Northern Resident Orca Roaming Around

A publication of Wild Ocean Whale Society (WOWs)

Northern Resident Orca Roaming Around


Cover Image:
Northern Resident Killer Whales passing by Atrevida Reef
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC

Members of the Northern Resident Orca population have remained in the upper Georgia Strait area and many inland waters. Some of these Orca travelled as far south as Powell River this week before turning around and heading northward. Other members of Northern Resident Orca made their way around Cortes Island, Discovery Passage, and in Frederick Arm while the majority have have remained in upper Johnstone Strait.

Humpback whales have been observed in their usual locations in Sutil Channel and upper Georgia Strait. Similar to the Resident Orca, some Humpbacks made their way south this week and travelled past Powell River. Some of these Humpbacks were observed to be circling an area, which may have indicated they have found some food. Transient Orca were observed in Howe Sound on two occasions but were not reported in any other areas. Very few reports of dolphins or porpoises have been received, and they may have moved to other channels/waterways due to the presence of the Resident Orca. Rounding out our report is sightings of two Sea Otters.

There are still many near misses with boaters almost striking whales. Slow Down Please! And spread the word.

Keep your eyes open, report your sightings to us, and use caution on the water giving these animals plenty of room. Remember N.E.W.S. when you see a whale, meaning put your boat in NEUTRAL, ENJOY the view, WAIT till the whales are at a fair distance, and then SLOWLY leave the scene.

