Happy Thanksgiving Cetacean Sightings Update
Happy Canadian Thanksgiving to everyone! Our Cetacean sightings report is a bit smaller. There are fewer people on the water, but the whales are still out there. Our work and reports continue all year round. We realize it’s a big ocean which is why we need your reports please, and thank those who do report. Every report is valuable to track where these wonderful animals are going and what they’re doing. From the small porpoise to the larger whales, their activity and locations give us a greater understanding and insight into their movements, welfare, and even the health of areas they travel. All of the whale, dolphin and porpoise movements on our coast are inter-related. The area we cover is so expansive that we can’t piece it together without your input. We look forward to hearing from you!
Susan MacKay & Lynne Cracknell, Whales and Dolphins BC
Have you seen a whale, dolphin or porpoise?
Every sighting report is valuable!
TRANSIENT BIGG’S KILLER WHALES
Transient Bigg’s Orca
October 9, 2014 – 2 photos
Nick Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions
Oct 10:
12:40 pm: Orca reported in Plumper Bay southbound, mid channel. Maybe 3-4 animals and one big fin. Nice!
1:25 pm: "Benito" reports that the Orca are in Seymour Narrows now – two males so far.
2:10 pm: The water taxi driver is reporting Orca at Race Point now.
Nick Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions.
Oct 9:
10:00 am: Passing on report from Ed Sharky of 3 Orca – mid size, female and calf- northbound on the Vancouver Island shoreline halfway between Brown’s Bay and Eagles Cove.
Nick Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions.
Oct 9:
12:29 pm: 8 Orca 4 miles north of Cape Lazo, on the Vancouver Island shoreline across from Hornby Island, foraging.
Neil, SV "Island Odyssey."
October 9:
12:45 pm Updated position on the above Orca: 49° 46.531 N 124° 48.380 W put them exactly mid strait along the Comox – Powell River Ferry line. They don’t appear to be moving anywhere quickly. There was one big male in the group.
Bill Coltart, Pacific Pro Dive, Courtenay.
Oct 9:
1:49 pm: Orca at Duncan Bay, near Campbell River, possibly northbound.
1:55 pm: 4 Orca just north of Steep Island, off shore of Quadra Island, southbound now. One very orange (newborns have an orange tinge to their white patches – SM) calf in there.
3:00 pm: Orca offshore of Cape Mudge Village on Quadra Island, southbound at 5 knots.
Fabien Minfray, Eagle Eye Adventures.
Oct 9:
5:15 pm: These are the Transient Bigg’s Killer Whales T049A’s, – there are 4 animals, male T049A1, a female, a juvenile, and a calf. They are now on a westbound track to Cape Mudge, travelling at 4-5 knots.
6:00 pm: Leaving the scene now. Transient Bigg’s Orca T049A1 is along the Quadra Island shoreline. The others are mid channel travelling north west up Discovery Passage abeam the Cape Mudge Lighthouse.
Nick Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions.
Oct 8:
11:00 am: 6-7 Orca southbound through the Yuculta Rapids, by Sonora Island.
(from radio)
Oct 8:
3:49 pm: Three Orca out front of Texada Street in Powell River.
Joanne Brough, Powell River.
October 8:
4 – 4:30 pm 3 Orca were by Texada Island and headed North towards Lund on the mainland side. We first saw them from Jean & Ted’s then I watched them with binocs for a while longer.
Judy Brant, Powell River
Oct 7:
1:00 pm: Orca northbound at Whiskey Point, Quadra Island.
Aaron Webber, Campbell River Whale Watching.
Oct 7:
2:39 pm: Transient Bigg’s Orca the T065B’s and T049B’s bucking the flood tide at Whiskey Point, Quadra Island. There were six of them, all small fins. Originally identified one group as the T049A’s, but have a solid ID photo of T065B.
Nick Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions.
Transient Bigg’s Orca
October 7, 2014 – 3 photos
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
HUMPBACK WHALES
Oct 9:
1:05 pm: Humpback whale off Vivian Island, one mile west of the south end of Harwood Island, Strait of Georgia.
Bill Coltart, Pacific Pro Dive, Courtenay.
Oct 8:
12:00 pm: Humpback whale in the fog in Malaspina Strait half way down the Texada shore.
