Returning Humpbacks, Southern Resident and Transient Bigg’s Orca, Dolphins and Porpoise
Whales have made many appearances including J-Pod, the Southern Resident Killer Whales who seldom come up this far in Georgia Strait. The Transient Bigg’s Orca, meat eaters, have been popping up and making quite a splash – literally. While looking at/for Killer Whales, amazingly two Humpback Whales appeared. Quite a surprise. We also have Pacific White Sided Dolphins, Dall’s Porpoise and a few of the shy Harbour Porpoise in our report today.
Society workings:Much is going on behind the scenes….any volunteers available for some computer work? We have Mapping software to post that works with lack of people for inputting data. The work on the live web camera / hydrophone systems installations is slowly progressing, but it is slower than hoped for. Our Fundraising efforts have taken priority and based on the projected costs, it has to be, or we may fall short to complete our efforts. Further updates on the state of finances will be coming, but for now, please remember we are all volunteers without any compensation for our efforts. Any Donation, or using the Donate button for ordering our 2015 Fundraising Raffle tickets, with great potential rewards for you, is hugely appreciated. Enough begging; on with the report.
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
2015 Summer Fundraising Raffle:
Get your tickets in time for our EARLY BIRD DRAW! – June 21, 2015
see2015 Summer Rafflefor full details – Tickets only $5 each.
TRANSIENT BIGG’S KILLER WHALES
Transient Bigg’s Orca
June 1, 2015 – 2 photos
Nick Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions
June 2:
10:15 am: 4-5 Orca off Grief Point, near Powell River, seem to be feeding as they aren’t moving far. Spy hops from the big male.
11:15 am: Update on Grief Point Orca. They are now moving very slowly southbound and were last seen between Beach Gardens and Grief Point, Powell River.
John and Joan Treen, Powell River
June 2:
11:05 am: Three or four Orca slowly heading south past Myrtle Rocks, Powell River. One large, one or two medium and one very small. Difficult to see due to bad visibility today. They didn’t hang around on the surface much possibly because of a tug and three barges following along behind.
Holly Roy, Traffe Road, Powell River
June 2:
11:45 am: At least five Transient Bigg’s Orca southbound past Myrtle Rocks, Powell River. There are two or three big males, two of them surfaced side by side, and a mom and calf in the group.
Jim Southern, Powell River.
June 2:
12:40 pm: Transient Bigg’s Orca between Pender and Stuart Islands headed northeast, 40 minutes ago.
Josh McInnes, Victoria.
June 2:
12:52 pm: Group of Orca southbound off Chatham Point, which is at the junction of Discovery Passage and Johnstone Strait.
Leif Nordman, Campbell River Whale Watching.
Jos Krijnen, Eagle Eye Adventures.
Nick Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions.
June 2:
1:45 pm: Orca slowly southbound by Elk Bay, just north of Campbell River on Vancouver Island. Looks like five Orca. One male, one female, one calf and a couple of juveniles.
2:35 pm: The five Orca are southbound tight to the Vancouver Island side, approaching McMullen point, traveling at 4 knots.
Leif Nordman, Campbell River Whale Watching.
June 2:
5:06 pm: Transient Bigg’s Orca now ID’d as T49A’s last seen at Race Point, southbound. Leaving the scene.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours.
June 1:
7:55 am: Three Orca at Plunger Pass, Cortez Island, circling.
Jack Springer, Campbell River Whale Watching.
June 1:
9:18 am: Transient Bigg’s Orca found at Marina Reef, one mile south of Marina Island on the southwest side of Cortes Island.
9:54 am: They are the Transient Bigg’s T002C’s at the Marina reef marker finishing a kill.
10:22 am: Leaving the scene after the kill. The Transient Bigg’s Orca now circling inside Marina reef after successfully killing a Harbour Porpoise. Mario is on the scene now.
2:55 pm: Leaving Transient Bigg’s T002C’s now. Again! They are not in the middle, they are along Cortez Reef heading into Baker Passage now, aiming over toward Spilsbury Point on Hernando island.
Nick Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions.
June 1:
12:37 pm: Leaving Transient Bigg’s Orca with Garry just south of Marina Island.
Jerry, Eagle Eye Adventures.
June 1:
12:46 pm: Left Transient Bigg’s Orca angling towards the Marina Island red marker buoy.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours.
Transient Bigg’s Orca
June 1, 2015 – 3 photos
Nick Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions
June 1:
2:34 pm: Orca now halfway between Cape Mudge red can buoy and the south tip of Cortez Island.
