Marine Animal Species Interact

Humpback Whales frequently interact with sealions when it comes to cooperative feeding and actual play. Sealions will swim around with Humpbacks helping corral food. They can also porpoise out of the water when it comes to playful interactions and roll around with these larger whales, or get a lift out of the water from the Humpback tail or pectoral flipper, all in play. Humpbacks have also grouped up around sealions to offer protection from Transient Bigg’s (meat eating) Orca on the hunt. The Orca, on the other hand, will nip at a full size Humpback tail or pectoral flipper while keeping away from the line of fire from a tail lob, which could seriously injure them.

Incredibly playful Pacific White Sided Dolphins will leap and cavort around Resident (fish eating) Orca as well as Humpbacks. In most cases though, it appears to be more harassment than play for the other species. Mostly, the whales dive deep and try to avoid the fast moving dolphins who seem to gang up on them.

Dall’s and Harbour Porpoise are frequently seen foraging together and even inter-breeding to produce a Dalls-Harbour Hybrid porpoise with the mom usually being the Dall’s Porpoise.

The Federal Government (DFO) 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 throughout the year, so please continue to keep your eyes open, and report your sightings to us.