Latest Sightings

A publication of Wild Ocean Whale Society (WOWs)

Killer Whales, Humpbacks, Pacific White Sided Dolphins & Entangled Sea Lion

It’s wonderful to have Humpback Whales back in the upper Georgia Strait area. We are expecting more reports, as they should be coming back and travelling to their summer feeding grounds. A number of them have been using the inside waters rather than the West Coast of Vancouver Island over the past number of years.…
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Orca News! Another calf spotted for the Southern Resident Killer Whales

Orca News! Another calf spotted for the Southern Resident Killer Whales J-Pod! The population was in desperate need of a boost and we welcome J-052! This is incredibly good news for their population. Farther up the coast, we have Transient Bigg’s Orca making appearances with Pacific White Sided Dolphins near by, plus a few other…
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Special Update and Short Sightings Report: Killer Whales, Humpback Whales and Dall’s Porpoise

This is a Special Update with a short Sightings Report Update below. There has been so much happening! Society Workings Updates: Our Web Site – We have made a huge update to our web site. We are now completely ‘mobile friendly’! Google informed us that we were not mobile friendly and we had to make…
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Vancouver Killer Whales, Dall’s Porpoise and Pacific White Sided Dolphins

Orca have been popping up her and there as have a few of the smaller species. There is so much going on behind the scenes we are working on here at Whales and Dolphins BC that we need to do a much more complete update on its own to keep you informed. We have been…
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Transient Bigg’s Killer Whales, Orca, Dolphins and Porpoise

Orca have been making short appearances in the Powell River – Campbell River and Comox areas. We only know for certain that some of them were actually Transient Bigg’s (meat eating) Killer Whales. We have heard that our usual Northern Resident pod known as the A42’s – the ones that were in the viral video…
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Killer Whales, Dolphins and Burger and Beer Night info

Reports of Orca that seem to appear in numbers then disappear. With the calm waters, you’d think it would be difficult to lose track of them, but it happens. In the meantime, Pacific White Sided Dolphins have been having some good feeding runs in the Georgia Strait while putting on a show for some lucky…
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New SRKW Calf in Time for Heart Warming Valentine’s Day

A Very Happy Valentine’s Day to all! Another great bit of news for the Endangered Southern Resident Killer Whale population. There’s another birth reported in J-Pod, making it the second in 2015! J50, born in December, 2014 is doing well, and this one, born in February, 2015 who’s mother is presumed to be J19, has…
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Video of NRKW Pod A42’s Rubbing on a Pebble Beach

Killer Whales are all over the place! The viral video of the Northern Resident (fish eating) Killer Whales, the A42’s rubbing on a beach were easily identified by Susan MacKay as soon as the higher resolution clip was posted last Wednesday. See the clips below. It’s some of the best rubbing of Orca on a…
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Both Fish Eating and Meat Eating Killer Whales, Dolphins and Porpoise are Around

The Northern Resident (fish eating) Killer Whales known as the A42’s may have headed down towards Sechelt as they we last seen in Malaspina Strait. The Orca noted under the Unidentified Killer Whales heading may very well be Transient Bigg’s, but it’s difficult to be sure as we do not have photos or known specific…
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Northern Resident Killer Whales, Southern Resident Killer Whales and Pacific White Sided Dolphins

What a pleasure to finally see the Northern Resident Orca known as the A42’s back in the area where the calf A103 ‘Albion’ was born, Powell River. Since we had so much tidal debris such as logs in the area of Malaspina Strait, any whales that passed were out on the Georgia Strait side of…
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Southern Resident New Orca Calf, Transient Bigg’s Killer Whales and Pacific White Sided Dolphins

Good News for the Southern Resident Orca population and a great way to end 2014 and start 2015. A new calf known as J50 was first spotted December 30th. There is a bit of question as to who the mother is since the calf was seen beside 42 year old J16, Slick. Slick is most…
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Wishing You a Whale of a Time During the Holidays!

All of us at Whales and Dolphins BC / Wild Ocean Whale Society (WOWs) would like to wish you and yours the very best for the Holidays. An extra huge thank you to all who report sightings and help support our efforts. We couldn’t do it without you! There have been few reports and even…
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Southern Resident Orca J-Pod, Unidentified Killer Whales, Humpback Whale and Dead Dall’s Porpoise

The majority of activity since our last update has been surrounding J32 ‘Rhapsody’ the pregnant Southern Resident Orca and her calf found dead by Bates Beach, just above Comox on Dec. 4th. Unfortunately we are not sure if the Unidentified Killer Whales by Powell River were some of the Southern Resident population or Transient Bigg’s…
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Dead Orca in the News and Cetacean Report Update

Hot off the presses (and in our Links below): A dead Orca was slowly drifting Northward and has been pulled up on the Bates Beach area just north of the Comox ferry terminal. There may be a connection to the November 28th sighting report of some Orca actually inside the Comox bar, although unconfirmed. In…
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Humpback Whale by Powell River, Lund and into Desolation Sound

