Mixed Bag of Whale, Dolphin and Porpoise Sightings

15:34 • Biggs Orca ?T002Cs? moving slowly, heading south off Copeland Islands, Malaspina Strait.

13:50 • 5 Biggs Orca ?T002Cs? heading south off Sarah Point towards Copeland Islands, Malaspina Strait. After 30 minutes, they were getting close to the Copeland Islands.

13:42 • Biggs Orca off Indian Point, Savary Island, Malaspina Strait.

10:23 • 5 Biggs Orca ?T002Cs? in Tenedos Bay, Desolation Sound. ▫ Second Hand

17:28 • Biggs Orca at Quadra Island Scallop Farm heading toward Bullock Bluff, Sutil Channel. ▫ Leaving the Scene

17:10 • Biggs Orca ?T002Cs? heading north by Von Donop Inlet. ▫ Leaving the Scene

16:14 • Biggs Orca ?T002Cs? heading north swimming toward Carrington Bay, Sutil Channel.

10:53 • 4 Biggs Orca ?T101s? heading north at McMullen Point, Discovery Passage. ▫ Leaving the Scene

10:17 • est. 3 Biggs Orca heading north close to Vancouver Island shore about 2 miles south of Eagles Cove, Johnstone Strait.

10:00 • Biggs Orca by Vancouver Island shore north of Browns Bay, Discovery Passage.

08:57 • Biggs Orca ?T101s? between Cape Mudge Green Can Buoy and red can on Cortez Reef, Georgia Strait.

08:20 • Biggs Orca heading north at Browns Bay, Discovery Passage. ▫ Second Hand

15:13 • Biggs Orca moving quickly, heading south passing Myrtle Rocks, Malaspina Strait.

15:01 • 6-7 Biggs Orca passing Grief Point south of Powell River, Malaspina Strait.

13:35 • 3-4 Biggs Orca heading south from Sliammon, Malaspina Strait. ▫ Second Hand

–:– • 13-14 Biggs Orca ?T036; T036B; T101s; T102; T137s; T046s?, Discovery Passage.

09:30 • est. 5 Biggs Orca heading north tight to West Redonda Island above Pendrell Sound in Waddington Channel.

11:20 • Biggs Orca Barnes Bay, Okisollo Channel.

09:40 • 5 Biggs Orca ?T086As; T087? heading south, Discovery Passage.

16:11 • 3 Biggs Orca heading north just passed by Armour Road Black (Albion) Point, Malaspina Strait.

SPECIES SUPPLEMENT

SPECIES SUPPLEMENT

21:44 • SRKW Orca milling, heading south off Cape Lazo, Comox, Georgia Strait. ▫ Leaving the Scene

15:22 • SRKW Orca playing, heading south about 2 miles off of Kitty Coleman Beach Park, Georgia Strait. ▫ Leaving the Scene

14:04 • SRKW Orca spread out and foraging, from Savary Island to Vancouver Island and north of Mitlenatch Island, Georgia Strait.

10:29 • SRKW Orca heading south between Marina Reef and the Cape Mudge Green Can Buoy, Sutil Channel. Possibly Resident Orca – very round fins.

09:18 • SRKW Orca heading north between Francisco Point and Marina Island, Sutil Channel.

SPECIES SUPPLEMENT

SPECIES SUPPLEMENT

14:45 • est. 5 Orca moving slowly, heading west near Gibsons and Keats Island in the middle of Collingwood Channel. Observed Orca from Gospel Rock coming through the ‘gap’ from Gibsons Harbour past Keats Island into Georgia Strait. They then appeared to split up with some heading straight out heading towards Vancouver Island and two continuing along coast line towards Chaster Park but moving further out from shore. Watched for approx. 15 mins. ▫ Observed from Shore

13:30 • 4-5 Orca Kelsey Bay, Johnstone Strait.

SPECIES SUPPLEMENT

SPECIES SUPPLEMENT

16:26 • 1 Humpback Whales at Hill Island, Sutil Channel.

15:14 • 2 Humpback Whales south side of Plunger Passage, Sutil Channel.

14:14 • 1 Humpback Whales heading north between Texada Island and Rebecca Rocks, Malaspina Strait. Just took a dive.

08:46 • 2 Humpback Whales south of Cape Mudge Red Can Buoy off Wilby Shoals, Georgia Strait.

11:33 • 2 Humpback Whales milling, west of Marina Island, Sutil Channel.

10:48 • 3-4 Humpback Whales heading north between Coulter Island and Carrington Bay, Sutil Channel.

10:37 • Humpback Whales doing circles, off Francisco Point, Sutil Channel.

10:30 • 2 Humpback Whales between Marina Island and Quadra Island, Sutil Channel.

10:21 • 2 Humpback Whales heading into Evans Bay, Read Island, Sutil Channel.

08:53 • Humpback Whales heading east at Cape Mudge Green Can Buoy, Georgia Strait.

17:21 • 5 Humpback Whales spread out, between Whaletown and Rebecca Spit, Sutil Channel.