Society News & Events

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Sightings Update
SIGHTINGS MAP – ISSUE: 2018-033
TRANSIENT BIGGS KILLER WHALES
Mon Aug 27 2018
12:25 • Biggs Orca ◦T087; T090s◦ off Zorro Bay, Howe Sound.
Hilary Buckley, Wild Whales Vancouver, BC
Fri Aug 24 2018
17:00 • est. 2-3 Biggs Orca travelling, heading south between Hopkins Landing and Keats Island, Collingwood Channel. ▫ Observed from Shore
Darren Norman, Gibsons, BC
NORTHERN RESIDENT KILLER WHALES
Tue Aug 28 2018
15:00 • NRKW Orca heading west angled towards Nodales Channel from Frederick Arm. Big group of Orca. ▫ Leaving the Scene
Reuben Buerge, Eagle Eye Adventures
14:22 • NRKW Orca, Frederick Arm.
Radio, overheard or call out
13:54 • NRKW Orca ◦A42s◦ heading north in front of Lund angled at Major Rock Islet, Malaspina Strait. ▫ Leaving the Scene
13:18 • NRKW Orca ◦A42s◦ heading north off Hurtado Point south of Lund, Malaspina Strait.
12:15 • est. 25 NRKW Orca spread out, between Howe Island and Lee Islands, Nodales Channel. Heading towards the mainland. ▫ Leaving the Scene
Reuben Buerge, Eagle Eye Adventures
12:00 • NRKW Orca off Atrevida Reef north of Powell River, Malaspina Strait.
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
Northern Resident Killer Whales
Northern Resident Killer Whales off of Atrevida Reef
Tue, 28 Aug 2018 – 7 items
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
Northern Resident Killer Whales
Northern Resident Killer Whales off of Atrevida Reef
Tue, 28 Aug 2018 – 7 items
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
11:48 • NRKW Orca ◦A42s◦ heading north 1.5 miles south of Savary Island, Malaspina Strait. ▫ Leaving the Scene
11:26 • NRKW Orca heading south from Chatham Point close to the shore of Vancouver Island, Discovery Passage.
11:26 • 4 NRKW Orca off Suffolk Point heading into Nodales Channel.
Ryan Stewart, Sonora Resort
11:06 • est. 12 NRKW Orca heading north-east off Chatham Point towards Nodales Channel, Discovery Passage.
Reuben Buerge, Eagle Eye Adventures
10:57 • est. 12 NRKW Orca heading south off Walkem Islands, Johnstone Strait. They were headed north but turned to go south.
Ryan Stewart, Sonora Resort
10:36 • NRKW Orca ◦A42s◦ heading north off Sliammon near Powell River, Malaspina Strait.
10:18 • NRKW Orca heading south between Walkem Islands and Rock Bay, Johnstone Strait. A big group. ▫ Leaving the Scene
Wayne Wright, Campbell River. BC
10:17 • NRKW Orca heading south by Rock Bay, Johnstone Strait.
Radio, overheard or call out
10:08 • NRKW Orca heading north one mile off of the Powell River Mill (Pulp & Paper), Malaspina Strait.
08:10 • 5-6 NRKW Orca heading north off Myrtle Point, Malaspina Strait.
Jim Southern, Powell River, BC
08:00 • 5 NRKW Orca heading north off Myrtle Rocks in the middle of Malaspina Strait.
Wendy Heathcote, Powell River, BC
07:50 • est. 2 NRKW Orca travelling, heading north between Myrtle Rocks and Black (Albion) Point, Malaspina Strait. I saw 1 possibly 2 Orca before they disappeared behind trees. They were possibly the last in a passing group. The first one observed was a male. ▫ Observed from Shore
Liz Kennedy, Powell River, BC
Mon Aug 27 2018
13:49 • NRKW Orca ◦A30s; A25s◦ eastern boundary of Robson Bight (Michael Bigg) Ecological Reserve, Johnstone Strait. Possibly the A25s, and friends. ▫ Leaving the Scene
12:22 • est. 30+ NRKW Orca ◦A30s; A25s◦ heading west at Naka Creek, Johnstone Strait. Possibly the A25s, and friends.
12:06 • NRKW Orca heading north by Naka Creek.
Radio, overheard or call out
11:11 • est. 30 NRKW Orca at Forward Bay, West Cracroft Island, Johnstone Strait. East of Robson Bight.
Jerry Weldon, Eagle Eye Adventures
Sun Aug 26 2018
14:38 • est. 3-4 NRKW Orca ◦A42s◦ hunting, heading north 500-m offshore near Myrtle Rocks, Malaspina Strait. Possibly a family group. ▫ Observed from Shore
Ben Cunningham, Vancouver, BC
14:34 • NRKW Orca ◦A42s◦ heading north off Myrtle Rocks.
Jim Southern, Powell River, BC
14:31 • NRKW Orca heading north 5 knots half mile offshore at Myrtle Rocks.
14:30 • 5 NRKW Orca ◦A42s◦ heading north off Myrtle Rocks.
Wendy Heathcote, Powell River, BC
