With Gray Whales, Humpbacks and even Fin Whales being seen on the west coast of Vancouver Island, our inside waters are starting to see some activity which has not been seen in many years. The Sperm Whale, first spotted in Blackfish Sound, managed to sneak down Georgia Strait and was spotted around Nanaimo, third hand report. We now hear that he /she is heading back out through Juan de Fuca Strait. There were also reports that actual Offshore Orca species came into the upper Johnstone Strait. They’ve been known to come into our inside waters on the rare occasion, but it is rare as they are mostly seen in open waters and the north coast of BC. We strive to record and provide all the reports in our updates, but find it difficult to corroborate sightings if we only hear rumours long after the fact and with no details. Every year we remind people not to assume that someone else will report the sighting please.
Humpback Whales are extremely slow in reappearing this year, but as of writing this, a report has come in of one by Horseshow Bay while another couple were up by Brown’s Bay a few days ago.
Transient Biggs Orca are stalking the Vancouver Island shoreline hunting seals and seal lions while the smaller Pacific White Sided Dolphins and Porpoise are staying out their way.
There are definite signs of more activity; or is it that more people are getting on the water? Keep your eyes open and report please.
Susan MacKay, Wild Ocean Whale Society
Cover Image:
Transient Bigg’s Killer Whale breaking the surface near Okisollo Channel
Society News & Events
Do You Have your Tickets Yet ? :
Our Earth Week Buffet Event is scheduled for April 26, 2018 at McKinney’s Pub in the Historic Powell River Townsite. Tickets are $25 each with limited seating. We will have tickets available at our information tables set up at Town Centre Mall April 5, 12 and 19th. or at Hindle’s Gifts or Capone’s Cellar. You can also check for tickets through our
Real Time Monitoring Station Live Update:
Our live camera feed is at YouTube Channel Live Link. Work continues on a resolution for the transmission problems causing the intermittent bouncy images from the Beach Gardens Marina camera. Our second (backup) live stream mounted in Powell River appears when the Beach Gardens camera is down. We appreciate your patience.
Thank You to all our hardworking 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? Updated Job Postings are in the works for 2018, so stay tuned.
Review our current Volunteer Job Postings
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ISSUE SIGHTINGS MAP 2018-007
TRANSIENT BIGGS KILLER WHALES
Mon Apr 02 2018
15:58 • Biggs Orca ◦T010s; T037As◦ heading south one mile south of Cape Mudge Green Can Buoy, Wilby Shoals, Georgia Strait. ▫ Leaving the Scene
SIGHTING MEDIA
Transient Biggs Killer Whales
Transient Bigg’s Killer Whales heading south near We Wai Kai Village on Quadra Island
Mon, 2 Apr 2018 – 10 items
SIGHTING MEDIA
Transient Biggs Killer Whales
Transient Bigg’s Killer Whales heading south near We Wai Kai Village on Quadra Island
Mon, 2 Apr 2018 – 10 items
14:48 • Biggs Orca ◦T010s; T037As◦ heading south off We Wai Kai Village, Cape Mudge, Discovery Passage.
13:16 • est. 7 Biggs Orca heading south exiting Seymour Narrows along the shoreline of Quadra Island, Discovery Passage. One big fin.
Sun Apr 01 2018
15:30 • est. 5+ Biggs Orca moving slowly, heading north about one third of the distance from Bowser to Chrome Island, Georgia Strait. Seem to be feeding as well. ▫ Observed from Shore
MW, Bowser, BC
Sat Mar 31 2018
19:40 • est. 6 Biggs Orca hunting, off Astra Road north of Kin Beach Park, Comox, Georgia Strait. The whales seemed to be very active splashing, briefly going underwater, and surfacing in an energetic way. We wondered if they were trying to exhaust and kill a sea lion because at one point it seemed a whale surfaced under something and flung it into the air. But we weren’t certain what we’d seen happen. Near dusk, the whales were approached by a group of about 6 sea lions who seemed to be banding up to stop the Killer whales from whatever they were doing. The sea lions had been staying away from the whales in very shallow water near shore but as the whales reached an area of shallower water, the sea lions began to deliberately move toward them. The whales backed away but didn’t leave. It became too dark to see what was happening. ▫ Observed from Shore
TC,
16:56 • 4 Biggs Orca heading east just south of Mitlenatch Island, Georgia Strait. ▫ Leaving the Scene
15:08 • est. 6+ Biggs Orca milling, off Cape Mudge, Quadra Island, Georgia Strait. After awhile, they were moving slowly southward.
14:33 • Biggs Orca moving quickly, heading south past the government dock in Campbell River in the middle of Discovery Passage.
14:06 • Biggs Orca heading south in Seymour Narrows, Discovery Passage. Passing mill.
SIGHTING MEDIA
Transient Biggs Killer Whales
Transient Bigg’s Killer Whales heading south in Seymour Narrows
Sat, 31 Mar 2018 – 10 items
SIGHTING MEDIA
Transient Biggs Killer Whales
Transient Bigg’s Killer Whales heading south in Seymour Narrows
Sat, 31 Mar 2018 – 10 items
12:02 • est. 14-16 Biggs Orca near Okisollo Channel. In 3 groups.
