Transient Orca by Savary Isl. ‘KC’ the Humpback Whale and Dall’s

Transient Orca by Savary Island and Dall’s Porpoise in our upper Georgia Strait. ‘KC’ the Humpback Whale in the lower Johnstone Strait and Discovery Passage area. Dolphins are mostly in the upper Johnstone Strait area.

Stormy weather and very few people out on the water, or even being able to see much from shore, over the past few days has meant fewer sightings. Northern Resident Orca have not made an appearance for quite a while now. It is a big ocean and if they have gone above Vancouver Island, there are even fewer people watching for them in the storms that have been passing through. They are out there though so keep looking!

Photo: Nick Templeman, Eagle Eye Adventures

9:30 am A couple of Orca were breaching in front of (North side) Savary Island. Murray was working on the front row and asked if I had spotted the whales. At 11:20 am The Orca went around Mace Point, Savary Island looking like they were headed towards Powell River.

Gordie Coles, Savary Island

3:10 pm Some Orca were in front of Campbell River headed West. Unknown who or how many.

Nick Templeman, Eagle Eye Adventures

T-55s found them coming out of Chancellor channel at bottom of Wellboure. They passed within 200meters of a HB..(Humpback – SM)<> and are now headed for the Sealions haulout on Helmken Island.

3:40 pm Just left them headed west after doing a circuit of Helmken island and taking a couple of Harbour seals

Nick

These are some pics of our encounter with the T055’s and “KC” the HB...at least I think that’s who it is! We found KC with some help from a fellow boater who gave us a call as we were headed up past Vansittart Pt. We found him on the Vancouver Island shoreline……right in the kelp bed! We spent some time keeping him company as he was sort of snoozing on the surface a lot and and there was quite a few seine vessels headed for the opening. From there we did a loop of Hardwicke Isl. searching for the T’s. We didn’t think we were going to find the only 4 orcas in the entire Johnstone Strait! As we slowed down to check the bear beaches in Wellboure Channel I caught speedy movement in the distance! It turned out to be the juvenile travelling at 15+ knots to catch up to the 3 dorsal fins in the distance! There were cheers on the boat when we found them! as they slipped slowly out of Chancellor Ch. we ran almost directly back into KC who was entering Chancellor……..we held our breath as they passed each other within 150 meters. There were some scared looking Sealions on Helmken Island as they did a full sweep down one side, taking I think one harbour seal on the way. They actually went right into Billy Goat Bay it was very cool! It was a chilly but fantastic day on the zodiac!!

Nick Templeman, Eagle Eye Adventures

2 pm Very broken radio transmission that sounded like Orca were close to Phillips Arm.

At 14:30 a single male orca was at Beachy Head inbound. A Prince of Whales boat arrived moments later and probably got a ID. At 16:08 I saw the orca again, at Race Rocks. All these whales were observed from the Beachy Head lookout in East Sooke Park. Vincenz Eberl

Group of 5 transients played their way along the Victoria waterfront yesterday afternoon, including several spectacular breaches. Val Shore submitted by

Photo: Nick Templeman, Eagle Eye Adventures

From 11:45 to 16:40 at least 4 humpbacks were hanging out about 2 miles south of Race Rocks. I did not see any humpbacks breach in this time period. At about 16:30 one of them was occasionally putting its pectoral fin into the air but not slapping it down. Vincenz Eberl submitted by

2:50 pm Very broken radio transmission about a Humpback Whale Southbound, but couldn’t hear where.

60 Dolphins by McMillen Point Southbound at 10 am (my apologies – missed posting this previously – SM)

Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys

9 am Couple of active Dall’s Porpoise by Greensey Bay, Campbell River

10:15 am Group of very active Dall’s Porpoise by Turn Island, across from Chatham Point.

submitted by

Orca action abounded in Admiralty Inlet today and yesterday, and along San Juan Island and points between. While Js and Ks and some Ls were making their way up Whidbey Island Sunday morning from Bush Point to Admiralty Head to Partridge Point, the L2s were shuffling along the west side of San Juan Island, joined in mid-day by the L12s, in from Race Rocks, south of Victoria.

October 2

Just before 6pm this evening, Sunday 10/2, sitting in my house I heard the beautiful whoosh sound of their breathing, loud enough through the closed double-pane windows that I knew they had to be very close to shore. As I was getting up to get my camera, I heard a thunderous splash. And just as I opened my door to begin taking photos, one of the whales, which I lovingly call our “floating pandas,” bolted up into the air completely out of the water, in a full sideways-oriented second breach right in front of me, as if to say hello (it’s fun to artificially personalize these things!). The whole pod spent about 15 minutes foraging at Eagle Point before heading northwest. There was at least one youngster with them. Whales were here at Eagle Point several times on Thursday and Friday (9/29 and 30), and were also at Lime Kiln at sunset on Friday evening, between 6:30 and 7:30pm. It’s always a joy to be close to these creatures, and as the season wanes, I feel a particular good fortune to have what is one of the last encounters for many months

Alex Shapiro, Eagle Point, San Juan Island

October 1

From 4:45pm until sunset there were 9 L pod whales along the west side of San Juan Island. Two had gone a good distance north past Lime Kiln lighthouse. Gaia L-78 and Grace L-2. Wave Walker L-88, Ino L-54 and 10 month old L-117 didn’t quite make it to the light when they turned back sown island. Tanya L-5 and Coho L-108 were spotted as L-54 and L-117 were coming back south. About a mile to the south were Nyssa L-84 and Indigo L-100. During my listening time, one call I heard sounded like a K pod call, but no K pod whales were present.

Jeanne Hyde, San Juan Island