Humpack Whales, Transient Orca and Dalls Porpoises

June 25, 2011 — issue No. 2011-076

This morning’s reports started with a very broken radio transmissions about Whales….crackle, crackle….Spit…crackle. You get the picture. The Spit part will make sense when you read the reports farther down.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC

June 25:
6:22 pm Two Humpback Whales and possibly a third were spotted again close in front of the Rona store by Campbell River. (I do know it sounds weird, but it’s a landmark – SM) These whales looked similar to the Humpbacks seen over the past while. They are possibly a mother and calf with the third one which would be an escort, usually a larger male protecting his future mate. These Whales were first reported over the radio around 11:30 am from an unknown source. Two tours were with them later in the day:
Tenacious 3 from Discovery Marine Safaris and
Aaron, Campbell River Whale Watching

June 25:
12 pm Approximately 12 Dall’s Porpoises were being playful in the upper Discovery Passage / lower Johnstone Strait area. Again, heard through broken radio transmissions from unknown sources.

June 25: Transient Orca Reports throughout the day:
10 am The crackling Whale report I noted above came in. At 11:20 am another report came in which was just as crackling with a location of possibly Whaletown, Cortez Island. Later, the BC Ferry Tacheck, reported seeing Orca just milling about for over an hour from 12 pm between Whaletown and Heriot Bay, Quadra Island. Once the tours managed to find these Orca at 3:35 pm by Francisco Point, Cape Mudge area of Quadra Island, they were provided with a spectacular show of breaching, tail slapping and general socializing of between 5 to 6 Transient Orca. They continued along the Quadra Shore up to Rebecca Spit (the Spit in the initial crackling radio transmission – SM) then back down towards Francisco Point. Aaron, of Campbell River Whale Watching called in the report and said that by the time they left, around 5 pm the tour must have seen around 20 or so breaches from these very active Orca. Must have been spectacular!

From Farther South: Following three reports submitted by: Susan Berta and Howard Garrett, Orca Network, Whidbey Island, WA

June 25:
J and K Pods of Southern Resident (fish eating) Orca are still in the Puget Sound area.

and a late Report of Transients by Clayoquot:

June 20

First time sighting in Clayoquot – after 20+years that doesn’t happen often. We had the Alaskan (Transient orca) gang (T075s) visit on June 20. They harassed a fur ball (Sea Otter) for a while but didn’t kill it. They were oddly friendly in that they approached and circled 2 of the boats. Not totally sure if the bull was in fact T075A as a chunk is missing from the top trailing edge. (Dave Ellifrit of the Center for Whale Research verified the bull as T075A)

Rod Palm, Strawberry Isle Marine Research Society, Tofino, BC

Also:

Possible Entangled Humpback in Puget SoundOrca Network has been working with Cascadia Research & NOAA Fisheries to try to help find a reportedly entangled whale, possibly the Humpback that has been in the area lately. If you see it, call Cascadia Research at 1-800-747-7329 (or the Marine Mammal Response Hotline in Canada at 1-800-465-4336 – SM) immediately. Boaters, please keep your distance and notify Cascadia if you see the whale. If you live in the Dalco passage area, you can assist in looking for this whale from shore as well. Thanks so much

2011