Lots of Killer Whales and Dolphins
Transient (meat eating) Orca, Pacific White Sided Dolphins and a large group of Dall’s Porpoises from Powell River to Savary Island today, and Campbell River Orca yesterday. Lots of activity after our long dry spell. Nice to have some of the ‘regular’ Savary snowbirds back to assist with Sightings reports. Our area is one of the larger expanses of water to watch, so the more eyes looking, the better the reports. Thank you all. Keep looking and those reports coming in!
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
Transient Orca – Killer Whales
April 20:
6:40 pm 4 Orca by April Point, across from Campbell River, heading Northward. One big fin (male). Reports came in from Laura to Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys and also Jack Springer, Campbell River Whale Watching
April 21:
2:40 pm Just sitting on our deck watching 4 to 6 Orca cavorting and milling about out in front of the Meadows on Savary Island. (Southwest side of Savary Island looking towards Grant’s Reef). No direction and have been there for a bit.
Lesley Roberts, Savary Island
3 pm Lesley called us to look for the Orca in front of our place.
Dee Ingraham, Savary Island
4:18 pm After a short search for them, Aaron, Campbell River Whale Watching found the Whales still in the same area. There were at least 8 Orca in total with T02C and one Sprouter (young male whose dorsal is growing to it’s adult size) and possibly another male off in the distant. The two groups of around 4 each joined together. 2 very young calves still tinged with orange were cavorting (see Garry Henkel’s photo below). They were resting, spyhoppingand very slowly working their way towards the green buoy marking the end of Mystery Reef and the mainland. By 5:30 pm when Aaron left them, the Orca were still between Savary and Grant’s Reef.Reports were received over the radio from Aaron ‘as it happened’ and they never did show up closer to the mainland by dark – SM.
Young Transient Calf – note the orange tinge
Albion (Black) Point area Powell River
April 10, 2012 (corrected date)
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys
Pacific White Sided Dolphins
April 21:
10:40 am Call came in that around 50 Pacific White Sided Dolphinswere very tight into shore by Grief Point heading towards Westview, Powell River.
Joan Treen, Powell River
11 am The dolphinswere back and forth in front of Powell River feeding with a couple of sea lions in the mix. An eagle was swooping to pick up some of the herring (assumed) that they were chasing up while a flock of Snow Geese flew over them heading North. There was one dolphin I spotted that looked like it had a yellow streak on it which is a distinguishing feature of a Common Dolphin, but watching from shore, I could not confirm this. The Dolphins were not interested in playing with any of the ferries or boats in the area, but continued to forage back and forth from the ferry terminal to Grief Point. I last saw them back in front of the ferry terminal at 1:30 pm, then they disappeared. With the above Transient (meat eating) Orca reports, if they heard the whales, it explains their disappearance.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
Dall’s Porpoise
April 20:
10 am 3 Dall’s Porpoisewere out by Keefer Rock, between Savary and Hernando Islands.
Dee Ingraham, Savary Island
April 21:
Between 5 and 7 pm there were numerous Dall’s Porpoise spread out between Savary and Hernando Islands. Estimated number would easily be around 20 of them and they were still visible on returning to Savary from Keefer Rock area. At one point there were 6 on one side of the boat and another eight on the other.
Bill & Dee Ingraham, Savary Island
From Orca Network, US
April 19
6:26 pm – Small pod of orcas moving slowly north mid channel between Seattle and Bainbridge, just lost sight off Bill Point.
Heather Polverino
6:26 pm – Small pod of orcas moving slowly north mid channel between Seattle and Bainbridge, just lost sight off Bill Point.
Heather Polverino
April 19
6 pm – Report from Graham Dewitt of the Wa. State Ferries that at least three orcas were headed north off Elliot Bay, toward West Point.
April 19
5:53 pm – 2+ Orcas off Magnolia now… Seen from Bainbridge Island ferry.
Katie Geraghty
Katie Geraghty
April 19
Mike Sullivan of Bainbridge Island called to say that on the 5:30 ferry to Seattle the captain announce about half way across that there were orcas north of the ferry lane about a quarter mile. He saw at least two adults, including one male, moving north.
April 19
12:40pm – Gray whale off Naval Air Station Whidbey Island (west side).
YG ES Janaan
YG ES Janaan
2012 Charter Cruises
Enjoy a personalized week long Charter Cruise in the pristine wilderness of the Great Bear Rainforest. Information can be found on the 2012 Charter Cruises pages of Whales and Dolphins BC.
