
Transient Biggs Orca at swimming at dusk
Mon, 29 Dec 2025 – 3 items
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
Wed Dec 31 2025
12:13 • Biggs Orca hunting, near Second Beach by the Powell River Mill (Pulp & Paper), Malaspina Strait. Hunting sea lions.
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
Transient Biggs Killer Whales
Transient Biggs Orca hunting near Second Beach by the Powell River Mill, Malaspina Strait
Wed, 31 Dec 2025 – 9 items
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
Transient Biggs Killer Whales
Transient Biggs Orca hunting near Second Beach by the Powell River Mill, Malaspina Strait
Wed, 31 Dec 2025 – 9 items
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
13:06 • est. 6 Biggs Orca heading north, Powell River Westview Harbour, Malaspina Strait.
Barry Rice, Powell River, BC
16:15 • est. 5 Biggs Orca hunting, beginning of southern Thulin Passage, Malaspina Strait. hunting sea lions.
Terry Brown, Otter Be Good Productions
Sun Jan 04 2026
15:35 • 1 Biggs Orca moving quickly, heading south three quarters of the way out from Powell River towards Rebecca Rocks, Malaspina Strait.
Barry Rice, Powell River, BC
Tue Jan 13 2026
14:27 • Biggs Orca heading south about two thirds of the way towards Harwood / Ahgykson Island from the Powell River Mill (Pulp & Paper), Malaspina Strait.
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
Transient Biggs Killer Whales
Transient Biggs Orca travelling by Harwood Island, Malaspina Strait.
Tue, 13 Jan 2026 – 2 items
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
Transient Biggs Killer Whales
Transient Biggs Orca travelling by Harwood Island, Malaspina Strait.
Tue, 13 Jan 2026 – 2 items
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
Fri Jan 23 2026
16:20 • est. 6+ Biggs Orca heading south at Kitty Coleman Beach Park, Georgia Strait. ▫ Second Hand
Susan MacKay, Wild Ocean Whale Society
Sun Jan 25 2026
11:20 • Biggs Orca heading south between the Cyril Rock and Rebecca Rocks, Malaspina Strait.
Barry Rice, Powell River, BC
SPECIES SUPPLEMENT
Transient Biggs Killer Whales
Transient Biggs Orca in the pouring rain!
Fri, 9 Jan 2026 – 2 items
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
SPECIES SUPPLEMENT
Transient Biggs Killer Whales
Transient Biggs Orca in the pouring rain!
Fri, 9 Jan 2026 – 2 items
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
NORTHERN RESIDENT KILLER WHALES
Sat Jan 10 2026
12:54 • est. 6 NRKW Orca heading south off the Hulks breakwater at the Powell River Mill (Pulp & Paper), Malaspina Strait.
Barry Rice, Powell River, BC
UNIDENTIFIED KILLER WHALES
Mon Dec 29 2025
17:00 • est. 8+ Orca travelling, heading south off Second Beach near the Powell River Mill (Pulp & Paper), Malaspina Strait. Not sure if they were Bigg’s or Northern Residents? The sea lions at 2nd beach were nervous and there was an interesting kind of conflict looking event with a lot of splashing, it was unclear if it was a sea lion-orca interaction or not. They were travelling in groups of 2 or 3 (and babies, I think!) and there was about 5 groups spread out over a couple of hundred meters over 20 minutes or so. ▫ Observed from Shore
ED
HUMPBACK WHALES
Mon Dec 22 2025
12:02 • 1 Humpback Whales tail lobs, by the log pond off the Powell River Mill (Pulp & Paper), Malaspina Strait.
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
Humpback Whales
Humpback Whales diving in choppy waves
Mon, 22 Dec 2025 – 3 items
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
Humpback Whales
Humpback Whales diving in choppy waves
Mon, 22 Dec 2025 – 3 items
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
Fri Dec 26 2025
10:30 • est. 1 Humpback Whales moving slowly, heading west off Winchelsea Islands close to Nanoose Bay, Georgia Strait. ▫ Observed from Shore
Eileen Stewart, Lantzville, BC
12:15 • 1 Humpback Whales breaching, off Coho (Kiddie) Point at the NW tip of Texada Island, Malaspina Strait.
Barry Rice, Powell River, BC
14:36 • 2 Humpback Whales heading south out from the Powell River Viewpoint in line with Grief Point, Malaspina Strait.
14:40 • est. 2+ Humpback Whales heading south close to the light at Cyril Rock, Malaspina Strait.
Susan MacKay, Wild Ocean Whale Society
16:00 • 1 Humpback Whales heading south-east from Mace Point to Dinner Rock, Malaspina Strait. Only saw three brief surfacings. ▫ Observed from Shore
Terry Brown, Otter Be Good Productions
Sat Dec 27 2025
08:50 • est. 2-3 Humpback Whales taking long dives, heading east between Winchelsea Islands and Vancouver Island, Georgia Strait. Multiple dives and surfaces near the same spot. ▫ Observed from Shore
Eileen Stewart, Lantzville, BC
11:58 • 2 Humpback Whales heading south between the Powell River Mill (Pulp & Paper) and Willingdon Beach, Malaspina Strait.
