Cetacean Sightings: Transient Bigg’s Orca Popping up and Four other Species

Transient Bigg’s Killer Whales popping up everywhere! Other Cetacean sightings in this report include Southern Resident Orca, Humpback Whales, Pacific White Sided Dolphins and some Dall’s Porpoise.

Have you seen a whale, dolphin or porpoise?

Call 1-877-323-9776or Email your report.

Every sighting report is valuable!

Approx. 11:20 am Orca reported (3^rdhand and relayed) at the "top end" of Cortez Island. Jos Krijnen and Garry Henkel

1:03 pm 10+ Orca found between Cortez Island and Center Islet by Plunger Pass.

They are in small groups spread out at least 16 of them.

1:50 pm Another group of 4 or 5 Orca in Whale Pass slowly Northbound towards Calm Channel / Rendezvous Islands. Looks like a very small calf with them.

Mario, Campbell River Whale Watching

1:59 pm Rest of the 20 or so Orca are by the scallop farm off Quadra island, Sutil Channel side. 2:15 pm left the T18’s and T19B 1 mile North of Francisco Point, 400 meters off the Quadra Island shore. Southbound.

3 pm Headed to Whale Pass and left the 4 Orca plus small calf circumnavigating Penn Island by Cortez. Don’t think this is a new calf, since it doesn’t appear to have the usual orangy tinge, but it is small.

4:28 pm 1 Orca at the North end of Cortez Island. Seen it two times and then not again….phantom female Orca.

8:20 pm Found 12-14 Orca between Penn Islands and Bullock Bluff off the North-West side of Cortez Island. For sure we had T86A’s and T20. T20 breached 5 times with the sun (glaring) behind! Left them doing donuts in the same spot and my way back 9:16 pm. Will look at photos for other ID’s back at the barn.

9:16 am 3 Orca Southbound at Seymour Narrows…bucking the tide. Reported from Richard at Painter’s Lodge; relayed:

9:18 am 3 Killer Whales Southbound at Seymour Narrows.

10 am 4 Orca by Mystery Reef, Savary Island headed North towards Mace Point/Major Rock slowly. There’s 1 big male and 1 small calf – looks quite brown in colour.

12:10 pm T101’s and T102 Southbound at Orange Point, Campbell River.

2:55 pm Leaving Orca between Mitlenatch and Sentry Shoal. They’re mid channel going 6 knots Southbound.

9:18 pm 2 Orca heading North in front of the 50^th parallel marker in Campbell River.

11:30 AM today two Orcas were proceeding close to the mainland (500m) going NW by Savary’s eastern point (Mace Point). They appeared to be a large bull and a smaller male. I spotted the Orcas from my boat while fishing. Unfortunately did not have my camera. The Orcas seemed to be heading steadily NW ward. This would be the second time I have seen Orca from my boat.
Ron Johnston, Savary Island

11:55 am Orca Northbound in Malaspina Strait.

3:44 pm 4 Orca between Rona and the Red Can Buoy, Willow Point area below Campbell River angling towards Vancouver Island shore.

5:30 pm 5 Orca Southbound by Sentry Shoal, SW of Savary Island.

12:13 pm Some Orca right out in front of Westview Harbour in Powell River. At least one big male and a couple of females. They’re angling straight in towards shore.

1:15 pm Could see 4 of them Northbound – looks like they’re heading towards the Powell River mill.

A short time later, they’re just below Atrevida Reef, but North of Sliammon.

There were 4 Orca including T20 (photo) and T86’s doing long dives and continuing North slowly. Around 5 pm they stopped for a seal snack, a couple of breaches and spy hops. 6 pm I left the Orca in Thulin Pass by the Copeland Islands still Northbound.

Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale Watching and Grizzly Bear Tours

A small pod of about 4 Orcas at 7:15 pm between Piper’s Lagoon and The Shack Islands in Nanaimo. Two adults and possibly a juvenile or two, we were on kayak and they surprised us as much as we surprised them. They surfaced twice before disappearing. We were about 50 ft away and as many times as I’ve seen them, they’re beautiful, majestic and frightening. We were close enough to see details in they’re markings. They were headed north when we initially saw them but lost sight after they submerged. They most likely headed out to more open water as they were extremely close to the shore and there were a few motor boats in the immediate area.

Loggers I spoke to in Ramsay Arm, above Desolation Sound saw some Orca in close to the logging operation and witnessed what they felt may have been the birth of a calf. They saw an extremely tiny calf very pink and orange.

Saturday’s group of J Pod, June 1st, traveling past San Juan Island at 1.30pm. Marie O’Shaughnessy, Orca-Magic

2 pm ‘Blackberry ‘, J 27 was ID on his way south with other members of J Pod as they travelled down Haro Strait this afternoon. They were moving fast and well spread out, L 87, Onyx who always travels with Spieden, J 8 was also ID. Photo

2-3 humpback whales at junction of Raymond Pass and Seaforth Channel, west of Bella Bella; several breaches close to shore. The whales appeared to be moving west across the top of Raymond Pass but at least 1 was just hanging out in a small cove and then at the confluence of the two bodies of water – lots of tide and wind stirring up the waters.

3:20 pm 15 or so PWS Dolphins at the East side of Hole in the Wall.

Mario, Campbell River Whale Watching

3 pm 12 or so PWS Dolphins foraging by Granite Point, Discovery Passage.

3:35 pm Around 100 PSW Dolphins by Separation Head, fast foraging and feeding back and forth. They went right into Brown’s Bay. Left them still running back and forth at 4 pm by Brown’s Bay.

10:14 am Around 20 PWS Dolphins by Sonora Point, Nodales Channel.

12:18 pm 25 – 30 PWS Dolphins Westbound in Cordero Channel by Cordero Lodge. Left them 12:45 pm by Erasmus Island almost at Greene Point Rapids.

12:55 pm Another 4 more PWS Dolphins by Sonora Point, top of Nodales Channel.

4:10 pm Another 8-9 PWS Dolphins at Marina Reef, by Cortez Island, Northbound and foraging.

3:56 pm 4 Dall’s Porpoise in the East entrance to Hole in the Wall – they’re jetting South.

1:30 pm Some Dall’s Porpoise in Seymour Narrows.

Have you seen a whale, dolphin or porpoise? Call 1-877-323-9776 or Emailyour report. Every sighting report is valuable!

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