14:22 • NRKW Orca ◦A42s◦ heading north back towards Powell River, Malaspina Strait. They were heading south but turned.
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
Northern Resident Killer Whales
Northern Resident Killer Whales, A42s, heading north off of Powell River
Sun, 26 Aug 2018 – 9 items
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
Northern Resident Killer Whales
Northern Resident Killer Whales, A42s, heading north off of Powell River
Sun, 26 Aug 2018 – 9 items
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
13:13 • 4 NRKW Orca ◦A42s◦ off Donkersley Beach south of Powell River, Malaspina Strait. One large whale, one medium, and two small ones. Being closely followed by two whale watching boats. The boats are really close to the Orcas.
Laura Johnson, Powell River, BC
12:43 • NRKW Orca ◦A42s◦ heading north half mile offshore at Lang Bay, Malaspina Strait.
Stan Novotny, Eagle Eye Adventures
12:24 • NRKW Orca ◦A23s◦ off Wastell Islets top of Johnstone Strait.
Radio, overheard or call out
11:52 • est. 10 NRKW Orca moving slowly, heading west off Kelsey Bay tight to the shore of Vancouver Island, Johnstone Strait. G clan.
11:43 • 3 NRKW Orca moving slowly, heading west off Kelsey Bay, Johnstone Strait. Seeing two females and a small calf so far.
11:32 • NRKW Orca just west of Sayward, Johnstone Strait.
09:19 • NRKW Orca ◦A42s◦ by Myrtle Point, Malaspina Strait.
Eric Green, Powell River CCG
Northern Resident Killer Whales
North Resident Killer Whales, A42s, heading south by Myrtle Point
Sun, 26 Aug 2018 – 1 items
Eric Green, Powell River CCG
Northern Resident Killer Whales
North Resident Killer Whales, A42s, heading south by Myrtle Point
Sun, 26 Aug 2018 – 1 items
Eric Green, Powell River CCG
08:15 • 5 NRKW Orca heading south off Myrtle Rocks, Malaspina Strait.
Wendy Heathcote, Powell River, BC
07:30 • 6 NRKW Orca ◦A42s◦ moving slowly, heading south just south of the light at Grief Point, Beach Gardens Marina, Malaspina Strait. Includes two babies. Very closely packed together. One baby breathing more often than the others.
Anne and Ron Baker, Powell River, BC
Sat Aug 25 2018
19:08 • NRKW Orca ◦A42s◦ heading south half-mile north of Marina Island, Sutil Channel. ▫ Leaving the Scene
19:00 • est. 7-8 NRKW Orca heading north at Deepwater Bay, Discovery Passage.
Elvis Chikite, Pacific Pro Dive
17:52 • NRKW Orca ◦A42s◦ heading south heading through Plunger Passage, Sutil Channel.
Leigh Nelson, Adventure Quest Tours
17:23 • NRKW Orca ◦A42s◦ heading south approaching Quartz Bay, Cortes Island, Sutil Channel.
16:21 • NRKW Orca ◦A42s◦ approaching Hill Island, Sutil Channel. ▫ Leaving the Scene
Stan Novotny, Eagle Eye Adventures
15:33 • NRKW Orca ◦A42s◦ north end of Whale Passage, Sutil Channel.
15:15 • NRKW Orca between Whale Passage and Rendezvous Islands, Sutil Channel.
Reuben Buerge, Eagle Eye Adventures
12:44 • NRKW Orca at Race Point, Discovery Passage.
12:34 • NRKW Orca Menzies Bay, Discovery Passage.
12:32 • NRKW Orca spread out, from Browns Bay, Discovery Passage. Spread across the Channel to the powerlines.
12:30 • NRKW Orca spread out, heading south north of Seymour Narrows, Discovery Passage.
Robin Pears, Blind Channel Resort
11:13 • NRKW Orca heading south 1/2 mile from Separation Head, Discovery Passage. Several whales spread through the whole strait.
10:28 • NRKW Orca Spread out between Deepwater Bay and the shore of Vancouver Island, Discovery Passage.
08:39 • NRKW Orca heading south Kanish Bay Discovery Passage.
07:30 • NRKW Orca moving slowly, heading south past Granite Point, Discovery Passage. Several whales, spread out.
Jess Cavanagh, Blind Channel Resort
UNIDENTIFIED KILLER WHALES
Tue Aug 28 2018
15:46 • 2 Orca hunting, between Browns Bay and Eagles Cove, Discovery Passage. One large bull and one medium dorsal fin.
15:26 • 2 Orca heading north near Browns Bay, Discovery Passage.
Wayne Wright, Campbell River. BC
Mon Aug 27 2018
16:43 • Orca heading south 0.5 miles west of Manson Passage, Georgia Strait. 3 knots.
Bill Coltart, Pacific Pro Dive
14:24 • Orca heading south off red can at Cortez Reef, Georgia Strait.
Jason Fitzgerald, Eagle Eye Adventures
11:21 • est. 12 Orca at Francisco Point, Quadra Island, Georgia Strait.
HUMPBACK WHALES
