Transient Bigg’s Orca back and forth in Georgia Strait
A major increase in Cetacean sightings from a slow start to April. Most of the sightings reported are Transient Bigg’s Orca, but it appears they have finally moved back into our areas. It does help that more people are on the water. The Orca have been around, but they have passed a few times in stealth mode or after dark. We also have a couple of Porpoise sightings to report.
Apologies for running late with updates, it’s not for lack of trying. Please remember to call your sightings in. Every report is valuable!
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
Every sighting report is valuable!
Have you seen a whale, dolphin or porpoise?
TRANSIENT BIGG’S KILLER WHALES
Transients T02C’s by Harwood Island
April 10, 2014
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
April 13:
3:24 pm Orca Northbound in Lambert Channel by Hornby Island towards Comox.
From Radio
April 13:
6:04 pm I’m seeing signs of splashes and blows just above Comox…looks like they’re still Northbound but slowed in the bay above the Little River ferry terminal.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
April 13:
No time given: Some Orca right at the head of Toba Inlet today near the camp barge. No time or numbers given, but I presume they’re hunting Dolphins.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours.
April 12:
10 am Report of 8 to 10 Orca Southbound at Viner Point, Read Island, from friend.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours.
April 12:
10 am (rec’d late afternoon) 6 Orca by Rendezvous Islands.
Elvis, Eagle Eye Adventues
April 12:
2:30 pm Between 15 to 18 Transient Orca in couple of groups by Shelter Point. One group has 9 and the other has at least 6. Looks like the males are all in together and the females are closer to the Vancouver Island shore. Seeing spy hops, breaching and some wake riding behind another boat. They are Southbound but seemed to stall.
2:50 pm There’s another big gang of at least another 12 off Francisco Point angling to meet up with these ones.
Carl, Scholar Hollar (Carl runs fishing charters from Campbell River)
Transients T02C’s by Harwood Island
April 10, 2014
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
April 12:
3:30 pm Leaving around 24 Transient Bigg’s Orca angling from Salmon Point towards the NW tip of Texada. They were spread out before but seem to have grouped up. There are a number of calves / juveniles and a couple of really big dorsals.
Elvis, Eagle Eye Adventures
April 12:
5:41 pm Signs of Orca close to the Comox ferry terminal. I can see blows and the odd splash.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
April 11:
10:38 am Possible Orca (or Pacific White Sided Dolphins) by Cinque Islands, Discovery Passage.
From very broken radio chatter.
April 11:
11:40 am 2 Orca, both big dorsals Northbound towards Myrtle Rocks.
Nina Falls, Powell River
April 11:
5:28 pm Orca Northbound off VanAnda, Texada Isl. Can’t get a handle on the numbers since they’re closer to Texada. Seeing blows and dorsals and some splashes.
Bill Taylor, Powell River
April 11:
6:30 pm Between 6 to 8 Orca heading towards the Blubber Bay light closer to Texada. They were porpoising then staying down for a bit.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
April 11:
7:05 pm 8 to 9 Orca, maybe more, heading along mainland side past Powell River towards Lund. We first saw some Orca blows and splashes from the restaurant we were at around 6:40 pm. Watching from home, their blows are backlit by the waning sun and really show up nicely. They were spread out into a couple of smaller groups with 5 in one group and 2 or 3 trailing the rest.
7:30 pm The numbers seemed to increase once they got closer to the Harwood spit. Definitely 9 all surfaced at one time in a line with another group behind. Certainly more now than when they passed in front of Powell River proper. Continuing North towards Lund.
Steve and Susan Grover, Powell River
April 10:
11:35 am 4 to 5 Orca Northbound by Grief Point, Powell River.
John Treen, Powell River
April 10:
12:30 pm Spotted the Orca by some boats fishing towards Rebecca Rocks.
12:56 pm Orca slowly angling towards Vivian Island from Blubber Bay, Texada Island. They were doing long, 10 to 15 min. dives I kept losing them till they stopped to take a sea lion off Blubber Bay. Nothing worse than having a dead camera battery! Cell phone photos, using the zoom, are not very clear unless there’s plenty of light. Even without the camera it was easy to tell it was the T02C’s. I left the whales with Garry and his tour around 3 pm.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
Transients T02C’s by Rebecca Rocks
April 10, 2014
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
April 10:
4:30 pm Left the T02’s Orca 2 miles NW off Vivian Island heading South at 6 knots. They had continued doing long dives and just cruising till just before leaving them when they came to life a bit.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours.
April 9:
7:09 pm Just to let you know that I counted 4 Orca passing Westview, Powell River tonight in two groups, a male and large female in the first group and a smaller female and possibly a juvenile or young adult in the second group. We watched them for about 30 minutes until they went behind trees at about 7:30 pm. It was great to see Orca again in our neighborhood.
Steve Grover, Powell River
April 9:
7:30 pm Between 5 to 6 Orca Southbound in front of Westview, Powell River. (Once I got eyes on them they were definitely Transient Bigg’s Orca. SM)
Sherri Wretham, Powell River
April 9:
8:15 pm. Just spotted two Orca, one large and one much smaller, slowly heading south down the Malaspina Straight near Myrtle Rocks.
Holly Roy, Powell River
April 7:
9:00 am: 5 Orca off the Ragged (Copeland) Islands, off Lund heading North close to the mainland.
9:30 am: I was sure I saw 5 Orca, but when I got out there I only found 3. There was one male, and one calf with its Mum. They were headed towards Sarah Point (Northbound).
Gordie Coles, Savary Island / Lund
April 7:
1:45 pm Orca (no numbers given) off Chatham Point heading North-West.
Cam M.
April 3:
4:53 pm: Left the T002C’s southbound by Deepwater Bay (Quadra Island) at 4:45 pm. Found them at Kanish Bay (also on Quadra) around 3:45pm. They were moving really slow at first, hugging the beach.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours.
April 2:
12:52 pm: Report of Orca near Yuculta Rapids around 8:00 am this morning. No number or direction – from Water Taxi friend.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours.
Transients T02C’s by Harwood Island
April 10, 2014
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
PORPOISE
April 11: (and almost every day!)
Morning and evening trips: Dall’s and/or Harbour Porpoise seem to reside in the area between Savary Island and Hernando Island. I usually come across 3 – 4 of them together feeding closer to Hernando almost every crossing I make. Most often they’re about .5 to 1 mile off my path, but once in a while they’re a bit closer.
Eric Ferreira, Savary Island
April 10:
2:45 pm 2 Harbour Porpoise by Harwood Island angling towards Atrevida Reef and away from the T02c’s who were closer to the Georgia Strait side of Vivian Island.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
Have you seen a whale, dolphin or porpoise?
Every sighting report is valuable!
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