Fabien Minfray, Campbell River Whale Watching.
June 1:
3:00 pm: Transient Bigg’s Orca known as T060’s at Constance Bank in Juan de Fuca Strait heading west.
5:19 pm: Another two unknown Transients heading east of the Trial Islands Ecological Reserve in Juan de Fuca Strait.
Josh McInnes, Victoria.
May 31:
9:25 am: Transient Bigg’s Orca T090’s and T101’s two miles off Tofino, on the west coast of Vancouver Island.
Rare sighting of Transient Bigg’s Orca T125, T125A, T127, T128 off Vashon island in Puget Sound.
Josh McInnes, Victoria.
May 30:
1:07 pm: 7 – 9 Orca outbound from Bamfield to Cape Beale on the south west coast of Vancouver Island right now. Will forward pictures later on.
Josh McInnes, Victoria.
May 30:
2:34 pm: Transient Bigg’s Orca T124C is on his own at the moment on the west side of Sisters Islets, off the coast of Lasquetti Island in NW Georgia Strait.
3:48 pm: Transient Bigg’s Orca T124C is southbound and still on his own just off Sisters Islets.
Gary Sutton,"Orca Maru".
May 30:
3:51 pm: Just got word of Killer Whales off the Discovery Pier in Campbell River, northbound.
Geord Dunstan, Discovery Marine Safaris.
May 30:
4:25 pm: Lone bull Orca close to April Point on Quadra island, not quite to Copper Bluffs as yet.
Report from vessel "Sunderland Chief."
May 30:
6:45 pm: What a treat to watch a group of between 8 and 12 Orca travel through Discovery Passage this evening! Viewed from Tyee Spit in Campbell River at approximately 6:45 pm, they traveled north, breaching, tail and pectoral slapping, and spy hopping for a good stretch of time and distance. Wonderful!
Tara Bladon, Campbell River.
May 30:
6:31 pm: We are out across from the Anchor Inn in Campbell River, northbound in Discovery Passage with Orca.
6:42 pm: I have Transient Bigg’s T101/102 and T002C’s – about ten Orca all together northbound off the Ferry dock in Campbell River.
Nick Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions.
May 30:
6:45 pm: Five Orca including one big male with very straight dorsal and a tiny calf northbound up Discovery Passage across from Cape Mudge lighthouse on Quadra Island.
Jeannie, Campbell River.
May 30:
8:30 pm Columbia 3 left the Transient Bigg’s Orca at Brown’s Bay, just north of Campbell River, still more or less northbound. They had some Pacific White Sided Dolphins too, but no excited attacks.
May 28:
2:00 pm: Three Orca heading northeast in Oak Bay Marina off Victoria.
8:27 pm: Orca identified as Transient Bigg’s Orca T124C and T077A. T074 and two other males and one female off Tofino today were last sighted off Warren Bay. That is their last known location as of 8:00 pm. They made two kills today, a Harbour Seal and a Harbour Porpoise.
Josh McInnes, Victoria.
May 27:
Two groups of Transient Bigg’s Orca in Tofino Harbour earlier today.
Rec’d May 28: The male Transient Bigg’s Orca off Tofino yesterday was T074. Also Transient Bigg’s T073, T073D, T074.
Josh McInnes, Victoria.
Transient Bigg’s Orca
May 30, 2015 – 5 photos
Tara Bladon, Campbell River
UNIDENTIFIED KILLER WHALES
May 31:
11:15 am: Orca eastbound off Sooke, Vancouver Island.
12:18 pm: Report just came in of a dead Orca 5 miles off the Leonard Lighthouse in Tofino.
Josh McInnes, Victoria.
May 31:
12:09 pm: Five Orca 2 miles south of Ballenas Islands in the Strait of Georgia.
Cedric Towers, Vancouver Whale Watch.
May 31:
3:56 pm: Eight plus Killer Whales just left the log sort area in Kelsey Bay, northbound in Johnstone Strait. Report from vessel "Night Drifter."
Nick Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions.
May 28:
3:15 pm: Report of an Orca or Humpback off Sentry Shoal on the NW side of Montgomery Bank in the Strait of Georgia, one hour ago, northbound.
Aaron Webber, Campbell River Whale Watching.
May 26:
Saw a huge pod of maybe 30-40 killer whales yesterday afternoon (May26) off Bates beach north of Comox. Many big bulls mixed together with cows and calfs. There is lots of springs salmon around, or there was! So it looked like they were feeding, diving deep and working in large circles.
