Southern Resident Orca, Pacific White Sided Dolphins, Humpback Whales and Dall’s Porpoise
Southern Resident Killer Whales and Pacific White Sided Dolphins put on a show around the Powell River area. It’s nice to see them return. With all the rough weather we’ve been having, sightings have been few and far between. November 1st was incredibly calm and sunny making it a serious treat to see the ever so active Southern Resident Orca and playful Pacific White Sided Dolphins. Most of the Humpback Whales appear to have headed or are heading South, but suspect we still have some more that may hang around this year. Dall’s Porpoise and some great links in the news bring up the end the of this current update to noon, November 4th.
Susan MacKay & Lynne Cracknell, Whales and Dolphins BC
Have you seen a whale, dolphin or porpoise?
Every sighting report is valuable!
SOUTHERN RESIDENT KILLER WHALES
Southern Resident Orca off Savary Island
November 1, 2014 – 5 photos
Gordie Coles, Savary Island / Lund
Nov 1:
11:26 am: About 20 Orca between Savary Island and Harwood Island. They came around Mace Point right underneath our place and it was wonderful to be able to see them even without binoculars. They’re angling towards Vivian Island rather than Powell River.
Doug Smith, Savary Island
Nov 1:
11:30 am Just out from the dock looking for the PWS Dolphins with friend and one of our non-profit members, Judy Brant when we received a call that there were Orca angling towards Vivian Island. As we headed that way, we found the Dolphins and decided to stay with them a while since they were being so wonderfully playful. Judy managed to get some incredibly great video with her iPad. See the LINKS below.
12:20 pm: We left the Pacific White Sided Dolphins foraging still by Powell River to see who these Orca might be. From the brief look through binoculars, I could tell immediately from the open saddle patches that they were definitely Southern Resident Killer Whales. Heading towards Comox, spread across the Strait.
12:40 pm: Southern Resident Killer Whales are on a mission. They are center Strait now passing the Comox ferry. Lots of breaching. Even at a distance we could see all their blows and when one breached, for sure another would. And me with no camera!
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins B.C.
Oct 31:
3:47 pm: Just received a message from a friend that there were northbound Killer Whales in the Cape Mudge (Quadra Island) area at noon. And Gary Sutton from Vancouver texted me just now to say he thought J pod was up our way. Might head out on to the water to have a scan.
Nick Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions.
UNIDENTIFIED RESIDENT KILLER WHALES
Oct 29:
12:44 pm: Killer whales coming by the wharf at Kelsey Bay right now and putting on quite a show! There are four of them, westing. We have been watching them feeding on Chum Salmon right at the river mouth.
Gordon Briggs, Sayward.
HUMPBACK WHALES
Oct 29:
11:35 am: Three Humpback whales southbound at Whiskey Point, Quadra Island.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours.
PACIFIC WHITE SIDED DOLPHINS
Bow Riding Pacific White Sided Dolphins
October 31, 2014
Marie O’Shaughnessy, Orca Magic
Nov 1:
10:30 am: 80-100 Pacific White Sided Dolphins in between Powell River and the top of Texada Island, foraging back and forth.
11:26 am Just out from the dock looking for the PWS Dolphins with friend and one of our non-profit members, Judy Brant when we received a call that there were Orca angling towards Vivian Island. As we headed that way, we found the Dolphins and decided to stay with them a while since they were being so wonderfully playful. Judy managed to get some incredibly great video with her iPad. See the LINKS below.
12:20 pm: We left the Pacific White Sided Dolphins foraging still by Powell River.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins B.C.
November 1:
around 10:45 am a rough count of 75 Pacific White Sided Dolphins approximately 1/2 distance between Westview, Powell River and Blubber Bay, Texada. They’re moving generally upcoast – swinging over toward Vancouver Island, will pass the Island side of Harwood Island.
Sherri Wretham, Powell River
Nov 1:
1:00 pm: Large group of Pacific White Sided Dolphins doing a couple of donuts by Willingdon Beach, then headed south towards Grief Point, Powell River.
Bob Nichols, Powell River.
Oct 31:
8:10 am. group of 60 – 100 dolphins travelling towards Black Point, Powell River. They were about 200 yards out from shore by the Whalen Road area. They were followed about 15 minutes later by a really small group of 4-6 much closer in to shore – 30 yards approx.
Liz Kennedy, Powell River
October 31:
9:30 am: 15 or so Pacific White Sided Dolphins southbound by Myrtle Rocks, Powell River. Just nicely rolling along.
Jim Southern, Powell River.
Oct 31:
Oct 31 was my last sighting of 5-6 Pacific White Sided Dolphins bow riding the Coho Ferry as it was nearing the Victoria Harbour. We have seen as few as one keeping company with an L pod whale, and as many as a 100 plus this year. We have had several encounters with these charismatic marine mammals over the past three months. Best sightings ever for the south Salish Sea. Totally awesome for us as we never ever saw them three-four years ago. Certainly changes going on in the waters around Vancouver Island that dictate a greater number of sightings this year.
Marie O’Shaughnessy, Orca Magic
DALL’S PORPOISE
Nov 1:
3:55pm: Scanned for a bit hoping to see the Southern Resident Orca and saw 8-10 Dall’s Porpoise off Willow Point Reef, near Campbell River, milling about.
Nick Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions
LINKS
November 1: Pacific White Sided Dolphins in the calm waters off Powell River come to bow ride. The reflections of the clouds and even birds flying above make this quite magical.
Chester the young False Killer Whale at the aquarium playing in the rain:
I haven’t sent any dolphin and whale reports this year, because we haven’t been privileged in Sechelt and Narrows Inlet to spot them. But we might have different travelling schedules. Not sure if you’re interested in stellar sea lions, but Soren and I have never seen this many of them in Narrows Inlet in over 20 years of commuting to our cabin. Yesterday, October 29, everywhere we looked there were gulls flocking to another sea lion feeding area. Obviously after the chum and a good sign.
I filmed this video from our dock. Soren edited and posted it to YouTube. Thank you for all your hard work and all the best, Joan Bech, Roberts Creek (Thanks Joan, video clip clearly shows how sea lions tear their food apart – SM)
Have you seen a whale, dolphin or porpoise?
Every sighting report is valuable!
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