Transient Orca and Dolphins Update
All day long, the same group of Transient Orca which included T019B T018 and T023 were almost down to Powell River. Although I scanned during the day, not a blow, splash or dorsal was spotted off Powell Rive. The closest they got was around Grant’s Reef, just South of Sentry Shoal. This morning the Whale Watching boats caught up with them just inside Discovery Channel by Cape Mudge. So they didn’t go very far. They did take a couple of Sea Lions close to Mittlenatch Island.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
May 22:
7 am first report of around 10 Orca by Sentry Shoal thought to be headed Southward.
9 am Discovery Channel by Duncan Bay 5 Orca were reported.
7 Orca reported Southbound close to Cape Mudge around the same time.
These reports from Jack, Campbell River Whale Watching, Jeff “FogHorn” (I believe he’s in one of the Oak Bay Hurricane boats), and Garry, Aboriginal Journeys
Jeff picked 5 of them up by the can buoy off Mudge at 9:30 am slowly heading towards Mittlenatch Island down the Strait.
By the time Aaron got out, they were closer to Hernando Island at 11:30 am where they were splashing and being quite active. They continued their very slow movement Southward.
2:20 pm the count was 6 Transients between Mittlenatch and Sentry Shoal slowly aiming towards Rebecca Rocks, just off Powell River. They seemed to stay in that general area with tail lobs, breaches and general splashes after another kill. Garry’s was the last whale watching boat to leave them there.
May 21:
The approximately 80 Pacific White Sided Dolphins were reported in Bute Inlet around 7:30 to 8 pm.
From Nick T.