16:45 • 7 Humpback Whales off Whaletown, Cortes Island, Sutil Channel.

16:11 • 1 Humpback Whales heading south off Grief Point, Malaspina Strait. Observed through webcam.

16:09 • 1 Humpback Whales heading north off the Powell River Viewpoint, Malaspina Strait.

14:14 • 1-2 Humpback Whales off the south-west tip of Harwood Island, Malaspina Strait. ▫ Observed from Shore

11:00 • est. 3-4 Humpback Whales breaching, heading north-west between French Creek and Jenkins Island, Georgia Strait. Sailing off French Creek and saw them breaching. ▫ On Scene

08:54 • 1 Humpback Whales off Shelter Point, Georgia Strait.

12:47 • 1 Humpback Whales .75 nautical miles east of Rebecca Spit, Sutil Channel.

09:03 • 1 Humpback Whales heading north at red can on Cortez Reef, Georgia Strait.

18:05 • 1 Humpback Whales heading south off Maud Island in Seymour Narrows, Discovery Passage. Kept going south and passed Race point within 20 minutes.

16:51 • 1 Humpback Whales heading south at Browns Bay, Discovery Passage.

16:48 • 1 Humpback Whales heading north off No Name Creek, Discovery Passage.

13:00 • 1 Humpback Whales heading north just south of Eagles Cove, Discovery Passage.

11:45 • 2-3 Humpback Whales heading south in Seymour Narrows, Discovery Passage. ▫ Second Hand

09:01 • 1 Humpback Whales heading south off the Cape Mudge Green Can Buoy, Georgia Strait.

–:– • 1 Humpback Whales above Seymour Narrows, Discovery Passage. Seine fisherman had a Humpback whale run through his nets. It’s unknown if the whale is free of all net material or still carries some of it.

12:25 • 2 Humpback Whales below Mitlenatch Island, Georgia Strait.

12:10 • 1 Humpback Whales heading north at the bottom of the Copeland Islands, Malaspina Strait. tight to mainland shore.

09:10 • 2 Humpback Whales breaching, at the mouth of Evans Bay, Sutil Channel.

08:00 • 6-7 Humpback Whales heading north west side of Manson Passage towards Hernando Island, Georgia Strait.

09:00 • 2 Humpback Whales well inside Evans Bay, Sutil Channel.

11:20 • est. 3-4 Humpback Whales playing, in front of Powell River, Malaspina Strait. They are back and forth not continuing south. ▫ Observed from Shore

08:35 • 4 Humpback Whales off Powell River. One is a calf. ▫ Observed from Shore

08:15 • 2 Humpback Whales heading south mid-strait between Powell River and Texada Island, Malaspina Strait. ▫ Observed from Shore

15:00 • 2 Humpback Whales breaching, just west of Vivian Island, Georgia Strait.

12:42 • est. 2 Humpback Whales, Okisollo Channel.

08:30 • 4 Humpback Whales on Wilby Shoals, Georgia Strait.

10:03 • 1 Humpback Whales out from Savary Island, Malaspina Strait. WOWs asked Gordie to locate and confirm this whale’s entanglement while we coordinated with the out of town disentanglement team from DFO. The whale had 3 prawn traps and plenty of awful poly line wrapped around it’s tail and was exhausted. It was successfully disentangled!.

15:00 • 1 Humpback Whales resting, south of Kinghorn Island, Desolation Sound. seen from plane.

11:28 • 1 Humpback Whales breaching, between Grief Point and Van Anda, Malaspina Strait. very active. ▫ Observed from Shore

13:15 • 4 Humpback Whales south of Read Island, Sutil Channel. appeared to be mom and calf with possible escort while the juvenile socialized, rested and vocalized at surface. From sailboat transitting the area.

10:18 • 1 Humpback Whales heading south between Grief Point, Harwood Island, Malaspina Strait. ▫ Observed from Shore

SPECIES SUPPLEMENT

SPECIES SUPPLEMENT

09:05 • 10 PWS Dolphins back and forth, Elk Bay, Discovery Passage.

11:45 • est. 10-20 PWS Dolphins Browns Bay, Discovery Passage.

10:30 • 3 Dalls Porpoise heading north by Kanish Bay, Discovery Passage. Bow riding a seine boat.

08:45 • Dalls Porpoise Wilby Shoals, Georgia Strait.

14:16 • 10-12 Dalls Porpoise foraging, Young Passage, Nodales Channel.

12:14 • 6-8 Dalls Porpoise foraging, heading north off Davis Point, Nodales Channel. I believe there was a Dalls / Harbour Porpoise Hybrid with them.

11:00 • est. 10 Dalls Porpoise, Calm Channel.

14:13 • 2 Harbour Porpoise off Goose Spit, Comox, Georgia Strait.

13:20 • 1 Harbour Porpoise foraging, from Mystery Reef towards Harwood Island Spit, Malaspina Strait.

11:55 • 1 Other Species at Davis Point, Nodales Channel. Sea Otter popped up.