Chris, Crabby’s Fishing Charters
May 26:
3:15 pm: On the ferry from Comox to Powell River yesterday the Captain announced Orca to starboard when we were maybe 15 minutes out of Comox. By the time I saw them they were port side.
Deirdre Follett, Powell River.
SOUTHERN RESIDENT KILLER WHALES
Southern Resident Killer Whales – J-Pod
May 30, 2015 – J50
Jos Krijnen, Eagle Eye Adventures.
SRKW photo sent in by text for ID
May 30, 2015 – J17
Jos Krijnen, Eagle Eye Adventures.
June 2:
12:36 pm: Southern Resident Killer Whales J pod came through Active Pass last night and could be anywhere in the Strait now.
Cedric Towers, Vancouver Whale Watch.
June 1:
9:15 pm: Southern Resident Killer Whales L pod were off Tofino this afternoon, heading east, two miles off Long Beach. Just going through the ID’s.
Josh McInnes, Victoria.
May 31:
3:56 pm: Southbound off Point Grey with SRKW’s J pod.
Cedric Towers, Vancouver Whale Watch.
May 30:
1:45 pm Radio called in to Susan MacKay from vessel "Orca Maru" to say that SRKW’s J pod was off the mouth of the Fraser River yesterday, possibly heading up the Strait. They called from the bottom of Lasqueti Island. Found out who it was:
Gary Sutton, ‘Orca Maru’
May 30:
2:41 pm: Orca off Texada Island near Powell River. Couldn’t help but notice the two breaching whales 🙂 Possibly Southern Resident Killer Whales J pod?
2:47 pm: There are at least six Orca as far as I can see, foraging.
3:21 pm: The Orca are now angling towards the gap between Harwood Island and Vivian Island. There are at least 3 big males, with the smaller animal bringing up the rear. Sounds more like Transient Bigg’s Orca T02C’s style.
3:34 pm: The main group are now out of sight around the tip of Harwood Island. As I continued to watch, I spotted a large Humpback Whale fluke as it dove, also heading Northwest.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins B.C.
May 30:
4:18 pm: One group of Orca off Vivian island and there’s a larger group off towards Comox on Vancouver Island.
4:22 pm: Figure 8 – 10 Orca total, all pointing towards Vancouver Island way and heading slowly northwest.
4:36 pm: (Southern Resident Killer Whales J-pod confirmed from photo Jos sent. S.M)
4:56 pm: SRKW’s J pod still heading northwest just west of Grant’s reef, off Savary Island.
5:09 pm: Orca really spread out widely between Mitlenatch Island and Comox. (There are 27 members total in J pod with the new babies, so the rest may be out here too.- SM) They are really spread out over a five mile radius and Orca everywhere, as well as a Humpback.
5:21 pm: Very cool to be able to see SRKW J50 and his Mom! Leaving now, everyone still north west bound.
Jos Krijnen, Eagle Eye Adventures.
HUMPBACK WHALES
Humpback Whale ‘Zed’ BCX0380
May 30, 2015 – 2 photos
plus 1 photo of ‘Arial’ BCY0767
Nick Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions.
June 2:
Morning: Humpback whale blows at the bottom of Grenville Channel, which is located between Pitt Island and the mainland, south of Prince Rupert in the Inside Passage.
Randy Hodge.
June 2:
12:40 pm: Humpback whale at Tilly Point, at the SE entrance to to Bedwell Harbour and Swanson Channel.
Josh McInnes, Victoria.
May 30:
3:35 pm As I continued to watch for more of J-Pod, I spotted a large Humpback Whale fluke as it dove, also heading Northwest.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins B.C.
May 30:
8:00 pm: Two Humpback whales by Mitlenatch Island, Georgia Strait, westing. (from photo Nick texted ID confirmed as the Humpback we had during Powell River SeaFair last Summer known as ‘Zed’ – SM)
8:05 pm: Leaving Humpback whale known as "Zed" and companion foraging along the west side of Mitlenatch island.
Nick Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions.
May 29:
11:38 am: Report of a Humpback whale at Turn Island, which is about one mile south of East Thurlow Island in Discovery Passage.
3:11 pm: Radio report of a Humpback whale at Willow Point, just south of Campbell River.
3:48 pm: On scene with Humpback at Cape Mudge lighthouse, Quadra Island, northbound.
4:12 pm: Leaving the scene at Cape Mudge Village northbound on the Quadra island side. The Humpback is taking ten minute dives.
Fabien Minfray, Campbell River Whale Watching.
May 29:
3:20 pm: Humpback whale at Cape Mudge on Quadra Island, northbound.
