Cetacean Sightings: Humpbacks, Dolphins, Orca, Porpoise and Minke
Many days of fog limited sightings of even the water, let alone Cetaceans. Of the Whales and Dolphins seen, there have been many Humpback Whale sightings in our inside waters. How wonderful to have these amazing animals in our midst. Pacific White Sided Dolphins are also around in numbers while the Transient Bigg’s Killer Whale sightings have dropped significantly. Dall’s Porpoise bring up the rear in this report. Where are the Resident Orca? They are overdue for making an appearance in the central Georgia Strait; sightings have been limited everywhere.
I apologize for the delay in posting this report. As many of you know, my hand injury has restricted the amount of computer usage I can manage at a time, and even though I had help with compiling some of the information to October 22nd, other matters had taken priority.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
Have you seen a whale, dolphin or porpoise?
Every sighting report is valuable
TRANSIENT BIGG’S KILLER WHALES
T11’s mom and son, Race Rocks
October 12, 2013
Marie O’Shaughnessy, Orca-Magic
October 26:
2:20 pm 2 Orca went through Skookumchuck Narrows into Sechelt Inlet; 1 bull 1 female.
Radio
October 20:
3:30 pm Report of Orca just west of Cordero Lodge, behind Lorte Island on Cordero Channel. No numbers or direction, from Blind Channel Water Taxi.
Jen Furst, Campbell River Whale Watching.
October 12: (rec’d 17:)
2:30 pm The T11’s mom and son seen here, Race Rocks around 2.30pm, Saturday Oct 12/13 heading west in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Marie O’Shaughnessy, Orca-Magic
HUMPBACK WHALES
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BCZ004, otherwise known as "Stripe"
October 14, 2013
Ray Hogan
October 29:
8:50 am 2 or 3 Humpback Whales between Vivian Island and Rebecca Rocks. Saw backs and lots of bird activity from the Comox ferry.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
October 28:
11:00 am 2 Humpback Whales spotted from the ferry moving toward Saltery Bay just now.
Dulcie Macdonald, Savary Island
October 26:
2:20 pm 3 Humpback Whales off the Earl’s Cove ferry terminal.
Radio
October 25:
Throughout the Day: You might be interested to know last Friday 25th Oct, as many as 17 Humpback whales were seen in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Any where between 9-13 on a daily basis seems to be the order of the day around the Salish Sea. With so few sightings of the Southern Resident Orca this season, it is wonderful to know that the Humpback Whales are finding enough small schooling fish to stick around here. Wonderful. The singing Humpback whales in the Johnstone Strait area too this past month have been amazing. Who would know they would sing in this area as well as on their breeding grounds, Mexico and Hawaii. Looks like we have our own population of Humpback whales that just travel up and down this coast line. Seems the whales are rewriting the tell-all-books ! 😉
Marie O’Shaughnessy, Orca Magic
October 19th:
4:30 pm Two Humpback Whales, mother and calf, meandering / feeding /slapping pectorals west of Hardy Island headed toward Scotch Fir Point.
Kerry and Becky Williams-Freeman, Powell River
October 17:
4:15 pm Had a Humpback at the mouth of Pendrell Sound, East Redonda Island. One breach and a tail fluke and not seen again.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whales and Grizzly Bear Tours.
October 17:
Day: I was out today and saw at least 7 Humpback whales near Race Rocks, off Victoria. Amazing come back for this area of these magnificent whales.
Marie O’Shaughnessy, Orca-Magic
October 16:
3:30 pm 3 Humpback Whales 1 large 2 smaller near Bald Island at the end of Hardy Island, Malaspina Strait towards Texada.
Mel Lougheed
Humpback Mom and Calf
October 14, 2013
Ray Hogan
October 14:
11:30 am about 5 Humpbacks feeding at Northwest Texada just south of the tip. I have attached 4 photos of them.
Ray Hogan
(Ray, Thought you might like to know that the one whose underside of tail flukes I could see is well known. Officially BCZ004, otherwise known as "Stripe." She had a calf this year, so the Mom and Calf would most likely be them. – SM)
October 14:
4 pm 2 Humpback Whales seen from the Comox ferry about half hour out from Little River towards Rebecca Rocks, Powell River.
