Killer Whales, Dolphins, Porpoise and even Grey Whales and Photos Galore
Transient Bigg’s Orca everywhere! And so many photos. We have reports of Killer Whales, Pacific White Sided Dolphins, Dall’s Porpoise as well as Harbour Porpoise, and even a Grey Whale report from Tofino, but still no Humpback Whales. Is it due to the seismic activity? It’s been a question for years that has yet to be answered.
We also have been hearing about a few of the branded Sea Lions. If you do see one, we’d love to get the information please. These brands are large and quite visible usually comprising of three numbers and a letter. A photo, if possible would also help since often they are difficult to read. We are now compiling more information on these animals. Some of them return to our areas every year from Oregon, California and Alaska.
Susan MacKay & Lynne Cracknell, Whales and Dolphins BC
Have you seen a whale, dolphin or porpoise?
We are the non-profit Wild Ocean Whale Society
Transient Bigg’s off Savary Island
Photos were too late for previous posting
April 17, 2015- 6 PHOTOS
Gordie Coles, Lund / Savary Island
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Other locations and times will be posted as soon as we confirm
And onlineusing our Donate button – see 2015 Summer Raffle for full details.
TRANSIENT BIGG’S ORCA
April 25:
1:43 pm: Report of Transient Bigg’s Orca at Churchhouse, Campbell River Whale Watching are on the scene. They are somewhere in Calm Channel, possibly northbound. There are apparently 3 big fins in the mix and approximately 12 whales in total.
Nick Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions.
April 25:
1:30-2 pm 5-6 Orca were just off Crescent Bay, almost to Favada Point, by the NW tip of Texada Southbound after hanging around feeding on something for half hour or more. We were just walking when we spotted them. (from photos submitted ID’s of T049A’s – SM)
Micheline Macauley, Texada Island
Transient Bigg’s Killer Whales – T049A’s
April 25, 2015 – 5 PHOTOS
Micheline Macauley, Texada Island
April 25:
3:52 pm Leaving the Orca at Dent Rapids, Northbound. Definitely had the T002C’s and will look at photos of others. Nick ID’d some of the others as T023’s.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
April 24:
4:40 pm: At least 7 Transient Bigg’s Orca by Viner Point angling towards Francisco Point, on the hunt.
5:05 pm: More animals off Marina Island, breaching. At least 3 big fins.
5:47 pm: At least 15 Transient Bigg’s Orca in total. There are three calves, one being yellow. They are in between Marina Island and Rebecca Spit on Quadra Island, moving slowly southbound. Leaving the scene.
Fabien Minfray, Campbell River Whale Watching.
April 18:
3:59 pm: Transients at Hein Bank in Juan de Fuca Strait. No more details yet.
Josh McInnes, Victoria.
April 18:
Sad news. There is a report of a deceased Killer Whale which has washed up on the the shore near Fort Bragg California. Looks like it is an Offshore Killer Whale.
Josh McInnes, Victoria.
April 17:
7:55 am There are about 6 Orca and a sea lion off Lund heading towards the Raggeds (local name for the Copeland Islands).
8:30 am The Orca were jumping out of the water and landing on the poor sea lion. I bet it hurts!! I think they’re teaching the young ones. There’s one big male for sure.
9:50 am They just off Mace Point, Savary Island looking like they’re about to head towards Powell River. (Photos included here were missed in the previous update, so we’ve included the report as well – SM)
Gordie Coles, Lund / Savary Island
April 17: (rec’d 18th)
One of our volunteers Maggie LeBanc through Camosun College Environmental Technology in Victoria BC was out with a group of Transients this morning. We got a call at 8:45 am of Transient Bigg’s Killer Whales between the Inner Harbour Victoria and Trial Island, slowly heading east. We were able to ID the whales as the T065A’s, T075Bs, T075C. The other day Candace Emmons with NOAA Fisheries noticed a new calf in the T075B’s/T075C. This calf was associating with both females throughout the encounter. Today, the calf spent the majority of the time with T075B. We are confident this calf belongs to T075B, making it T075B2!
Josh McInnes, Victoria.