Tue Aug 28 2018
15:19 • 1 Humpback Whales heading towards Curme Islands, Desolation Sound.
15:15 • 3 Humpback Whales near Rebecca Spit, Sutil Channel. Heard from a sailboat. ▫ Second Hand
15:14 • 1 Humpback Whales off Otter Island, Desolation Sound.
15:13 • 2 Humpback Whales heading north abeam the cell tower on Quadra Island in the middle of Sutil Channel.
15:13 • 3 Humpback Whales off Donegal Head, Malcolm Island, Queen Charlotte Strait.
15:13 • 2 Humpback Whales by Parson Island in Blackney Passage, Blackfish Sound.
Radio, overheard or call out
14:32 • est. 15 Humpback Whales around Grant Reefs, Georgia Strait.
Eric Green, Powell River CCG
12:31 • Humpback Whales doing circles, between Flower Island and Whitebeach Passage, Blackfish Sound.
Radio, overheard or call out
12:00 • Humpback Whales at Atrevida Reef north of Powell River, Malaspina Strait.
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
11:54 • 2 Humpback Whales NW of Mitlenatch Island, Georgia Strait.
11:43 • 2 Humpback Whales heading south one mile east of Mitlenatch Island.
11:10 • 2 Humpback Whales ◦BCY0291 KC◦ off the pinnacles east of Grant Reefs, Malaspina Strait.
10:40 • 2 Humpback Whales heading south off Sliammon near Powell River, Malaspina Strait.
08:53 • 2 Humpback Whales ◦BCX0380 Zed / Zorro◦ one mile east of Mitlenatch Island, Georgia Strait.
07:50 • 3 Humpback Whales heading south off Myrtle Point, Malaspina Strait.
Jim Southern, Powell River, BC
Mon Aug 27 2018
20:40 • 3-4 Humpback Whales heading south at Myrtle Point. Another group.
Jim Southern, Powell River, BC
19:11 • 3 Humpback Whales between Center Islet and Viner Point, Sutil Channel.
19:11 • 2 Humpback Whales south of Subtle Islands, Sutil Channel. On the ferry line.
17:46 • est. 3-5 Humpback Whales spread out, south of Subtle Islands.
Reuben Buerge, Eagle Eye Adventures
16:52 • 2 Humpback Whales back and forth, off Myrtle Point, Malaspina Strait. Big whales.
Jim Southern, Powell River, BC
16:28 • 2 Humpback Whales heading north off Myrtle Rocks, Malaspina Strait. Big ones.
Wendy Heathcote, Powell River, BC
15:20 • 3 Humpback Whales foraging, heading south mid-way between Myrtle Rocks and Black (Albion) Point, Malaspina Strait. 10 minute dives. Animals stay very close together and dive at the same time. ▫ Observed from Shore
Liz Kennedy, Powell River, BC
10:49 • 2 Humpback Whales north of Dogfish Bay at the southeast end of Quadra Island mid Sutil Channel.
Jason Fitzgerald, Eagle Eye Adventures
09:45 • 2 Humpback Whales 1 km southwest of Mitlenatch Island, Georgia Strait.
09:41 • 2 Humpback Whales heading south by sandbanks at Harwood Island, Malaspina Strait.
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
09:15 • 2 Humpback Whales heading north 200 m off Marina Island shack, Sutil Channel.
Sun Aug 26 2018
20:00 • 1 Humpback Whales heading north off Ripple Point in the middle of Johnstone Strait.
Jess Cavanagh, Blind Channel Resort
Humpback Whales
Humpback fluking off of Ripple Point
Sun, 26 Aug 2018 – 1 items
Jess Cavanagh, Blind Channel Resort
Humpback Whales
Humpback fluking off of Ripple Point
Sun, 26 Aug 2018 – 1 items
Jess Cavanagh, Blind Channel Resort
16:45 • Humpback Whales breaching, south-east of Montgomery Bank, Georgia Strait.
Stan Novotny, Eagle Eye Adventures
14:39 • 2 Humpback Whales between Marina Reef and Francisco Point, Sutil Channel.
14:39 • 4 Humpback Whales between Marina Reef and Mitlenatch Island, Georgia Strait.
14:26 • 4 Humpback Whales heading south from Subtle Islands toward Francisco Point, Sutil Channel.
13:55 • 4 Humpback Whales south of the ferry line at Subtle Islands, Sutil Channel.
13:45 • 1 Humpback Whales 1.5 miles south of Hill Island, Sutil Channel. Sleeping.
13:26 • 2 Humpback Whales ◦BCY0291 KC◦ just south of Dinner Rock, Malaspina Strait. And friend.
11:57 • 5 Humpback Whales off Sentry Shoal heading toward Vancouver Island, Georgia Strait.
11:30 • 3 Humpback Whales one mile south of Mitlenatch Island, Georgia Strait. ▫ Leaving the Scene
Stan Novotny, Eagle Eye Adventures
10:35 • 1-2 Humpback Whales in Carrington Bay.
Leigh Nelson, Adventure Quest Tours
10:28 • 1 Humpback Whales doing circles, west side of Hill Island, Sutil Channel.
