June 17 – Transient Orca and Dall’s Porpoises Sightings
The Transient (meat eating) Killer Whales reappeared today. Although the reports below just say Orca, it is assumed that these are the same Transient Orca that were around over the past while. The only other Cetacean sightings report was of Dall’s Porpoise.
And some very interesting Orca information from the D-Tagging project by NOAA and Cascadia Research farther down the page. The link shows some diving patterns of the Southern Resident whales they tagged. Worth the read and look.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
June 17:
At 5:40 pm I received a call that there were 3 to 4 Orca in a Northbound direction by Major Rock, off the South-West end of the Copeland (Raggeds – local name) Islands towards Savary Island.
from Rick Thaddeus, Savary Island Real Estate.
At 5:55 pm Rick called back to say that they had turned and looked like they were now Southbound, with numerous breaches and tail lobs.They were too far away to get any photos. These whales really didn’t go very far throughout the day. See the other reports below. At 9:30 pm Still no sign of them closer to Powell River. – SM
June 16:
4:10 pm 3 Dall’s Porpoise were seen foraging just out of Nodales Channel into Discovery Passage.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys
June 16:
2:40 pm At least 4 Orca hugging close the shoreline Southward along the Raggeds (Copeland Islands).
Bill Smith running the taxi for Lund Water Taxi
June 16:
8:45 am Someone on the Radio called out to any whale whatchers in the area that there were Orca in Bakers Pass, between Cortex and Hernando Islands. He didn’t respond to requests for more information on numbers and direction of the whales.
Orca D-Tagging information from farther South :submitted by: Susan Berta and Howard Garrett, Orca Network, Whidbey Island, WA
Hi Susan, In response to questions and concerns that have been raised about the NOAA/Cascadia Research Collective Dtagging project we have posted information on the Cascadia website at this link.
If anyone has additional questions please do not hesitate to contact Brad Hanson at brad.hanson@noaa.gov.
Thanks
Brad Hanson, NOAA Fisheries NWFSC, Seattle, WA