Transient Bigg’s KWs – T002C’s & T023’s
April 25, 2014 – 5 PHOTOS
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
UNIDENTIFIED KILLER WHALES
Most are likely Transient Bigg’s
April 24:
7:50 am: 4 – 5 Orca northbound in front of Powell River, Sunshine Coast.
Liz Douglas, Powell River
April 24:
8:00 am: Three Killer Whales swam by Marine Avenue in Powell River heading north at 8:00 am this morning. Photos below.
Michelle Pennell.
April 24:
8:20 am: 3-5 Orca close to shore, still moving northbound past the Ferry Terminal in Powell River.
Geri Kinrade, Powell River.
April 24:
8:43 am: A family of Orca heading south around Penticton Street now, close to Grief Point at Powell River. It looks like 5, 1 male at back, possible juvenile, possible smaller and a couple of females.
Janet Southcott, Powell River.
April 24:
8:43 am At the same time as the above report came in, I heard that there were Orca on the hunt in by the Powell River Mill sorting yard.
Radio
April 24:
10:33 am 8 Orca including one tiny calf and one big male southbound and moving quickly by Myrtle Rocks, just south of Powell River proper.
Jim Southern, Powell River.
April 23:
11:00 am: Several Orca were sighted on the Inside Channel/north side of the Trail Islands, by Sechelt.It was my wife Karen who saw them from Wakefield beach. She said she could identify 3, maybe 4 and possibly a young one. It was rough that day, but they were tucked beside the north most Trail Island and were surfacing regularly (not breaching ). She said she lost sight of them as they headed towards Halfmoon Bay, but then they turned and came back. She lost sight again in the wave action and figured they headed north.
Dave & Karen Heskin, Sechelt area
Orca by Powell River
April 24, 2015 – 4 PHOTOS
Michelle Pennell
April 23:
11:30 am: We spotted 2 Orca, feeding and hunting just north of the Trail Islands, they were in view for about twenty minutes as they made their way towards Sergeants Bay. One of the Orca had a very large fin.
Judy Marusiak, West Sechelt.
April 22:
7:00 am: I saw a few Orca, possibly 4 or 5. One or two go down, another couple pop up, you look back and see the first two again and think are those the same ones…hard to count for sure. 1.5 miles north east of Entrance Island yesterday, heading west, I think. I saw them on two separate flights, one at 7:00 am and again at 8:30 am.
Michael Grattan, Pilot for Harbour Air.
April 21:
8:30 am: Orca in Dodd Narrows between Gabriola Island and Vancouver Island, southbound. At least three including a calf. They were by Gabriola Island first and then moved through the Narrows.Check out the video:
Chad Giesbrecht, Gabriola Island
April 21:
1:00 pm: I wanted to report a sighting of a pod of Orca between Hernando Island and the southern tip of Cortez Island. It looked like about ten adults, feeding (and/or leaping and splashing) in one area for at least 30 minutes, then heading south towards Vancouver Island.
Sarah.
April 20:
3:44 pm: Orca off Sliammon Village, between Powell River and Lund, by Atrevida Reef. About 8 – 10 of them no direction visible.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins B.C.
April 19:
1:48 pm: Orca off Powell River sea walk slowly Southbound.
2:00 pm About ten Orca just southbound by Grief Point, Powell River. I even had to borrow binoculars since the car and boat was about 2 km away and I was walking! I did see at least one big male and they moved as if they were on the hunt. Most likely Transient Bigg’s.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins B.C.
April 19:
4:35 pm: Have a solid report from my friend of Killer Whales southbound past Refuge Cove, West Redonda Island, right now. No numbers or ID’s yet.
4:55 pm: He is with two females and two young Orca, and across on the Cortez Island shoreline there is another big group with one big male in the bunch.
Nick Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions.
April 19:
6:54 pm: Three Orca heading north in Active Pass, between Mayne Island and Galiano Island.
Josh McInnes, Victoria.