10:28 • 2 Humpback Whales doing circles, off Carrington Bay, Sutil Channel.
10:24 • Humpback Whales about two miles west of Mitlenatch Island toward Vancouver Island, Georgia Strait. Very friendly.
Stuart Clark, Eagle Eye Adventures
09:58 • 2 Humpback Whales west side of Plunger Passage, Sutil Channel.
09:30 • est. 6 Humpback Whales 700-m southwest of Mitlenatch Island, Georgia Strait.
09:25 • 2 Humpback Whales heading towards Penn Islands, Sutil Channel. Were heading east toward Carrington Bay but turned.
09:20 • 2 Humpback Whales just south of Hill Island, Sutil Channel.
08:40 • 2 Humpback Whales off the red can at Cortez Reef, Georgia Strait. A couple of groups.
07:40 • est. 2+ Humpback Whales foraging, heading south out from Crescent Bay, Texada Island, Georgia Strait. Were heading north but turned.
Micheline Macauley, Texada Island, BC
Sat Aug 25 2018
19:06 • 3 Humpback Whales west of Mitlenatch Island, Georgia Strait. ▫ Leaving the Scene
Patrick Braspenning, Painters Lodge, Campbell River
17:54 • 2 Humpback Whales off Centre Islet, Sutil Channel.
16:37 • 2 Humpback Whales north of Centre Islet.
Stan Novotny, Eagle Eye Adventures
14:15 • 8 Humpback Whales breaching, off Viner Point, Sutil Channel.
13:10 • 1 Humpback Whales heading west off Cape Mudge Lighthouse on Quadra Island, Georgia Strait.
12:11 • 2 Humpback Whales off Viner Point, Read Island, Sutil Channel.
Jason Fitzgerald, Eagle Eye Adventures
12:08 • 2 Humpback Whales south of red can at Cortes Island, Georgia Strait.
Radio, overheard or call out
12:05 • 1 Humpback Whales at Wilby Shoals, Georgia Strait.
11:19 • 2 Humpback Whales south of Marina Reef abeam Baker Passage, Sutil Channel.
10:25 • 1 Humpback Whales west of Cortez Reef, Georgia Strait.
09:23 • 3 Humpback Whales above Dunsterville Islet, Hoskyn Channel.
09:20 • Humpback Whales off the west side of Hornby Island, Lambert Channel. Very active. ▫ Second Hand
09:11 • Humpback Whales above Dunsterville Islet, Hoskyn Channel.
08:53 • est. 2-3 Humpback Whales between Viner Point and Center Islet, Sutil Channel.
08:46 • 1 Humpback Whales south of Penn Islands, Sutil Channel.
Reuben Buerge, Eagle Eye Adventures
Wed Aug 22 2018
17:10 • 1 Humpback Whales by Von Donop Inlet, Cortes Island, Sutil Channel.
Radio, overheard or call out
14:00 • 2 Humpback Whales breaching, heading north-west from Lund towards Mitlenatch Island, Malaspina Strait. Large Humpbacks swimming in tandem. ▫ From Power or Sail Boat
PM & MEM, North Vancouver, BC
10:00 • 1 Humpback Whales heading west off the south end of Hill Island, Sutil Channel.
Radio, overheard or call out
Tue Aug 21 2018
09:45 • 7 Humpback Whales between the buoy off Marina Reef and the buoy off Cortez Reef, Sutil Channel.
Radio, overheard or call out
Mon Aug 20 2018
16:30 • 5 Humpback Whales off the east side of Mitlenatch Island, Georgia Strait.
Radio, overheard or call out
Mon Jul 02 2018
11:00 • 1 Humpback Whales breaching, heading north-east just north of entrance to Von Donop Inlet, Sutil Channel. Breaching for about 10 minutes. ▫ From Power or Sail Boat
PM & MEM, North Vancouver, BC
MINKE WHALES
Tue Aug 28 2018
12:26 • Minke Whales foraging, by Pearse Reefs, Cormorant Channel.
Radio, overheard or call out
PACIFIC WHITE SIDED DOLPHINS
Thu Aug 16 2018
16:00 • est. 5-10 PWS Dolphins heading south-east mid channel at entrance to Tribune Channel. Travelling in and out under the bow of our sailboat for about 10 minutes. ▫ From Power or Sail Boat
PM & MEM, North Vancouver, BC
DALLS PORPOISE
Sat Aug 25 2018
11:00 • Dalls Porpoise at entrance to Nodales Channel.
Radio, overheard or call out
Thu Aug 16 2018
16:00 • 1 Dalls Porpoise travelling, heading north 1/2 way between Alert Bay and Knight Inlet, Blackfish Sound. ▫ From Power or Sail Boat
PM & MEM, North Vancouver, BC
HARBOUR PORPOISE
Mon Aug 20 2018
15:50 • Harbour Porpoise off the southeast side of Mitlenatch Island, Georgia Strait. A pod of porpoise.
Radio, overheard or call out
SEA OTTERS
Sat Aug 25 2018
09:46 • Sea Otters across from Sheer Point, Hoskyn Channel.
Mon Aug 20 2018
13:30 • 1 Sea Otters half mile off the southwest end of Kinghorn Island, Malaspina Strait.
Radio, overheard or call out