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
Humpback Whales
Humpback Whales heading south between the Powell River Mill and Willingdon Beach, Malaspina Strait
Sat, 27 Dec 2025 – 5 items
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
Humpback Whales
Humpback Whales heading south between the Powell River Mill and Willingdon Beach, Malaspina Strait
Sat, 27 Dec 2025 – 5 items
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
15:00 • est. 3-5 Humpback Whales milling, off Maude Island, Georgia Strait. Pod of 3-5, and appeared to be hunting. Wasnâ??t traveling. Continued to circle and dive showing their tails repeatedly for at least half an hour. Appeared to have a juvenile. ▫ Observed from Shore
EM, Lantzville, BC
Sun Dec 28 2025
11:50 • est. 2-3 Humpback Whales tail lobs, heading north-east close to Maude Island, Nanoose Bay, Georgia Strait. ▫ Observed from Shore
Eileen Stewart, Lantzville, BC
Mon Dec 29 2025
15:30 • 2 Humpback Whales foraging, in Thulin Passage, Malaspina Strait. ▫ From Power or Sail Boat
Terry Brown, Otter Be Good Productions
Tue Dec 30 2025
13:45 • 5 Humpback Whales foraging, south of Copeland Islands, Malaspina Strait. One with a mangled ragged left fluke. Lots of sea lions and dozens of eagles feeding too. ▫ From Power or Sail Boat
Terry Brown, Otter Be Good Productions
Wed Dec 31 2025
14:40 • 5 Humpback Whales foraging, out from Copeland Islands. ▫ From Power or Sail Boat
Terry Brown, Otter Be Good Productions
Thu Jan 01 2026
13:30 • 5 Humpback Whales foraging, off the southern island of Copeland Islands. Whales were in the area for a few hours. ▫ Leaving the Scene
Terry Brown, Otter Be Good Productions
23:30 • est. 2-3 Humpback Whales off of Dolphin Beach, Georgia Strait. Close to shore. ▫ Observed from Shore
AP, Nanoose Bay, BC
Fri Jan 02 2026
13:45 • 1 Humpback Whales moving quickly, heading south-west mid channel between Whytecliff and Bowen Island, Queen Charlotte Channel. Seen from shore of Whytecliff Park, moving steadily and surfacing to breathe. ▫ Observed from Shore
NW, Comox, BC
Humpback Whales
Humpback Whale heading south-west mid channel between Whytecliff and Bowen Island, Queen Charlotte Channel
Fri, 2 Jan 2026 – 1 items
NW, Comox, BC
Humpback Whales
Humpback Whale heading south-west mid channel between Whytecliff and Bowen Island, Queen Charlotte Channel
Fri, 2 Jan 2026 – 1 items
NW, Comox, BC
Sun Jan 11 2026
14:04 • 1 Humpback Whales heading north out from the Powell River Viewpoint, Malaspina Strait.
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
Wed Jan 14 2026
10:51 • Humpback Whales one-third the way between the Powell River Mill (Pulp & Paper) to the Harwood Island Sandbanks (Bluffs), Malaspina Strait.
Barry Rice, Powell River, BC
Thu Jan 15 2026
10:19 • 1 Humpback Whales out from the Powell River Viewpoint, Malaspina Strait.
15:30 • 1 Humpback Whales heading north to the south of the Powell River Viewpoint mid Malaspina Strait.
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
15:54 • 1 Humpback Whales moving slowly, heading north, Powell River Viewpoint, Malaspina Strait.
Susan MacKay, Wild Ocean Whale Society
Fri Jan 23 2026
16:20 • 2 Humpback Whales heading north, Discovery Passage. ▫ Second Hand
Susan MacKay, Wild Ocean Whale Society
SPECIES SUPPLEMENT
Humpback Whales
Humpback Whale surfacing near Powell River
Thu, 15 Jan 2026 – 4 items
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
SPECIES SUPPLEMENT
Humpback Whales
Humpback Whale surfacing near Powell River
Thu, 15 Jan 2026 – 4 items
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
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The Magazine
SPECIAL SIGHTINGS
People Magazine
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A free diving instructor enjoying the open water of the Pacific Ocean near Mexico had her peace interrupted by a once-in-a-lifetime encounter….
read on
read on
RESEARCH & CONSERVATION
DiscoverWildlife
Orcas off the coast of Hokkaido, Japan, can be split into two distinct ecotypes â?? resident and transient â?? according to a new study published in Marine Mammal Science.
Also known as killer whales, orcas are currently categorised as one species (Orcinus orca). However, the distinct forms, or ecotypes, are so different that some researchers believe they might be different species….
read on
Phys Org
The North Atlantic Ocean is warming up. Higher temperatures and increased human activity in the region can trigger abrupt changes in marine ecosystems, for example, how species are distributed and what they eat….
read on
read on
CPG
Cuvier’s beaked whale dives more than 3.000 meters and remains submerged for almost 4 hours, a biological record studied by NOAA and Marine Mammal Science….
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