Brenda Currie, Powell River
October 12: (rec’d 17th)
1 pm Here’s a Humpback whale seen same day as the T11’s Saturday Oct 12th/13 near Albert Head , Metchosin, 1pm, heading in every direction. Do you recognize this one? (On quick look through my ID’s I couldn’t locate this one, but will take another look later – SM)
Marie O’Shaughnessy, Orca-Magic
Humpback Whale
October 12, 2013
Marie O’Shaughnessy, Orca-Magic
MINKE WHALES
October 21:
1:45 pm Minke whale sighted off NW Texada.
Ivan, Western Explorer.
PACIFIC WHITE SIDED DOLPHINS
Pacific White Sided Dolphins
October 19, 2013
Steve Grover, Powell River
October 29:
8:45 am 12 or so PWS Dolphins foraging off Blubber Bay, Texada Island. Seen from Comox ferry.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
October 29:
4:20 pm about 50 (that we saw) Pacific White Sided Dolphins travelling north between Galiano island (Cain beach) and Gossip island. BTW, my husband claims that there were over 100 – he was there first.
Carolyn Gill
October 22:
4:33 pm There are a couple dozen PWS Dolphins by Hole in the Wall off Okisollo Channel in between Sonora and Maurelle Islands.
Ivan, Western Explorer.
October 21:
1:15 pm 100 or so PWS Dolphins by Mowat Bay, on Texada Island.
Ivan, Western Explorer.
October 19:
12:30 pm 100 plus PWS Dolphins in front of Powell River now.
1:45 pm Another couple of hundred PWS Dolphins off the NW tip of Texada northbound. Could see them with the binoculars leaping around.
2:00 pm The first group are down to around 80 and still off the viewpoint in Powell River. They are still foraging with the occasional leap.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
October 19:
1:40 pm There are 40 or so PWS Dolphins out in front of the Westview Ferry Terminal/Sea Walk in Powell River as I write this. Viewed with a ‘scope from my home.
3:00 pm Those dolphins are still out there, one and a half hours after my last note. They appear to be feeding, doing zig zags backwards and forwards, a minute or two on each lap. Lots of breaching. Unfortunately a bit too far from shore for my camera, even with my 600 mm, else that’s where I’d be, instead of watching with my ‘scope!
Paul den Ouden, Powell River
Pacific White Sided Dolphins
October 19, 2013
Steve Grover, Powell River
October 19:
1:30 – around 4 pm 100+ PWS Dolphins Here are a few shots from my dolphin watching from the kayak adventure this afternoon. It is sure hard to see them when your eyes are only 2′ above the water. After paddling about 15 minutes I spotted them about 1000 meters + in the Malaspina Strait towards the north end of Texada Island. 3 dolphins came fairly close to me and swam under my kayak at least once but it was cool seeing the whole pod foraging nearby too. They make quite a bit of noise breathing and splashing! The light was not great but the sea was pretty calm and it was the first time I ever took out the kayak to try and photograph dolphins. I’m calling this one a success since I got a few shots and didn’t tip over!
Steve Grover, Powell River
October 19:
3:30 pm There is a group of PWS Dolphins moving back and forth in front of the harbour at Powell River.
Heather Harbord, Powell River
October 18:
1:40 pm -500 PWS Dolphins off Hardinge Island, Nodales Channel.
Leif Nordman, Campbell River Whale Watching.
October 14:
1:29 pm 100 plus PWS Dolphins have been feeding off Myrtle Rocks for the past 40 minutes.
Holly Roy, Powell River
Pacific White Sided Dolphins
October 19, 2013
Steve Grover, Powell River
DALL’S PORPOISE
October 25:
5:10 pm 3 Dall’s Porpoise off the NW tip of Texada Island foraging and heading South. Seen from Comox Ferry.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
October 25:
5:13 pm 30 Dall’s Porpoise feeding by Hall Point, Nodales Channel.
Lee, Adventure Quest
October 20:
3:30 pm About 12 Dall’s porpoise foraging in Phillip’s Arm, north of Bute Inlet.
Jen Furst, Campbell River Whale Watching.
October 17:
2:30 pm A solitary Dall’s porpoise sighted in Current Passage between Helmken and Hardwicke Islands. Just rolling slowly northward.
Lynne Cracknell, Sayward
October 17:
4:00 pm 2 Dall’s Porpoise sighted in Waddington Channel, between East and West Redonda Islands.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whales and Grizzly Bear Tours.
Have you seen a whale, dolphin or porpoise?
Every sighting report is valuable!
Whales and Dolphins BC is officially the non-profit Wild Ocean Whale Society(WOWs)
One Response
Just want to thank you for all the work you do -great to read of all the whale and dolphin sightings and of course the photos are a bonus
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