Cetacean Sightings – Transient Bigg’s Orca, Resident Orca, Humpbacks, Dolphins and Porpoise

Cetaceans everywhere, then they play hide and seek, and boy can they hide when they want to. A reminder to please call or email in any sightings of whales, dolphins or porpoise. For those wondering about the Southern Resident Orca, they are back in the San Juan Islands. No information on the Northern Resident Orca. The Transient Bigg’s Killer Whales and Pacific White Sided Dolphins are popping up here and there from Sechelt to the upper reaches of Georgia Strait and in the inlets. Humpback Whales are continuing to make minor appearances on their way to summer feeding grounds, and the occasional Harbour Porpoise has been spotted. Dall’s Porpoise have been few, while we seldom see or hear of Grey or Minke Whales.

Apology to Garry Henkel for mistyping the flying Orca date in the last report. The date should have read May 29, 2013.

Have you seen a whale, dolphin or porpoise?

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

Every sighting report is valuable!

7:16 am Just heard guys on the radio say there are some Killer Whales Northbound past VanAnda / Marble Bay. Receiption was pretty scratchy when we spoke, but he said they saw 3 Orca briefly.

Around 8 am 5 Orca including 2 calves, 2 females and a really large male with a dorsal that leans to the left by VanAnda, Texada Island Northbound towards Rebecca Rocks. From Fisherman.

7:10 am mother and two calves going by ocean grove outskirts of Campbell River.

Jude

Early morning 3 Orca were by Coho Point at the NW tip of Texada Island. Got from a fishing buddy.

8:50 am Orca by April Point, Discovery Passage, on the Quadra Island side. Relayed from Painter’s Lodge connector.

9:50 am Today there was a small pod of Orcas just east of Saltery Bay, near the first fish farm.
Brian Seymour

9 am Found 2 Orca so far heading towards Steep Island, Seymour Narrows.

9:25 am Turned out to be 3 Orca – 2 females and a calf. Slowly Northbound. They decided to go into Duncan Bay.

9:37 am I can see more Orca blows by Cape Mudge now. There’s 1 big dorsal and some smaller ones, no numbers yet. They’re Northbound but the current is pushing them back a bit.

10:11 am They’re between Cape Mudge and WeWaiKai Village now.

1:55 pm T18 and T19 now Southbound at the red can buoy off Cape Mudge.

Happy to report spotting 3 Orca out in front of Cape Mudge around 10:45am! They were headed north!

11:26 am 5 Orca between Rebecca Spit and scallop farm, Quadra Island Southbound.

12:35 pm Orca Northbound by the lighthouse at Cape Mudge.

1:26 pm 4 Orca, the T002C’s, heading up, Northbound, in Lewis Channel by Teakerne Arm.

Geord Dunstan, Discovery Marine Safaris

1245- found 4 mammal-eating Killer Whales off Howe Island moving south into Discovery Passage.

‘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.

3.30pm Ocean Magic trip, with Prince of Whales. J Pod, in a semi-resting mode, was seen traveling slowly past Victoria at 4pm. Several spyhops behaviours from a female was observed. Granny, J 2 was up front. Perhaps it was she who spyhopped on several occasions.

5 pm Humpback Whale Northbound by Elk Bay, Discovery Passage.

9 am 2 Humpbacks Southbound by April Point in Discovery Passage.

12:09 pm Humpback Whale by Grouse Island, close to Campbell River ferry dock.

0930- 2 Humpbacks off of the Cruise ship dock in Campbell River.

8 am PWS Dolphins reported in Teakearne Arm, Lewis Channel.

10:26 am 100 – 150 PWS Dolphins at the North end of Cortez Island by Rendezvous Islands. They’re Southbound towards Sutil Channel.

12:28 Left the 150+ Dolphins heading North towards Deer Passage, by Raza Island

2:17 pm 150 PWS Dolphins at Redonda Bay just milling about.

10 am 40 PWS Dolphins by Chatham Point Lightstation.

10:27 am Around 100 PWS Dolphins just west of Sonora Point, Nodales Channel.

1 pm 200 PWS Dolphins Northbound by Yucalta Rapids, above Stewart Island.

1:38 pm There’s another 200 PWS Dolphins Southbound by Hole in the Wall, Calm Channel, below Stewart Island. Then this second group split up with about half going North towards Yucalta Rapids while the rest continued going South.

3 pm Spoke to a prawn fisherman buddy who said there were a bunch of PWS Dolphins near Ramsay Arm – the direction the ones that split off Southbound went.

4:19 pm Approximately 200 PWS Dolphins between Denham Island and Frederick Arm, above Desolation Sound. They’re foraging, doing doughnuts.

11:45 am Had about 4 HarbourPorpoise just below Kanish Bay, Campbell River.

4 pm 4 Dall’s Porpoise foraging and milling by Dent Island above Yucalta Rapids.

12:00 pm Dall’s Porpoise in Cordero channel (approx. 10).

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

The official governing non-profit society of Whales and Dolphins BC is