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The Magazine
REGIONAL
Video shows thrilling encounter with orcas in Howe Sound
Vancouver is Awesome, BC

Check out this recently-published video showing a thrilling morning encounter with three orcas in Howe Sound.

The videographer: Former Bowen Island mayor Bob Turner, who shares information about the whales in his thoughtful narration, as he follows the trio of orcas from his kayak. It’s pretty magical….
read on

Struggling killer whale calf may need 2nd shot of antibiotics, scientists say
CBC News
Scientists who are trying to treat an ailing killer whale off the Washington state coast are looking at injecting the animal with a second dose of antibiotics and a deworming drug.

For the past few weeks, the endangered female orca known as J-50 has been at the centre of an international rescue effort. She was last spotted Friday.

A veterinarian was able to dart J-50 with a broad-spectrum antibiotic on Aug. 9.

“In the most obvious sense, she’s not getting enough to eat. She’s not getting enough nutrition. That’s the fundamental problem,” he said in a telephone interview Monday.

“But whether that’s caused by the fact that she’s weak and she’s not able to forage, or because perhaps she also has some type of infection or other condition that’s affecting her – we don’t know those specifics.”…
read on

Hundreds crowd orca task force meeting in Anacortes
KUOW, WA
Hundreds of people showed up at the Swinomish Casino in Anacortes on Tuesday, but not to gamble. They wanted to have their say on the state’s endangered orcas.

Governor Jay Inslee’s killer whale task force, with the urgent task of figuring out how to keep Washington’s orcas from going extinct, met there. The task force is focusing on pollution, boat noise, and the shortage of salmon for the surviving 75 members of the southern resident killer whales.

