Pacific White Sided Dolphins, Transient (Bigg’s) Killer Whales, and more Dolphins

Pacific White Sided Dolphins, Transient (Bigg’s) Killer Whales, and more Dolphins. Rumour has it, from talking to boaters arriving in Powell River harbour, that the Orca had been hiding out in Desolation Sound! The Dolphins too. Other reports from boaters coming up from the South said they saw absolutely nothing moving! Looks like the rumours may have been right. Remember, no report is too small or late. Read on….

11:15 am 15 or so Orca by Marina Island / Baker Pass area. Very active.

12 pm Report to confirm that these were definitely the same ‘Resident’ Transient Killer Whales we’ve had around for many months including T02C, her calf and the ‘gang’. They headed around Cortez and Marina reefs Northward.By 2:15 pm they were by Hoskyns Rock. They really haven’t been in any hurry to go anywhere from yesterday! (around 4:30 pm)They looked like they were going to head through Beazley Pass, Surge Narrows bucking the tide, but changed their minds and aimed towards Whiterock Pass.

3:15 pm Biggs Killer Whales between Shalaligan Pass and Dunsterville Islands headed into Hoskyns channel. Leaving scene in 10 min. 16-20 animals.

On the trip back: Left the big gang bucking the flood tide speed swimming and breaching, double breaching, triples, tail lobbs, head stands, in a cool spot. They were behind the Settlers Group of Islands, between them and Maurelle Island side. They were trying to get to Okisollo Channel. Left Gang @ Approx 1835hrs. T02C’s, T090’s, T100’s and T102.16 animals, I think. Cheers, Haywire!

7:45 pm Got a call from Steve Grover, Powell River of Orca at a quite a distance, but their blows were being lit up by the sun! At first glace it looked like it could have been the sun reflecting off a boat, but then it was very clear that these were truly whales. They were somewhere between Cortez and Savary Island. As we spoke on the phone, I could hear Steve’s wife, Susan say that she could see a very large tail slap! Their company was happy since it was the first sighting, albeit distant, of whales in all the times they had been up this way over the past number of years. There were at least 3 Orca but looked like it could have been more. Tough to tell direction, but I watched for a while and they were headed Southward. Around 9 pm in the fading sun, I saw a few blows angling towards Lewis Channel and Desolation Sound.

I post this because I spoke to at least 10 different people on various boats in the Powell River harbour that had been in Desolation Sound: Orca – a large group – around Kinghorn Island then up around Walsh Cove. Orca – about 5-6 animals up near the top of Waddington Channel (this is also Walsh Cove area). A huge pod of Orca spread out Homfray Channel towards Toba Inlet. These reports covered a timeframe of about 3 weeks – a long time, but it’s interesting that we never had other reports of them there. Most people couldn’t agree on exact dates or even time of day, so no posting of that mixed information here.

Then, another report that the Orcafrom a few days ago (June 21) that Dee Ingraham reported off the South-West side of Savary Island were hanging around Grant’s Reef till late in the day. Too bad that these people don’t think to report their sightings without seeing me on the docks or asking!

Afternoon: 2-300 PWS Dolphins by Estero Basin in Bute Inlet.

A very late report of around 100 PWS Dolphins on Tuesday, June just outside of Tenedos Bay in Desolation Sound. They were bow riding, wake riding and generally having a great play time around the boat. Later they even came into the bay which was quite a surprise.