Sightings: Orca, Humpbacks, Minke, Dolphins, Porpoise and Sea Otter

Noteworthy events are taking place on our waters. Northern Resident Orca, not known to consistently travel the lower Johnstone Strait area have been doing just that. Transient Bigg’s Killer Whales too have been consistently sighted. Humpback Whales are appearing in greater numbers with a whopping 19 different animals counted at the top of Johnstone Strait in one day while there were still many others reported farther down (and up) the coast. Pacific White Sided Dolphins, previously considered pelagic, or ocean-going only, have made a few inlets their resident territories. And, Sea Otters are being spotted more frequently in our inside waters. Does this mean we’re doing something right? Are we truly making a difference in the health of our ecosystems?

Have you seen a whale, dolphin or porpoise?

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

Every sighting report is valuable

August 25:

11 am Orca Eastbound at Hickey Point.

11:37 am Orca Westbound by Port Neville.

4:56 pm Large group of around 38 Orca heading slowly East towards Kelsey Bay. (Jack ID’d them as the A30’s, A23’s, A25’s and the I15’s)

August 25:

7 pm The NRKWs are still Eastbound at Vansitaart.

Geord, Discovery Marine Safaris

August 24:

9:16 am Orca at Bear Bight Eastbound from a contact.

12:34 pm Leaving the A23’s and A25’s Eastbound at Rock Bay, Chatham Point.

4:24 pm Left the A23’s and A25’s doing some heavy foraging between Hall and Sonora Point and John’s Bay. Great to see all the foraging.

August 24:

10:11 am Orca are at Ripple Point Eastbound fast, Looks like the A8’s. Some Dolphins in front of them.

August 24:

1:30 pm Orca Easting into Nodales Channel.

6:18 pm Orca out of Frederick Arm.

August 24:

3:30 pm Killer Whales are reaching Sonora Point, Nodales Channel.

August 24:

3:42 pm A8’s are at Hickey Point Westbound up Johnstone Strait.

Geord, Discovery Marine Safaris

August 24:

5:08 pm The NRKWs are heading deep into Frederick Arm all spread out.

August 23:

2:29 pm Orca 1 mile West of Kelsey Bay Eastbound.

4:33 pm The A8’s are now at Camp Point Eastbound. There’s 100 Dolphins here too!

5 pm Orca between Vansitaart and Bear Points, by Palmer Bay, a bit above Chatham Point.

August 21:

9:52 am A8’s and A30’s are at the Sophia Islands slowly headed West

August 20:

12:39 pm The A30’s and A36’s are off of Bold Head, Blackfish Sound, while the A23’s and A25’s are Westbound from the Robson Bight Ecological Reserve.

August 20:

2:30 pm 1 lone male Orca was being harassed by 5-8 Dall’s Porpoise. Unfortunately I didn’t get a good enough look at the Orca, but think it may have been one of the A36 brothers trying to forage off Big Bay, Hanson Island. Some others were in Blackfish Sound at the time.

August 19:

11:28 am The A8’s are Westbound at Blinkhorn, off Telegraph Cove.

August 25:

12 pm Elvis reports Transients Easting in Cordero Channel at Loughborough Inlet.

August 25:

12:40 pm 4 Transient Bigg’s Southbound at Sunday Creek.

4:56 pm Leaving the Transients at Gray Creek coming out of Loughborough Inlet after a Porpoise kill and a nice show.

August 25:

2:50 pm Apparently the Transients are up Loughborough Inlet by Beaver Inlet.

August 25:

3:53 pm I left the Transients who I believe are the T02C’s, not sure, at Crosby Point still heading into Loughborough Inlet.

August 23:

11 am 3 Transients went past Minstrel Island.

August 23:

5:01 pm Hi Susan – In Active Pass with a group of 5-7 transients.
Christine, M/V David B, Northwest Navigation

August 22:

9:56 am Orca Northbound in front of Cape Mudge Village.

