Northern Resident Orca, Humpback Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises
Sightings today include Northern Resident Orca, Humpback Whales and Pacific White Sided Dolphins as well as a couple of Dall’s Porpoises. Most of the activity mid to the top of Johnstone Strait since the Transient Orca have done their disappearing act again.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
Humpback Whales:
July 26:
10:15 am 3 Humpback Whales including two identified as KC and Moonstar were spotted close to Bold Head, Swanson Island.
Dave on the SV Tuan, Seasmoke Whale Watching
Around 1:30 pm a Humpback entered Robson Bight Ecological Reserve, Johnstone Strait. From various chatter on the radio.
Northern Resident Killer Whales:
July 26:
10:15 am Resident Orca A24’s were between the East end of the Bight and Naka Creek. They were slowly heading East down Johnstone Strait.
Larry on the Lukwa, Stubbs Island Whale Watching
1 pm The A24’s turned West back up Johnstone Strait from around Naka Creek and were moving fast, between 8 to 10 knots.
2:45 pm At the East end of Robson Bight, the A30’s and A12 with the two A36 brothers suddenly popped up. Somehow, even with all the eyes on the water, they managed to sneak down to meet up with the A23’s.
Larry on the Lukwa, Stubbs Island Whale Watching
Transient Killer Whales:
No sightings today, although they were being looked for. It’s amazing how sneaky they can be.
A slight correction to the photo labelled as T002C – Jared Towers of DFO has looked at the photos submitted by Garry, Aboriginal Journeys and has identified the Orca as T002C1. Doesn’t sound like much of a difference, but it is a different animal.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
Pacific White Sided Dolphins:
July 26:
10:30 am 80 to 100 Pacific White Sided Dolphins were spread out across Johnstone Strait from Port Neville to Vancouver Island. They were putting on quite a show leaping high in the air.
3 pm 12 Pacific White Sided Dolphins were by Horn Point across from Sonora Island leaping and foraging in an East then West direction.
Garry, Aboriginal Journeys
Dall’s Porpoises:
July 26:
2 Dall’s Porpoises were foraging in Frederick Arm, close to Dent Rapids.
Garry, Aboriginal Journeys
From our US Friends:
Southern Residents were off San Juan Island today, a Long-Beaked Common Dolphin was in the South Puget Sound yesterday, and four killer whales were seen off Kauai, Hawaii, for the second time in the past 12 years.
Susan Berta and Howard Garrett, Orca Network, Whidbey Island, WA