11:22 • Biggs Orca ◦T018s◦ heading south on Greensea Bay on the west side of Sonora Island, Discovery Passage. There were other Orca with the T018s.
11:14 • 9 Biggs Orca heading south along the shoreline of Sonora Island near Chatham Point, Discovery Passage.
11:10 • Biggs Orca heading south by Chatham Point, Discovery Passage.
Radio, overheard or call out
Fri Mar 30 2018
15:45 • Biggs Orca ◦T002Cs◦ by San Juan Island, San Juan Channel. ▫ Second Hand
15:37 • 3-4 Biggs Orca continuing toward Mitlenatch Island, Georgia Strait. Possibly the T002Cs pod.
15:21 • 3-4 Biggs Orca heading south just south of Cape Mudge, Quadra Island, Georgia Strait. One male plus 2-3 others, in lumpy seas.
Thu Mar 29 2018
17:37 • Biggs Orca at Cape Lazo heading toward Powell River, Georgia Strait.
13:40 • 9 Biggs Orca milling, by Union Bay, Baynes Sound. ▫ Second Hand
Tue Mar 27 2018
15:37 • 3 Biggs Orca heading south off the west side of Coho / Kiddie Point at the north end of Texada Island, Malaspina Strait.
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
Sat Mar 24 2018
15:48 • 2 Biggs Orca heading south at the bottom of Denman Island, Georgia Strait.
14:53 • Biggs Orca heading south just passing the ferry near the Denman Island Ferry Terminal, Baynes Sound.
13:04 • 2 Biggs Orca heading south out of Comox Harbour.
Fri Mar 23 2018
18:00 • 5-10 Biggs Orca travelling; foraging, heading north from south of Denman Island to just north of Deep Bay, Baynes Sound. Spent about 2 hours in view from shore just north of Deep Bay. ▫ Observed from Shore
SD, Bowser, BC
08:33 • 2 Biggs Orca heading south off Ripple Point, Johnstone Strait.
Tue Mar 20 2018
16:15 • Biggs Orca up by Plumper Bay, Discovery Passage. No numbers or direction.
Radio, overheard or call out
10:07 • est. 10 Biggs Orca 1 mile east off Francisco Point, Georgia Strait. No direction.
UNIDENTIFIED KILLER WHALES
Tue Mar 20 2018
12:15 • 2 Orca moving quickly, heading south close to Keats Island and going by Georgia Beach, Gibsons, Collingwood Channel. Appeared to stop in front of a beach on Keats Island for a few minutes before continuing on. ▫ Observed from Shore
Karen Holland, Gibsons, BC
SIGHTING MEDIA
Unidentified Killer Whales
Two Killer Whales heading south close to Keats Island
Tue, 20 Mar 2018 – 3 items
Karen Holland, Gibsons, BC
SIGHTING MEDIA
Unidentified Killer Whales
Two Killer Whales heading south close to Keats Island
Tue, 20 Mar 2018 – 3 items
Karen Holland, Gibsons, BC
SPECIES SUPPLEMENT
Unidentified Killer Whales
Killer Whale spyhopping in the summer
Wed, 4 Apr 2018 – 1 items
SPECIES SUPPLEMENT
Unidentified Killer Whales
Killer Whale spyhopping in the summer
Wed, 4 Apr 2018 – 1 items
Sun Apr 01 2018
09:07 • 1 Humpback Whales west side of Baker Passage.
09:00 • 2 Humpback Whales at Browns Bay, Discovery Passage. ▫ Second Hand
Sat Mar 24 2018
14:15 • 1 Humpback Whales lunge feeding, heading north-west offshore from Tofino, Pacific Ocean. ▫ From Power or Sail Boat
Melissa Hafting, Vancouver, BC
Sat Mar 24 2018
14:30 • 2 Fin Whales moving slowly, heading north-west offshore from Tofino, Pacific Ocean. ▫ From Power or Sail Boat
Melissa Hafting, Vancouver, BC
SIGHTING MEDIA
Fin Whales
Two Fin Whales heading north-west offshore of Tofino
Sat, 24 Mar 2018 – 1 items
Melissa Hafting, Vancouver, BC
SIGHTING MEDIA
Fin Whales
Two Fin Whales heading north-west offshore of Tofino
Sat, 24 Mar 2018 – 1 items
Melissa Hafting, Vancouver, BC
PACIFIC WHITE SIDED DOLPHINS
Tue Mar 27 2018
13:22 • 6 PWS Dolphins in Yuculta Rapids.
Tue Mar 27 2018
13:02 • est. 20-40 Dalls Porpoise foraging, between Rebecca Rocks and Harwood Island, Malaspina Strait. Most likely Dall’s porpoise; tough to tell from the dorsals as they are not leaping.
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
Sat Mar 24 2018
13:10 • est. 20 Dalls Porpoise foraging, heading north-west 43 miles offshore from Tofino, Pacific Ocean. ▫ From Power or Sail Boat
Melissa Hafting, Vancouver, BC
Fri Mar 23 2018
12:54 • 4 Dalls Porpoise in Calm Channel.
NEW! WOWs Sightings Archive Explorer
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Archive Explorer takes readers into the Cetacean world of the BC Coast. Easily view all Cetacean sighting reports together with all sighting photos and videos:
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