Caller did not leave his name
Oct 7:
11:00 am: A Humpback whale was slapping it’s pectoral fin and rolling around as we were going from Saltery Bay, on the Sunshine Coast, towards Nelson Island in a small boat. Sending short video clip to see if you can ID. (Video clip was, unfortunately, not clear enough for ID, but based on prior sightings reports, we think it may be ‘KC’ continuing South – SM)
Pat Hendriks, Powell River.
Oct 5:
6:56 pm: Humpback whale offshore of the Thunderbird RV park in Campbell River, southbound.
Jos Krijnen, Eagle Eye Adventures.
Pacific White Sided Dolphin
October, 2014
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
PACIFIC WHITE SIDED DOLPHINS
Oct 10:
10:00 am: 300 Pacific White Sided Dolphins at the Cinque islands in Discovery Passage, northbound, foraging.
Fabien Minfray, Eagle Eye Adventures.
Oct 10:
4:58 pm: 300 Pacific White Sided Dolphins foraging at Granite Point, Quadra Island.
Fabien Minfray, Eagle Eye Adventures.
October 10:
Today: Just prior to posting this report we heard from a regular reporter, Wendy Galligos that apparently a friend had seen some Pacific White Sided Dolphins passing Sliammon. We have no other details other than she, and we, were sorry to have missed seeing them.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
Oct 9:
10:00 a: Report from the vessel "Smoky Joe" of all (presume the 300 or so) the Pacific White Sided Dolphins at the mouth of Frederick Arm, leaping and performing.
Nick Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions.
Oct 9:
9:15 am: 4-5 Pacific White Sided Dolphins in Deepwater Bay, Quadra Island.
(from radio)
Oct 9:
1:24 pm: 12 Pacific White Sided Dolphins northbound at Duncan bay, near Campbell River.
Fabien Minfray, Eagle Eye Adventures.
Oct 8:
9:30 am: Six Pacific White Sided Dolphins northbound at Logger’s Point in Deepwater Bay, Quadra Island.
10:20 am: Around 300 Pacific White Sided Dolphins at Davis Point, in Nodales Channel, westbound after foraging for about half an hour.
Jack Springer, Campbell River Whale Watching.
Oct 8:
11:55 am: 300-400 Pacific White Sided Dolphins just at Chatham Point, at the junction of Discovery Passage and Johnstone Strait, westing into Johnstone Strait.
2:34 pm 100 PWS Dolphins just East of Rendezvous Islands Southbound.
Fabien Minfray, Eagle Eye Adventures.
Oct 8:
12:37 pm: 300 plus Pacific White Sided Dolphins easting at Chatham Light, Discovery Passage.
John Lewis, Discovery Marine Safaris.
Oct 6:
4:30 pm: A couple of hundred Pacific White Sided Dolphins at Greensea Bay, near Chatham Point in Discovery Passage.
Elvis, Campbell River.
Oct 6:
5:41 pm: A gazillion Pacific White Sided Dolphins southbound in Greensea Bay, across from Chatham Point.
Jack Springer, Campbell River Whale Watching.
Oct 4: Wanted to pass along a sighting of roughly 300 White Sided Dolphins Saturday October 4thin Discovery Passage at the north end of Quadra Island. They were moving quickly and changing directions rapidly. Also noted were Sea Lions with them and therefore we assumed it was a good feeding frenzy!
Don Laidlaw, Victoria.
Pacific White Sided Dolphins
October 4, 2014 – 3 photos
Don Laidlaw, Victoria
DALL’S PORPOISE
October 8:
2:30 pm 8 Dall’s Porpoise by Clipper Point in Bute Inlet.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours.
Oct 6:
3:45 pm: 4 Dall’s Porpoise at Clipper Point in Bute Inlet.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours.
LINKS
A couple of interesting good-news stories this week about Blue Whales, the largest animals on the earth:
A look at how changing times have led to a huge shift in our perception towards some animals species:
A new genetic study has revealed that populations of humpback whales in the oceans of the North Pacific, North Atlantic and Southern Hemisphere are much more distinct from each other than previously thought:
And more proof, if any were needed, of the extraordinary intelligence and abilities of both Dolphins and Orca.
Have you seen a whale, dolphin or porpoise?
Every sighting report is valuable!
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