Those orcas’ numbers have been in trouble for decades, but public interest surged this summer after the orca known as J-35 or Tahlequah carried her dead, newborn calf around for weeks.

Whether they were from the standing-room-only crowd or the sprawling, 44-member task force, almost everyone at the day-long meeting spoke of the urgency of action for orcas, the salmon they eat and the habitats they depend on.

"If we’re going to make a difference, then we need to start making a difference today,” said Debra Lekanof, intergovernmental affairs liaison with the Swinomish Tribe, which hosted the meeting. “It all comes down to the political will of Washington state."…
read on

Video of three transient killer whales hunting a seal
Castanet, BC

An unbelievable video captured by a Vernon resident perfectly demonstrates both the beauty and brutality of nature.

Klaus Gretzmacher was fishing off the northern coast of Vancouver Island when he captured video on his iPhone of three transient killer whales hunting a seal.

Gretzmacher says it appeared that the two larger orcas were teaching a smaller orca to hunt.

“They played with this poor animal for at least half an hour before they took it down,” explains Gretzmacher. “There were three orcas, two regular sized one and one small one.”

Gretzmacher, who lives in Vernon but has a vacation home on Vancouver Island has seen killer whales attack sea lions before, but he says he has never had an experience like the one he captured on video.

“I have never seen it that close,” Gretzmacher says. “I have never had a seal try and hide under my boat for protection.”

Gretzmacher turned off his boat motor so not injure the whales or the seal.

As the boat drifted, the killer whales bumped and rubbed against its hull….
read on

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
Lonely dolphin stranded in Scottish firth alters ‘speech’ to fit in with local sea life
The Telegraph, UK
The short-beaked common dolphin, nicknamed Kylie by locals, has made his home around a navigational buoy between Fairlie and the Isle of Cumbrae, after he is thought to have got lost from his group.

The area is not commonly visited by dolphins and Kylie has mostly been exposed to sounds produced by other species, particularly the harbour porpoise.

Now audio testing suggests the dolphin has altered the frequency of the clicking he makes so as to be understood by the porpoises.

If validated by further research, the findings would mark the first time a common dolphin has shown it can imitate other species in order to communicate….
read on

Wild dolphins learn to ‘walk on water’ by copying tricks from captive animals, study finds
The Independant, UK
Wild dolphins have learned how to walk on water by copying tricks developed by captive animals, a 30-year study found.

Scientists in Australia observed that dolphins in Adelaide learned tail-walking – when the animal rises vertically out of the water and moves forward or backwards across it – from a dolphin called Billie which had spent time in a dolphinarium.

Dolphins rarely do this in the wild but it is a standard part of the routine in almost all dolphinaria.

Billie learned tail-walking by observing the performing dolphins and, when released, began performing the trick regularly in the wild.

The behaviour then faded away after a number of years, with the most prolific tail-walker dying in 2014….
read on

Beluga whales and narwhals go through menopause
Science Daily
Scientists have discovered that beluga whales and narwhals go through the menopause — taking the total number of species known to experience this to five.

Aside from humans, the species now known to experience menopause are all toothed whales — belugas, narwhals, killer whales and short-finned pilot whales.

Almost all animals continue reproducing throughout their lives, and scientists have long been puzzled about why some have evolved to stop.

The new study, by the universities of Exeter and York and the Center for Whale Research, suggests menopause has evolved independently in three whale species (it may have evolved in a common ancestor of belugas and narwhals).

“For menopause to make sense in evolutionary terms, a species needs both a reason to stop reproducing and a reason to live on afterwards,” said first author Dr Sam Ellis, of the University of Exeter.

“In killer whales, the reason to stop comes because both male and female offspring stay with their mothers for life — so as a female ages, her group contains more and more of her children and grandchildren.

“This increasing relatedness means that, if she keeps having young, they compete with her own direct descendants for resources such as food….
read on

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