REGIONAL

The Orca Network has requested the public to keep an eye out for a humpback whale that was first seen entangled in the Haro Strait area near Henry Island Friday. A coalition of organizations that make up the Large Whale Entanglement Response Network have responded to more than 100 entangled whales.

“The techniques for disentanglement rely on attaching ropes to the gear that entangles the whale, to allow responders to get close enough to make cuts using long poles with hooked knives,” a statement from the Orca Network said. “The gillnet on this whale is fragile and no equipment is capable of attaching to it.

“The good news is, it is expected that the gillnet on the whale will be shed on its own over time. However, complete documentation of this whale will help researchers understand the impacts of entanglements on this individual and of the humpback populations in general.”

Haro Strait is in the northern Puget Sound region near the Canadian border.

Opponents of the $7.4-billion Trans Mountain pipeline expansion are in the Federal Court of Appeal arguing that risks to endangered orcas were ignored when the project was approved.

The pipeline expansion, which will pump oil from Alberta to B.C. and offer access to global markets, is expected to potentially increase coastal tanker traffic seven-fold, according to Vancouver’s mayor.

Conservation groups say that could push southern resident orcas – the estimated 76 remaining – to the brink of extinction.

Opponents have formed a consortium to fight the project, arguing First Nations and environmental concerns were ignored.

They’re also raising safety fears because the pipeline would run through populated areas and are questioning whether market demands will even support the controversial venture.

“It’s insane to be building this pipeline,” said Karen Wristen of Living Oceans, who addressed the federal court Wednesday with concerns about the whales.

“There is just no way you can approve a project that is going to create a seven-fold increase in tanker traffic without damaging the whales. It’s contrary to the Species at Risk Act.”

A two-week hearing, which began Monday, now involves municipalities, environmental groups and six First Nations, all opposing the approval of the pipeline expansion.

The hearings consolidate several lawsuits originally filed by seven First Nations, Burnaby, Vancouver, the Raincoast Conservation Foundation and Living Oceans Society.

Environmentalists invited to Vancouver’s orca symposium left frustrated after hearing few solutions from the federal government to restore B.C.’s dwindling killer whale population.

Six orcas along the B.C. South Coast have died over the last two years, reducing the total population to 77. Last month, a young killer whale was spotted malnourished along the south coast. Researchers believe it has also died.

“We haven’t heard anything from the government yet about what they’re going to do this week, next month, in the next six months, to protect the orcas – and that’s what we’re waiting to hear,” said Christianne Wilhelmson executive director of the Georgia Strait Alliance.

More than 200 stakeholders were in attendance at the event, which runs until Thursday….

WEST COAST

Two pods of killer whales – about 10 in total – made a rare showing off the Orange County coastline on Friday, Oct. 6, a treat for marine mammal enthusiasts who either jumped at the chance to see the orcas up close, or just happened to be on a whale watching boat on this particular sunny afternoon.

The buzz about the CA51 and CA216 pods started earlier this week when the orcas were spotted Tuesday by Oceanside Whale Watching and then Thursday by San Diego Whale Watching, the furthest south they have ever been documented, according to Alisa Schulman-Janiger, a whale researcher with the California Killer Whale Project.

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

After two months studying the carcasses of seven right whales found dead off Canada’s Atlantic coast this past summer, scientists have revealed what killed six of the endangered animals.

On October 5, Pierre-Yves Daoust, a pathologist at Prince Edward Island’s Atlantic Veterinary College, and Émilie L. Couture, a veterinarian at Zoo de Granby and Université de Montréal, released the results of their investigation into the unprecedented mortality event of this beleaguered species.

There was no evidence of biotoxins. No …

MOUNT DESERT ROCK, Maine –
From the top of the six-story lighthouse, water stretches beyond the horizon in every direction. A foghorn bleats twice at 22-second intervals, interrupting the endless chatter of herring gulls.

At least twice a day, beginning shortly after dawn, researchers climb steps and ladders and crawl through a modest glass doorway to scan the surrounding sea, looking for the distinctive spout of a whale.

This chunk of rock, about 25 nautical miles from Bar Harbor, Maine, is part of a global effort to track and learn more about one of the sea’s most majestic and endangered creatures. So far this year, the small number of sightings here have underscored the growing perils along the East Coast to both humpback whales and North Atlantic right whales.

This past summer, the numbers of humpback whales identified from the rock were abysmal – the team saw only eight instead of the usual dozens. Fifty-three humpbacks have died in the past 19 months, many after colliding with boats or fishing gear.

Scientists worry that the humpbacks might have been forced elsewhere in a search for food as the seas grow rapidly warmer and their feeding grounds are disturbed.

"Food is becoming more patchy and less reliable, so ….

Orcas have made a name for themselves as master food flingers, but a recent video from Florida shows that their much smaller cousins also have a knack for flipping prey to new heights. …Why do dolphins sometimes throw their food around? …
It’s possible that fish-throwing is simply a “fun” activity for these intelligent cetaceans. Others speculate that younger individuals engage in such solo games of catch in order to practice their hunting skills. Both of these explanations are also floated when killer whales – the largest of the oceanic dolphins – display the behaviour….