Humpbacks Breaching!

Many Humpback whales are still travelling around inland waterways and many of them can be seen easily from shore. Of the 116 sightings received, 89 of them were of Humpback whales. Many of the Humpback sightings reported the whales were breaching, some multiple times. A breaching whale can be seen even from a few kilometers away, and the sound generated when the whale returns to the water can be heard even at a further distance. There were some sightings of Transient Orca but the number of sightings of them is lower compared to other reporting periods. Pacific White-Sided dolphins were observed with the largest pod estimated to include about 100 members. A few pods of Dall’s porpoises were seen with the largest pod estimated to be about 15 members.

In our Magazine section, read about a Southern Resident Orca that may be pregnant, a bottlenose dolphin in Ireland that has delighted many for over 37 years, and on-going research on Blue whales off the coast of Australia.

Boaters, use caution on the water. 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.

The Federal Government (DFO) has issued the following statement about watching whales in the wild: “To address disturbance in the presence of whales, a mandatory 400-metre vessel approach distance for all killer whales is in effect starting June 1, 2020 in all southern British Columbia coastal waters between Campbell River and just north of Ucluelet. The Marine Mammal Regulations continue to remain in effect year-round, including maintaining a minimum 200 metre approach distance from all killer whales in Canadian Pacific waters other than described above, and 100 metres for other whales, porpoises and dolphins OR 200 metres when the animal is in resting position or with a calf.”

WOWs works throught the year, so please continue to keep your eyes open, and report your sightings to us.