Latest Sightings

A publication of Wild Ocean Whale Society (WOWs)

Transient Orca, Dolphins and other Cetacean Sightings

Pacific White Sided Dolphins have been spotted along Georgia Strait including South of Powell River to Savary Island areas which have been devoid of any cetaceans for quite a while. Transient Orca grouped up in large numbers, a couple of Humpback and Dall’s Porpoise Sightings and more sightings of the Grey Whales between Saltrey Bay…
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Dolphins – Orca – Dolphins – Humpbacks – Dolphins

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving! The weather is phenomenally good and with the calm seas, it’s easy to spot any cetaceans. They’re just being elusive. Other than the Pacific White Sided Dolphins who have appeared in numbers all over the place, including finally by Powell River, the Transient Orca have made stealthy moves, but were viewed briefly,…
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Cetacean Sightings: Orca, Humpback Whales and Dolphins

Sightings Reports include a few Transient Orca, a Humpback Whale and Pacific White Sided Dolphins. Orca bucked the trend by appearing two days in a row. With fewer people out on the water and walking beaches just looking at the ocean, as well as fewer summer tours, reports are shrinking, as usual, for the winter.…
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Appearing Disappearing Transient Orca but Lots of Dolphins

Transient (Bigg’s) Killer Whales seem to be back to vanishing one day then re-appearing the second day. They appeared in large, for Transient Orca, number yesterday, but could not be found the day before or today. With similar numbers being reported September 30th in the US by our friends atOrca Network, it is possible they…
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Leaping Dolphins and Transient Orca Here and Gone

Dolphins a leaping! Transient Orca appear and disappear in usual stealth fashion. Humpback Whales seem to mostly have gone up to the tope of Johnstone Strait where word is that the krill have finally showed up in numbers. No reports of Dall’s or Harbour Porpoise! The mainland side of Georgia Strait from Jervis Inlet to…
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Wave After Wave of Dolphins then Came the Transients

Pacific White Sided Dolphins took the lead in Sightings….then the Transient (meat eating) Orca showed up and the large numbers of Dolphins seemed to vanish anywhere else. Northern Resident Orca were in the upper Johnstone Strait as were many Humpback Whales. Dall’s and Harbour Porpoise round out the Sightings reports. Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins…
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Cetacean Sightings – Orca – Dolphins – Humpbacks

Transient Orca are grouping up then spreading out as are some larger numbers of Pacific White Sided Dolphins. A few Humpback Whales have been seen in a few unlikely spots. Most sightings are closer to the Vancouver Island side of Georgia Strait up into some of channels just below Johnstone Strait. All the Northern Resident…
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Transients and Dolphins Take Center Stage

Pacific White Sided Dolphins and Transient Orca take over the Georgia Strait and lower Johnstone Strait. Even a few that I don’t know how I could have missed in the last report! There are a few Humpbacks in the area, but Orca are more visible. Resident Orca are all in the upper reaches of Johnstone…
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Transients Move Back In – Dolphins in Numbers

Northern Resident Orca, the A36 brothers, have been staying around Nodales Channel until a large group of Transient (Bigg’s) Killer Whales got closer. Pacific White Sided Dolphins have been seen in greater numbers again, keeping to other channels than where the Transients are. Humpback sightings are fewer. Have they moved on towards they’re winter grounds?…
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Cetacean Sightings from Powell River to Upper Johnstone Strait

Residents, Transients, Humpbacks and Dolphin Sightings back up in numbers. Sightings reports from Powell River to Kelsey Bay with the usual channels above Desolation Sound and Campbell River taking a steady billing of Whales and Dolphins. With the increase in larger Cetacean sightings, the small Dall’s and Harbour Porpoise sightings reports are few, but they…
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More Humpback Whales than Orca!

Many of the Orca have departed out West, but Humpback Whales are appearing more frequently in our inside waters. There are some Pacific White Sided Dolphins staying in the inner channels, and a few other Cetacean reports. Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC Transient Orca T10B September 9, 2012 Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Northern Resident…
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Cetacean Sightings Reports Update

Another delayed Sightings report to catch up including a few texted reports that I missed. Plenty of Cetacean activity out there, so a lot to cover. Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC Humpback Tail Flukes 2012 Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Transient (Bigg’s) (meat eating) Orca September 8: 8:52 am 2 at least, Transients about 1…
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Delayed Sightings Posting

First a correction in the last posting: the Humpback Whale Flukes photo was taken at Ripple Shoal this year August 29, 2012 not as stated, and may be a new whale to the area. Due to lack of internet connection, reports were delayed. The August 30th Orca reports follow the separated Resident Orca and Transient…
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Busy Orca days!