Transient Bigg’s Orca
April 25, 2015 – 5 PHOTOS
Jos Krijnen, Eagle Eye Adventures
SOUTHERN RESIDENT KILLER WHALES
April 21:
3:30 pm: The Southern Resident Killer whales J-pod off the west side of San Juan Island.
Josh McInnes, Victoria.
April 19:
3:00 pm: Southern Resident Killer Whales J pod heard on the Lime Kiln hydrophone. (Lime Kiln hydrophone is located at Lime Kiln State Park on San Juan Island.)
Josh McInnes, Victoria.
GREY WHALES
April 25:
We followed the coast and found three juvenile Grey Whales foraging just 200 yards off shore. Watched them for a while and then a huge bull came right over near the tour boat and gave us a great show.
Lynne Cracknell, Sayward
PACIFIC WHITE SIDED DOLPHINS
April 22:
9:43 am: A couple of hundred Pacific White Sided Dolphin between Fawn Bluff and Clipper Point in Bute Inlet.
Geord Dunstan, Discovery Marine Safaris.
April 20:
2:23 pm: Large pod of Pacific White Sided Dolphins in Knox Bay, West Thurlow Island.
Fabien Minfray, Campbell River Whale Watching.
April 20:
2:51 pm: 25 Pacific White Sided Dolphins in Elk Bay, just north of Campbell River on Vancouver Island.
Leif Nordman, Campbell River Whale Watching.
April 18:
4:36 pm: 6 Pacific White Sided Dolphins at Whiterock Passage, which leads NE from Hoskyn Channel to Calm Channel.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours.
DALL’S PORPOISE
April 19:
4:00 pm: I paddled around Harwood Island today with Claudia Boelcke, Janet May and Lot Spartham and when we were about one third of the way back to Gibson’s Beach from the Island, Claudia spotted four or five Dall’s Porpoise. At the time I took these pictures we were not sure what they were but they definitely had the white spot on he top of the dorsal fin. We did not see the white on the body. They didn’t stay long as sea kayaks don’t have bow waves. I only saw three but Claudia is sure there were four or five. The group split in two directions after it had come up in front of us a few times. The kayaker in the foreground of the photo is Claudia Boelcke, who saw them first.
Heather Harbord, Powell River.
(There were Orca in the same area earlier, presumably chasing the Dall’s. S.M.)
April 18:
11:20 am: A few Dall’s Porpoise at Orange Point, near Campbell River on Vancouver Island.
Fabien Minfray, Campbell River Whale Watching.
Dall’s Porpoise off Harwood Island
April 19, 2015
Heather Harbord, Powell River
HARBOUR PORPOISE
April 24:
(no time given) Around 15 Harbour Porpoise all feeding together off Crescent Bay, Texada Island.
Micheline Macauley, Texada Island
April 18:
3:53 pm: 4 Harbour Porpoise at the mouth of Bute Inlet.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours.
LINKS
Biologists with Fisheries and Oceans Canada are planning to dissect the body of a young Grey Whales that washed up on Wickaninish Beach near Tofino, Vancouver Island, this week:
Large numbers of Transient Bigg’s Orca appearing off Vancouver Island:
Removing Humpback Whales from the endangered list would ease the way for increased offshore drilling:
2015 Summer Fundraising Raffle:
ALL PRIZES ARE FOR TWO PEOPLE EACH
Early Bird Draw June 21, 2015:
1. Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours PLUS Large Print of Award Winning Photo as seen on the cover of BC Magazine Fall 2014
2. Stubbs Island Whale Watching Tour PLUS return BC Ferries Pass including car
3. Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions Tour
Final Draw July 26, 2015 at Powell River SeaFair:
1. Pacific Coastal Return Flight to/from Vancouver – Comox or Powell River PLUSVancouver Whale Watch Tour
-
Campbell River Whale Watching Tour PLUS 2 Nights Accommodation
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Discovery Marine Safaris Tour
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Eagle Eye Adventure Tour
Full 2015 Summer Raffle Details available at: https://whalesanddolphinsbc.com/events-and-raffles-2/2015-raffle/
Have you seen a whale, dolphin or porpoise?
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We are the non-profit Wild Ocean Whale Society
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