11 am Aaron has them just past the lighthouse in the middle of the channel going against the tide. (Aaron ID’d them as the T100’s)

August 22:

2:46 pm Leaving the Orca Southbound by Miracle Beach 1 mile off the Vancouver Island shore travelling lazily.

August 22:

8:24 pm 4 Orca Northbound at Willow Point, below Campbell River close to shore. Elvis with them.

August 21:

9:15 am 3 Orca Eastbound at St Vincent Bight, just above Kelsey Bay.

August 21:

11:15 am 5 Orca just off Vivian Island – Grant’s Reef, Savary Island. There’s 1 big male dorsal in there for sure. No specific direction, but a few splashes, may be hunting.

August 21:

11:45 am 6-8 Orca Westbound by Eve River, above Kelsey Bay.

1:45 pm Transients still Westbound at Forward Bay.

4 pm T18’s/T19’s/T02C’s at Cracroft Point, Blackney Pass still Westbound.

August 21:

12:57 pm T19B and others Westbound by the Broken Islands.

August 21:

1:56 pm At least 4 Orca Northbound at the North end of Grant’s Reef.

5:20 pm Left the Orca still Northbound near the North end of Mitlenatch Island.

August 21:

3:42 pm So these are the T101’s and T102 (4 Killer Whales) They just finished off a kill of some kind; lots of activity. Now they’re doing big zig zags generally heading towards Sentry Shoal / Mitlenatch area. Of note is that T101A is still travelling way off to one side of the group. 4:12 pm These guys are split into 2 groups now; T101A and T102 together and T101B and T101 together. They’re half mile apart heading basically West.

August 20:

?? pm Transients off the fishing hump last night (20^th) heading North. Report came in this morning (21st).

August 19:

We were hiking around Neck Point, Nanaimo BC when a small pod of orcas swam by at about 8 p.m. It looked like two adult females each with very young orcas next to them. It also looked like there were two juvenile orcas with them. They were heading west to Nanoose Bay and then veered north towards Winchelsea Island. We have photos of them.

Although it was magic watching the orcas from shore in the fading sunset, what was disturbing was seeing a pleasure craft following them closely as they were travelling through the area. The message really needs to get out there that following families of orcas in close range is not acceptable.

August 19:

The sighting was from Rocky Point about 1km north of Neck point on Monday evening 19th August 2013 at 7:50pm.

I was watching some fishermen fish for Salmon from Rocky point. The sea was flat calm and we could quickly see 2 Orca’s were swimming towards us coming around Neck Point and then they swam to within 15m of the shoreline heading North and seemed to be chasing Salmon or seals at high speed near the surface, everyone reeled in their fishing lines but just before reaching Rocky point and maybe due to a boat coming too close they disappeared and re-appeared approx 400m off in the channel again heading north towards Parksville. We watched them travel north at a steady pace. The boat tried to follow them but would lose them as soon as they dived and gave up after a while.

The two included a large male Orca with a tall dorsal fin, quite broad at the bottom approx 6ft tall with a rounded tip, no notches on the fin could be seen although this was by the naked eye. I have seen other male dorsal fins which appear more streamlined coming to more of a sharper angled tip, this however was almost symmetrical about the vertical axis, broad with a rounded tip. The other Orca was much smaller; I would guess it was a juvenile whale.

It was a privilege to watch them and if repeated I will email in again.

August 18:

10 pm (reported) Left the Transients just before sunset Southbound by Rebecca Spit, Quadra Island.

August 23:

8 pm Just spotted 1 Humpback whale heading north from Grief Point……8:00 pm Friday August 23^rd.

Joanne Brough, Powell River

August 22:

In the early afternoon I managed to get out on the water by Stubbs Island and just drift in the current. During the hour or two I counted at least 6 different Humpback Whales in various locations around me from Stubbs Island to the Plumper Islands right at the top of Blackfish Sound. I also saw and heard on the radio that there were other Humpbacks over by Bold Head and Whitcliffe Islets – amazing, even though I missed both the breaches!

August 20:

12:37 pm A Humpback Whale is just West of Naka Creek heading East….make that 2 Humpback Whales

August 20:

3 pm Humpback Whale at Windy Point above Kelsey Bay heading East.