More of the Northern Resident Orca came into the top of Johnstone Strait and some more ventured down into the channels around Campbell River. There has been a distinct lack of whales and dolphins in and around Powell River and Savary Island areas with finally a couple of Transient (Bigg’s) Killer Whales showing up. The…
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Many Sightings – Orca Spread Out

Many reports with the Northern Resident Orca still spread out, Transient (Bigg’s) Killer Whales popping up, large number of Humpback Whales in the upper Johnstone Strait with a few farther South, Pacific White Sided Dolphins in large numbers in various places, Minke Whales not showing themselves easily, and Dall’s and Harbour Porpoises being spotted, and…
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Orca Up and Down, Humpbacks, and Other Cetaceans

Orca in and all over the place then off they go again. For the Resident Orca, the smaller numbers of fish appears to be causing their long treks. The Transient (Bigg’s) Orca are following what’s following fish. Pacific White Sided Dolphins have had the run put on them a number of times. Humpback Whale numbers…
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Orca – Humpback Confrontation

Resident Orca still doing long runs up and down Johnstone Strait. A few Humpback Whales have decided to head down the Strait as well running head on into Transient Orca (see photo). For Transient (Bigg’s) Killer Whales there has been the T02C’s reported but the others are somewhere. Lots of Pacific White Sided Dolphins, most…
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Residents Looking for Salmon, Transients on a Tear

Northern resident Orca doing their long runs down to Nodales and back every couple of days it seems. With late and seemingly sparser salmon runs, it’s all about the food. Transient (Bigg’s) Killer Whales are hunting up a storm, while the Pacific White Sided Dolphins are trying to avoid them with everything they have. But…
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Orca Confusion !

A large catch up report. It’s surprising how much happened while I was out of cell and radio range; and how much I missed! Apologies to any that were missed – please let me know and I will make sure it’s in the next update. There were actually three groups of Orca that converged in…
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Orca All Over the Place – Unusual Sightings Reports

Orca, both Northern Resident and Transient (Bigg’s), spread out all over the place from Denman Island in Georgia Strait to reports of a very large group by Cape Caution. Humpback Whales have again ventured down towards Campbell River as well as new ones entering the top end of Johnstone Strait. Minke Whales have also spread…
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Transient (Bigg’s) Orca by Campbell River Plus Many More Sightings

Hot weather, coastal morning fog has been the scenario in upper Georgia Strait and Johnstone Strait. In Georgia Strait it’s been slower than usual for Orca till today and in Johnstone Strait, it was whales by braille, a term used in the kindest sense. The Resident Orca headed out West while the Transient (Bigg’s) Killer…
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Northern Residents and lots of Other Sightings

Northern Resident Orca, Humpback Whales, Minke Whales and Dall’s Porpoise sightings from mostly the upper Johnstone Strait area with Pacific White Sided Dolphins and a late report of Transient (Bigg’s) Killer Whales in the Sunshine Coast – upper Georgia Strait area. Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC Northern Resident Killer Whales NRKW A75 with Her…
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Humpback Whale Known as ‘Chunky’ and Her New Baby

Some great photos of Humpback ‘Chunky’ and her new calf. Being out with a Humpback Whale lunge feeding till late has delayed the Sightings update but will make sure it’s caught up tomorrow. The photos below are of a Humpback Whale known as ‘Chunky’ BCX081 taken close to Kelsey Bay. I look forward to see…
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Resident Orca Take Center Stage – Other Sightings Too

Northern Resident Orca are taking center stage with their appearances. And rumour has it that there are more of them coming into the Broughton / Johnstone Strait area. The Transient Orca – Bigg’s Killer Whales are doing a good job of keeping a low profile, which they do when the Residents are around. I have…
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Pacific White Sided Dolphin Mom and Calf Photo & Whale Sightings

Sightings reports of Northern Resident Killer Whales, Transient Orca, (Bigg’s Killer Whale) sightings, Humpback and Minke Whales, Pacific White Sided Dolphins, including a photo of a Mom and Calf leaping together, and Dall’s Porpoise. I have summarized the radio reports received throughout the day or this blog would be miles long, but the individual reports…
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Resident & Transient Orca, Humpbacks, Minke Whales Plus

Northern Resident Orca just above Campbell River, Transient (Bigg’s) Killer Whales below Mitlenatch Island and above Johnstone Strait. Minke Whale avoiding the Transients, Humpback Whales, Pacific White Sided Dolphins in numbers and some Dall’s Porpoise. Although there are many species sightings, they are spread out. When spotted though, there can be some great excitement in…
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NRKW’s, Transient Killer Whales Plus

Orca everywhere! Northern Residents finally made an official appearance, with a new calf, in Johnstone Strait, Transients have been at Savary Island, down below Powell River and some, that are more frequently seen in Alaska made their way right through, chasing Pacific White Sided Dolphins, from their first ID point above Campbell River continuing West…
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More Transient Calf Photos Plus Sightings

More New Transient Orca calf photos and late reports. Sightings reports from the top of Johnstone Strait down to Savary Island. There’s an interesting comment on the previous post. My reply is underneath Anonymous’ comment. Additional comments anyone? It would be nice if you put your name to it to stand behind what you say,…
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New Baby Transient Orca !

Very busy Orca day! But the biggest news is that of a new Orca birth. A brand new Transient Orca calf which was possibly mere hours old. The Transient Orca population is certainly doing well. Nature is taking her course in keeping the number of seals and sealions down by increasing these meat eating Killer…
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Orca, Dolphins and More

The majority of the large group Transient Orca continued their way up Johnstone Strait and into Knight Inlet while a few of the usuals stayed down in our area. Pacific White Sided Dolphins have been scattered throughout the inlets and popping up in groups of 24 up to 200. The Northern Resident Orca were reported…
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