At least one Humpback Whale is in the Powell River to Lund and Desolation Sound area still. We had been hoping to receive further reports, but most have been vague second hand sightings with only one video clip of the whale being submitted, although at least one other clip and photos were to have come…
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Cetacean Sightings Update to November 14, 2014

Few reports have come in since our last report. This leaves huge gaps in knowing where the whales, dolphins and porpoise are. Or where they went to. It is a big ocean out there and we rely mostly on your land based reports. We track and monitor all year round and land based sightings reports…
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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…
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Short Sightings Report! Orca, Humpback, Dolphins and Porpoise

Where are the Whales and Dolphins? Possibly one of the shortest reports we’ve had in a very long time! It is a big ocean out there, and with some of the rough weather, it’s quite difficult to spot them, but keep your eyes open. We KNOW they are around and would love to hear about…
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Lots of Dolphins, Intermittent Killer Whale and Humpback Whale Sightings

Intermittent sightings of Transient Bigg’s Killer Whales and, although there are Humpback Whales transiting the area, they too have been spotted only intermittently. Pacific White Sided Dolphins are in larger groups and seem to be the most noticed, perhaps because of their numbers and wonderful leaping antics. Dall’s Porpoise are regulars around Bute Inlet and…
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Happy Thanksgiving Cetacean Sightings Update

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving to everyone! Our Cetacean sightings report is a bit smaller. There are fewer people on the water, but the whales are still out there. Our work and reports continue all year round. We realize it’s a big ocean which is why we need your reports please, and thank those who do report.…
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Killer Whales, Humpback Whales, Dolphins and a Minke Whale

Transient Bigg’s Orca are around, but behaving quite stealthy then suddenly pop up in numbers. Humpback Whales are working their way down the coast. Pacific White Sided Dolphins are back into the inlets North of Powell River and Campbell River. We have no reports of Dall’s or Harbour Porpoise this time, but have one report…
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Stealthy Transient Bigg’s Killer Whales, Humpbacks, Dolphins and Porpoise

Transient Bigg’s Killer Whales have gone into hiding it seems, while we are seeing some of the Humpback Whales continuing down the coast. Humpback known as ‘Yogi’ was even spotted in the San Juan Islands. Pacific White Sided Dolphins are spread out and making recurring appearances in wide spread areas once again. They have been…
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Whale and Dolphin Activity is Everywhere – SRKW calf L120 Plus many other Photos

A few of the Northern Resident Orca, the A30’s and A42’s, have been spending their time travelling from Robson Bight Ecological Reserve out into Queen Charlotte Strait and back again. Transient Bigg’s Killer Whales have been on the hunt, it seems everywhere. They are good at surprise attacks causing Pacific White Sided Dolphins to scatter…
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Cetaceans Everywhere! Many Species, Many Photos

So much Cetacean activity everywhere along the inside coast from Sechelt to Blackfish Sound and even a couple of reports from the West coast of Vancouver Island to attempt to summarize. We’ll let the report speak for itself. Susan MacKay & Lynne Cracknell, Whales and Dolphins BC Have you seen a whale, dolphin or porpoise?…
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Humpback Whales Fattening up, NRKW, SRKW and T Orca, Minke Whale, Dolphins and Porpoise

Northern Resident Orca took a short foray far out to the West but have returned to the inside waters of Johnstone Strait heading down. Transient Bigg’s Killer Whales have popped up, as they do, in numbers again and are working their way up Johnstone Strait. Should be interesting to see if they pass each other…
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Whales and Dolphins Galore!

We have a plethora of whales all over the inside waters. Humpback Whales that don’t usually stay in Georgia Strait and Desolation Sound seem to enjoy the food they’re finding. Southern Resident Killer Whales also decided to venture farther North of their usual foraging area to feast on some salmon by Campbell River. The Northern…
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Long Cetacean Sightings Update

Northern Resident Killer Whales are in the Straits in numbers with some working their way back and forth from Nodales Channel to the upper Johnstone Strait. Transient Bigg’s appear to have been staying farther South, but have been quite stealthy for most part. Humpback Whales, on the other hand have been popping up in all…
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NRKWs, Transient Bigg’s, Killer Whales Everywhere, Humpback Hanging around Desolation Sound

The Northern Resident Orca have arrived into the inside waters in numbers. The majority are staying at or above the top of Johnstone Strait, but we have been fortunate to have some continue to come down the strait and go into Nodales Channel. In the meantime, the Transient Bigg’s Killer Whales are still down near…
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Cetacean Sightings Update

Northern Resident Orca are running into Nodales and back to the West up Johnstone Strait while the Transient Bigg’s Killer Whales seem to be everywhere, including close to the Residents. Humpback Whales have been spotted again in Desolation Sound and slowly working their way up the straits. A few Pacific White Sided Dolphins have been…
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Bigg’s and Northern Residents crossing paths, Breaching Humpback Whale and so much more!

Transient Bigg’s and Northern Resident Orca passing each other in channels helps create a bit of confusion in sorting some the reports when they come in as ‘Orca’. We hope we have organized them correctly from piecing their travels together. There is also some excitement in the posibility that our Powell River baby A103, ‘Albion’…
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