August 20:

6:30 pm A Humpback Whale known as ‘Argonaught’ was being harassed by approximately 8 Dall’s Porpoise by the Plumper Islands at the top of Weynton Pass.

August 23:

12:10 pm A Minke Whale made it’s way across the mouth of the Nimpkish River, passing in front of Alert Bay and headed towards Pearse Pass.

August 22:

10 am A Minke Whale was feeding in Pearse Pass.

August 23:

9:19 am 100 PWS Dolphins Southbound at Ripple Point by Mayne Passage.

2:45 pm Dolphins at Turn Island.

August 23:

11:41 am I’m with the Dolphins by Ripple Point. They’re just milling.

August 23:

5:11 pm 100 PWS Dolphins Westbound by Chatham Point.

August 22:

2:33 pm 100 PWS Dolphins in Okisollo Channel Westbound.

August 22:

5:16 pm 100 Dolphins at Bjerre Rock in Okisollo Channel.

August 22:

5:30 pm 100 Dolphins at Bjerre Rock in Okisollo Channel being awesome. No direction.

August 21:

9-9:15 am 150+ PWS Dolphins spread out foraging by Helmken Island, close to Kelsey Bay.

August 21:

12:02 pm 100+ PWS Dolphins Eastbound by Vansitaart Point, just below Race Pass.

4:45 pm 100+ Dolphins between Chatham Point and Howe Island at the entrance to Nodales Channel.

August 21:

12:57 pm 80-100 PWS Dolphins at Redonda Bay. It’s the families with all the babies. I’m leaving them now.

August 21:

1:34 pm Dolphins in Deer Passage, West Redonda side.

John, Discovery Marine Safaris

August 21:

2:43 pm 100 PWS Dolphins in Mayne Passage, Johnstone Strait side.

August 21:

7:30 pm 300 plus Dolphins foraging in Nodales Channel.

August 20:

9:44 am A good couple of hundred PWS Dolphins are spread out foraging from Fanny Island at the entrance to Sunderland Channel to Kelsey Bay. They’re Eastbound towards Race Pass.

August 20:

11:23 am 100 PWS Dolphins reported at the North end of Lewis Channel, Desolation Sound from a sport fisherman.

11:48 am The Dolphins are now Southbound down Lewis Channel by Teakerne Arm.

1:01 pm 30 Dolphins by the Jimmy Judd Island area.

1:39 pm 12 Dolphins at Kelsey Point.

August 20:

2:39 pm 200+ PWS Dophins were spread across the channel from Camp Point and Tyee Point, just below Race Pass.

August 20:

4:15 pm 75 PWS Dolphins foraging in Current Pass, Helmken Island.

August 19:

9:30 am PWS Dolphins South of Rebecca Spit, Quadra Island headed to Francisco Point.

August 19:

11 am Around 25 PWS Dolphins were foraging and doing donuts right inside Heriot Bay by the ferry terminal.

August 19:

11:46 am a fishing guide reports there are scattered PWS Dolphins in Okisollo Channel.

August 19:

1:07 pm 50 PWS Dolphins are foraging in the Jimmy Judd area, Yuculta Rapids.

August 19:

2:15 pm Dolphins by Port Neville (no number or direction given)

August 19:

5:12 pm 50+ PWS Dolphins heading West up Cordero Channel along Denham Bay, top of Nodales Channel.

August 19:

5:36 pm 50 PWS Dolphins in Heriot Bay, Quadra Island.

August 19:

6:40 pm The Heriot Bay PWS Dolphins are spread along the West side of the Breton Islands. There’s now approximately 110 to 130 of them.

August 20:

1:17 pm there were 3 Dall’s Porpoise by Boat Bay, near the top of Johnstone Strait, foraging

1:55 pm 3 Dall’s by the Sophia Islands foraging

2 pm 20 Dall’s Porpoise were zipping around by Boat Bay

2 pm 4 Dall’s were foraging just in Blackney Pass in the tide rips

Sea Otter at Pearse Islands