Jack Springer, Campbell River Whale Watching.
May 29:
4:44 pm: Humpback now at Whiskey Point on Quadra island northbound traveling at 3.5 knots about 150 meters off shore.
Leigh Nelson, Adventure Quest Tours
Humpback Whale – ‘Arial’ BCY0767
May 29, 2015 – 2 photos
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
PACIFIC WHITE SIDED DOLPHINS
June 2:
4:00 pm: Large group of Pacific White Sided Dolphins spread out from Jimmy Judd Island to Horn Point, near Dent Rapids.
Leigh Nelson, AdventureQuest Tours relayed by
Nick Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions.
June 1:
3:15 pm: 150 Pacific White Sided Dolphin at Thurlow Point in Nodales channel, westing.
Leif Nordman, Campbell River Whale Watching.
May 31:
9:16 am: Pacific White Sided Dolphins in Sutil Channel angling towards Rebecca Spit on Quadra Island.
(from radio)
May 31:
10:10 am: One dozen Pacific White Sided Dolphins off Henrietta Bluff in Bute Inlet, mid channel.
John Lewis, Discovery Marine Safaris.
May 31:
10:38 am: About 150 Pacific White Sided Dolphins between Lauren’s Point and Henrietta Point, in Bute Inlet.
Jos Krijnen, Eagle Eye Adventures.
May 31:
1:12 pm: 4 Pacific White Sided Dolphins in front of Campbell River.
3:35 pm: 100 Pacific White Sided Dolphins at Lawrence Point in Bute Inlet.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours.
May 31:
4:42 pm: Leaving the Pacific White Sided Dolphins between Lawrence Point and Estero Bay, Bute Inlet.
Jen Furst, Campbell River Whale Watching.
May 30:
10:44 am: Sounds like there are about 25 Pacific White Sided Dolphins foraging at McMullen Point, near Seymour Narrows, report from Jos.
1:47 pm: 40 Pacific White Sided Dolphins milling at Moh Creek in Bute Inlet.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours.
May 28:
2:00 pm: Four Pacific White Sided Dolphins at Hall Point, at the entrance to Nodales Channel
Leif Nordman, Campbell River Whale Watching.
May 27:
4:51 pm: Six Pacific White Sided Dolphins easting by Brown’s Bay, just north of Campbell River, easting along the Vancouver Island shoreline.
John Lewis, Discovery Marine Safaris.
May 27:
5:28 pm: Six Pacific White Sided Dolphins mid channel at Seymour Narrows, easting.
Leigh Nelson, Adventure Quest Tours.
DALL’S PORPOISE
June 1:
3:02 pm: Thirty or more Dall’s Porpoise spread out and feeding at Horn Point, near Dent Rapids.
Leif Nordman, Campbell River Whale Watching.
May 29:
1:47 pm: Four Dall’s Porpoise at Chatham Point, junction of Discovery Passage and Johnstone Strait.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
May 29:
1:48 pm: About a dozen Dall’s Porpoise at Erasmus Island in Cordero Channel.
Fabien Minfray, Campbell River Whale Watching.
May 28:
11:21 am: 10 Dall’s Porpoise at the mouth of Bute Inlet.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours.
May 28:
4:30 pm: One lone Porpoise just before Greene Point Rapids, between Cordero Islands and West Thurlow Island
Randy.
May 27:
2:49 pm: Three Dall’s Porpoise off Hall Point, entrance to Nodales Channel, feeding.
John Lewis, Discovery Marine Safaris.
HARBOUR PORPOISE
June 2:
4:48 pm: Harbour porpoise at Becher Bay, near East Sooke on Vancouver Island
Josh McInnes, Victoria.
May 29:
1:47 pm: Two Harbour Porpoise at Chatham Point, at the junction of Johnstone Strait and Discovery Passage.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
LINKS
Whale watchers on the West Coast are celebrating the confirmed sighting of a fourth killer whale calf born to the endangered southern resident population this year.
Please note that L121 is NOT a new birth, but was born and reported on in February as the 3rd birth in the Southern Resident Killer Whale population.
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society say Canada is not adequately protecting it’s
marine ecosystems:
Rare drone footage of twin Grey Whale calves!
Dead and dying wildlife continue to wash ashore two weeks after the May 19 oil spill in California:
2015 Summer Fundraising Raffle:
Get your tickets in time for our EARLY BIRD DRAW! – June 21, 2015
Have you seen a whale, dolphin or porpoise?
Every sighting report is valuable!
We are the non-profit Wild Ocean Whale Society
For our DONATE page click here
