Killer Whales, Dolphins and Porpoise

Pacific White Sided Dolphins in the hundreds, a few Harbour Porpoise and the Transient Killer Whales are here one day, gone the next. They’re moving around, but where the Orca get to once they leave our regular reporters is unknown. We’re in need of more updates from all over. The West side of Texada, Comox to Nanaimo and Sechelt areas are of particular interest with these Orca. It’s believed that they are working their way around Texada Island again. If you have friends or acquaintances that might be willing to contribute to these reports, please have them contact me. No sighting report is too small, every one is important and we’d rather have repeated reports of the same sighting than none at all.

9:20 am 7+ Orca by Francisco Pointtight into the Quadra shoreline in hunting mode. They’re West bound.

10 am I can see the Orca from the ferry. They’re moving quickly heading North-West at Whiskey Point between Quadra and Campbell River. Hope they turn with the tide.

11 am Orca by Race Point Westbound in the Narrows.

12 pm The Orca turned with the tide in the Narrows and started heading South-East in perfect time for the tour.

Had a brief encounter with this Gang of 11+ T’s (Transients) today that started @1320hrs @ Cape Mudge lighthouse and ended @1400hrs between Shelter Point and Kuhushan Point on the Vancouver Island shoreline 2 miles offshore. There seemed to be some hunting activity as they went right thru a small herd of Harbour Porpoise but no confirmed kills. I am forwarding unnamed images as without the new ID guide I am having a hard time coming up with the right ID’s. Of note is the fact that the T002C gang is there for sure but they have picked up a new gang who they were with on the 15th when we followed them out towards the Little River ferry terminal And I got the amazing breach pic of T002C and T002C2. (see previous Blog posting – SM)Hopefully we can get some proper ID’s on this gang. Thanks so much.

around 5 pm Last report of the Transient Orca for the day was that they were still Southbound close to Vancouver Island by Black Point.

2 pm 12 PWS Dolphins off Quartz Bay, Cortez Island. Radio relay.

10:50 About 200 PWS Dolphins at Viner Point with Scotty right now.

3:15 pm 200 to 300 PWS Dolphins in Calm Channel by Rendezvous Islands Southbound towards Lewis Channel.

9 am One lone PWS Dolphin in Seymour Narrows.

I had 200-250 Lags (short for: Lagenorhynchus obliquidens, the Latin name for Pacific White Sided Dolphins) at the East End Hole in Wall/Calm Channel. The Lags were having a feeding frenzy in Calm Channel.

200 Dolphins Calm Channel by Hole in the Wall. No time or direction given.

See Orca report above of Transients passing through a group of Harbour Porpoise. From Nick Templeman, Eagle Eye Adventures

2 herds of Harbour Porpoise in Discovery Passage 3-4 each herd. Point 45 and Kanish Bay. No time or direction.

Howard Garrett & Susan Berta Orca Network

Southern Resident orcas were south of San Juan Island Saturday morning, then up Haro Strait in the afternoon, as the choir was warming up for OrcaSing at Lime Kiln Point State Park.

Members of L pod were found off the northern Washington coast on Friday by a team from Cascadia Research, along with transient killer whales, humpbacks, and gray whales.

On Friday the T30 transient group came down from Rosario Strait along the west side of Whidbey Island in the morning, down Admiralty Inlet to just south of Point No Point against a strong tide, then they did a 180 degree U-turn and headed back up Admiralty in the evening.

June 15:

Cascadia Research conducted surveyswith two RHIBs (rigid hull inflatable boats) off the northern Washington coast (15 June 2012) in excellent weather and covering close to 200 nmi. Personnel included Greg Schorr, Erin Falcone, John Calambokidis, and Kiirsten Flynn. Sightings for the two boats included:
12-14 Southern Resident Killer Whales about 20 nmi offshore of La Push, identifications still pending (will be sent to CWR for confirmation) but included members of L Pod including L77 and her calf
· 4 transient killer whales
· more than 50 humpback whales mostly in and around Juan de Fuca Canyon
· 20-30 gray whales feeding in coastal waters mostly north of La Push
Additionally a medium duration LIMPET satellite tag was deployed on one of the humpback whales.
Surveys were conducted as part of a collaborative research effort with WDFW with support from NOAA.
John Calambokidis