Orca All Over the Place – Unusual Sightings Reports

Orca, both Northern Resident and Transient (Bigg’s), spread out all over the place from Denman Island in Georgia Strait to reports of a very large group by Cape Caution. Humpback Whales have again ventured down towards Campbell River as well as new ones entering the top end of Johnstone Strait. Minke Whales have also spread out with at least one spotted across Queen Charlotte Strait yesterday. Dall’s Porpoise are in abundance near the top of Johnstone Strait while Pacific White Sided Dolphins are still in abundance in the inside lower channels with a few showing up the top of Johnstone Strait. The little Harbour Porpoise, as always, take a back seat when there are so many larger, more visible, animals to report.

And for the unusual sightings, I’ve posted a separate catagory since there are a few very interesting reports.

During the day, there were rumours of Orca being spotted in so many areas that it took till the afternoon to sort out that the A30’s and A36 boys were the ones heading West up Johnstone Strait. The first reports which can only now be confirmed came in about 12 pm from Nick Templeman, Eagle Eye Adventures that a private boater reported 15 or so Orca Westbound in Race Passage, just below Kelsey Bay. The A30’s and A36’s are now, 6:30 pm, right around the Robson Bight Ecological Reserve.

7:30 pm A30’s, A36’s, A23’s, A24’s and A25’s turned East by Kaikash Creek heading back towards Robson Bight.

First report that came in was that at 3 am (yes, that’s three in the morning) the kayak camp at the Sophia Islands saw and heard around 14 Orca heading West past their camp and spread out.

They must have snuck past cause then:

9 am 4 Orca heading West along the Vancouver Island side across from Boat Bay, just below the Sophias.

And not long after, the 4 Orca turned out to be a lot more….. the A30’s and even more were spread out from the Bight to Blinkhorn Island, by Telegraph Cove. Later they turned and headed East at the aptly named ‘Turn Point’.

9 am A36 boys were found in the fog at Donagal Head, Malcolm Island The A30’s and the A11’swere all soon spotted heading down Blackfish Sound to the Robson Bight Ecological Reserve.

Throughout the day they did what they have been doing, foraging and back and forth from Cracroft Point, Blackney Pass to the Bight.

Afternoon: A HUGE pod of Orcanumbers up to maybe 100 (Superpod) were reported just around Cape Caution….no updates.

Email Timestamp 12:34 pm: A pod of 3 Transient Orca on the southeast side of Denman Island. The bull came to the shore to rub his belly on the pebble beach. He was a few meters from our kids swimming and playing at the shore. Wow! The kids minds were blown!
Keith Porteous, Denman Island

Once reports got sorted as to Transient vs. Resident Orca:

9:10 am 2 Orca reportedly Southbound by Eagle’s Cove.

9:56 am Orca in Brown’s Bay too. Don’t know numbers or direction.

1:15 pm 3 Orca reported by Hole in the Wall AND 6 Orca by Granite Point.

6:48 pm Left the Transients at Elk Bay Westing – the new Calf looks nice an healthy!

10 am One lone female Orca in Brown’s Bay – (very odd to have only one – SM)

3:17 pm T19’s all 4 here in Brown’s Bay.

12:51 pm More Transients at Willow Point – female met up with them.

2:29 pm T046/046D/046E and T122 plus the new calf Southbound in Discovery Passage still North of Brown’s Bay.

3:15 pm Met up with the T018/019 gang at Brown’s Bay – they turned Northward.

1:15 pm 3 Orca Southbound at the Lighthouse and 2 Orca Westbound in Hole in the Wall.

1:26 pm 5 Transients Northbound by Lighthouse just left them. 2 or more reported by Hole in the Wall.

6:52 pm Just leaving T19B and T46’s with little squirt (calf) Westbound by Elk Bay.

Getting a daily count has been difficult especially with the fog; today for example I was out and thought I heard a blow. About half an hour later this Humpback Whale came from the area I was just at….. how did I miss it? Was it resting in the kelp? In any case, it headed off with very long dives towards the Whitecliffe Islets. All I saw was that it had all white tail flukes. No time for camera – it was gone off in the distance. Then another came from the Whitecliffe Islets and did the same thing only in the other direction. Leaving me in the middle, feeling neglected! There are the same numbers around – give or take. There have been huge tail lobs, mostly seen by the Whitcliffe Islets, breaches, mostly by Cracroft Point it seems, and lunge feeding in all areas including Fife Sound. ‘Arogonaught’ seems to really enjoy the Weynton Pass tide rips and is usually found there, ‘Freckles’, well known from last year’s reports has been spotted a few times, and of the whales I had seen yesterday lunge feeding in Fife Sound, I could not identify from the references I have, so are possibly new ones to the area. Counts range from 6 to possibly 8 animals. Also:

9:56 am Humpback Whale or possibly 2 spotted at Green Sea Bay across from Chatham Point near Sonora Island, just above Campbell River.

1:20 pm One Minke Whale popped up just outside Booker Lagoon, off Fife Sound, to feed around the reefs. I believe this one is known as ‘Bolt’. It was doing very short, small lunges, gulping some fish and continuing towards Wells Pass.

1:15 pm Over 100 PWS Dolphins around Denham Bay, Dent Rapids area.

1:30 pm 6 – 8 Pacific White Sided Dolphins stopped and rested in a kelp patch for a few minutes then disappeared off Sunday Harbour.

12:26 pm 12+ PWS Dolphins at Ripple Point playing and foraging doing circles!

Later: 100+ PWS Dolphins milling and fishing at Hall Point, Nodales Channel and another 12 or so at Kanish Bay doing the same thing.

7:22 pm 100+ Lags in Denham Bay!

Dall’s all over – playful – bowriding, wake riding and just foraging.

There was a large group of Dall’s Porpoise just outside Telegraph Cove that seemed to spread from Blinkhorn all the way down East below Robson Bight.

Afternoon: 4 Dall’s came flying through and disappeared after I watched the Minke Whale – SM

9:40 am Pod of 12 or so Dall’s Porpoise by Naka Creek. Really playful. I stopped the boat and they jumped all around us. They were a super happy little pod!

Later: Little pod of Dall’s at the mouth of Bute Inlet foraging – they’ve been pretty steady there all week.

Late Afternoon: 4 Dall’s between Whitecliffe and Sunday Harbour, 2 Dall’s in Sunday Harbour, 2-4 Dall’s in Marsden Passage, 2 Dall’s beside Joe’s Cove.

11:13 am Lots of Harbour Porpoiseout here, just below Campbell River.

Morning: 2 Whales that had every indication of being Sperm Whales were seen just off Pine Island, Queen Charlotte Strait.

Received report on the 8^th: While fishing off Duval Point, at the entrance to Port Hardy, there was a large bait ball and an 18+ foot long Great White Shark lunged into the middle of it slashing back and forth with it’s mouth open grabbing fish.

Although a second hand report, the fisherman was adamant that after checking all possibilities on line and in books, that this actually was a Great White Shark.