Orca News and Sightings
Orca and Dolphins. Possible sighting of the A8’s with the new calf still close to Powell River – Cortez Island area with some other Orca making an appearing / disappearing act, like Transient (Bigg’s) tend to do. Without identification, the reports are again under the generic Killer Whales list. A few Pacific White Sided Dolphins have also made a brief appearance.
In the News section below has the reports with updates on the ice trapped Orca and the dead Orca calf.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
Northern Resident Killer Whales A8’s with new calf
Tight formation off the NW tip of Texada Island
January 2, 2013
Anne Baker, Powell River
Killer Whales – Orcinius Orca
January 9:
3:20 pm 2 or more Orca off Kelsey Bay dock – heading South-East.
Anonymous
January 9:
10:15 am Spotted 3 female Orca Northbound off Westview, Powell River so grabbed gear and hopped in boat to see if I could find them. It is a big ocean, and they just vanished. Spent a couple of hours searching. Even the flat calm waters had only a few ripples from seals and birds. I dropped the hydrophone in a few times and thought I heard some distant vocals, but the ferries and other boat noise made it impossible to distinguish clearly.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
January 8:
1:30 pm Working on Hernando Island we saw 3 Orca, a big dorsal, smaller one and a calf with some orange colouring on it (sign of newborns – SM). They came right up to the shore and were rolling around and looked like they were rubbing on the beach by Dog Bay. There was possibly a fourth, but there were the 3 for sure. It was an awesome show, but we had to leave after 45 minutes. We left them just hanging out in the bay. (Possibly A8’s? – SM)
Chris Murdock, Cortez Island
Transient (Bigg’s) on the Sea Lion Hunt
Denman / Hornby Island January 1, 2013
Anne Baker, Powell River
Pacific White Sided Dolphins
January 5:
Between 8:30 and 9:30 am saw around 10 PSW Dolphins off Vivian Island from the Comox-Powell River ferry. They were headed North-West.
Mike Mastrodonato, Powell River
In the News:
January 9:
A pod of around 12 Orca are trapped in the ice of Hudson’s Bay, in Northern Quebec. Rumour had it that an icebreaker has been sent to try to break up the ice for a passage for them. But looking up latest news reports, as at 1 hour of writing this, the DFO has only sent someone "to assess the situation". No word yet as to the outcome, but reports also state that the extreme cold is causing the hole to shrink. The link to the article: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57563182/quebec-community-calls-for-help-freeing-whales-from-ice/
The same company, Kasco, who kept the ice open for the Gray whales in 1988 prompting the movie "The Big Miracle" is making arrangements to do it again for these Orca!
January 9 update:
Necropsy is underway for the newborn Orca calf found washed up on Dungeness Spit on the Olympic Penninsula on Monday, January 7th. Link to article: http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Newborn+killer+whale+found+dead+Olympic+Peninsula+just+south+waters/7790325/story.html
Transient (Bigg’s) T124’s
Denman / Hornby Island January 1, 2013
Anne Baker, Powell River
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