Resident & Transient Orca, Humpbacks, Minke Whales Plus

Northern Resident Orca just above Campbell River, Transient (Bigg’s) Killer Whales below Mitlenatch Island and above Johnstone Strait. Minke Whale avoiding the Transients, Humpback Whales, Pacific White Sided Dolphins in numbers and some Dall’s Porpoise. Although there are many species sightings, they are spread out. When spotted though, there can be some great excitement in watching them.

10:28 am Resident Orcas in Nodales Channel. Not sure who yet, but believe it’s the A36’s and A11’s. Must be feeding on Spring Salmon in there.

2:20 pm I left the Orca Westing at Rock Point, by Chatham.

4:25 pm A36’s and A11’sWestbound at Camp Point – by Helmcken Island.

8:45 am A36’s, and more by Chatham Point.

8:50 am A36’s at Chatham Pointheading to Nodales Channel.

10:41 am We only have the A36’s and A11’s in Nodales Channel, no A30’s…

12:30 pm Orca’s the A36’s and A11’s are now Westing at Davis Point.

3:23 pm Sounds like Orca are at Ripple Point now – still Westing.

5:30 pm Orca still headed West by Camp Point now.

5:30 pm Left the A36’s and A11’s at Camp Point having a rub, slowly moving West.

10:30 am till around 1:30 pm The Transient T77 and T75B groups of Orca were spotted off Lizard Point, Malcolm Island heading West towards and beyond Numas Island in Queen Charlotte Strait. They were very vocal and social; breaching, tail lobs, spy hops.

8:50 am Transients at Stuart Island.

1:30 pm I was out out fishing today with my brother Mark from California when we sighted a pod of Orcain the Georgia Strait about 1 Nautical Mile SW of Vivian Islandat around 1:30 pm. We were fishing by the end of Harwood Islandwhen I noticed a breach and some blows out in the strait. We headed closer and saw 3 females as well as 1 male some distance to the north. They seemed to be slowly moving towards Mittlenatch Island. We saw some tail lobbing, spy hopping and other playful activity. It was a treat for my brother as it was the first time he’d seen Orca in the wild. Hope things are going well for you up north.

3 pm Transient (Bigg’s) Killer Whales spotted by Ledge Point heading West. Possibly the same Orca spotted by Bear Point, Malcolm Island early in the day.

5 pm 6 Transients T77/T75B’s were between Alert Bay and Alder Bay, playing vocalizing and generally having a good time. Very slowly they were working their way East down Johnstone Strait.

5:45 pm till 7:30 pm The 6 T77’s and T75B’s picked up the pace when three cruise ships came down past Alert Bay. The Orca headed into Beaver Cove, beside Telegraph Cove, and were in, around and by various log booms, possibly checking for seals. They were still slowly heading East past Telegraph Coveand disappeared in the fog.

8:30 pm Message on answering machine: "There are Orca…..Oh….Ahhh…." Someone in the background yelled "Breach!" more Oh’s and Ahh’s and very briefly mentioning that they (no numbers) were Southbound by Armour Rd – Myrtle Rocks area of Powell River. (Thanks Nina! – SM)

Throughout the day there were various sightings of Humpback Whales in the Blackfish Sound, upper Johnstone Strait area. The count, as far as I could tell today was 5 distinct animals at any one time.

8:38 am was the first report of 2 Humpback Whales off Bold Head, Blackfish Sound from Roy. Throughout the day there were a couple around Stubbs, a couple by Bold Head and one down by Flower Island almost in Blackney Pass.

3:30 pm till 5 pm one large Humpbackfluked, indicating a deep or long dive, in Weynton Pass, then another one just around the corner by Double Bay did the same thing angling towards Flower Island. Not too long after, as I crossed Weynton Pass again, close to the Stephenson Islets, one Humpback surfaced directly behind me. I stopped, of course and managed a couple of photos. This is a whale I’m not familiar with, and I understand is new to the area.

6:30 pm One large Minke Whalewas feeding including one lunge I saw off of Double Bay, Hanson Island in Blackfish Sound.

9 am Minke Whale just in front of Alert Bay.

5:20 pm As I was sitting at the bottom of the Pearse Islands, patiently waiting for the Transient Orca to work their way closer, I spotted a Minke Whale moving very quickly down the center of the Strait and once at the bottom of Weynton Pass, slowed, but continued to get out of the area. Transients will and do kill Minke Whales, but I believe these Transients were too busy socializing to take notice – fortunate Minke!

Jared Towers had mentioned earlier there were 6 Minke Whales seen during the day in Pearse Passage. He has and is continuing to catalogue and identify the individual animals.

Around 1 pm 6 PWS Dolphins in Bute Inlet right by Arran Rapids.

3:35 pm 100 PWS Dolphins by Henrietta Point in Bute Inlet….Upgrade that to 200!

10:41 am 100+ PWS Dolphins at Jimmy Judd Island in the Yuculta Rapids.

1 pm 75 PWS Dolphins at Horn Point, Dent Rapids area.

5 pm 2 Dall’s Porpoise were foraging in Weynton Pass.

3:30 pm 10 + Dall’s Porpoiseforaging around Stubbs Island in Weynton Pass.

6:20 pm 8+ Dall’s Porpoiseforaging at the bottom of Pearse Islands appear to be unaware of the Transient Orca headed their way.