Bigg’s Orca, Humpback and Grey Whales, Dolphins and Porpoise

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20:13 • 4 Bigg`s Orca hunting, heading South in front of Powell River in Malaspina Strait. ?T087 with T086A’s? They had been active ( getting a sea lion I figure) and then really mellowed out and just milled around. The sun went behind the clouds as I was heading out but still took a bunch of shots. Just for 15 mins. Ended up shutting motors off and they were at the surface a lot. The male slapped his tale once. The make looks like that same one from a couple weeks ago. Was it T087? And a female with a really small one. This one had a white eye patch but no saddle I think. Stuck with mom the whole time and there was another juvenile or female too with a good notch in the trailer edge of dorsal.

17:20 • 4 Bigg`s Orca breaching, out from the viewpoint in Powell River. I was out on my deck with no phone, but spotted the Orca and managed some photos. They’re quite a ways out. ▫ Observed from Shore

17:12 • 4 Bigg`s Orca heading South in front of Powell River. ?T087 with T086A’s? ID’s from photos submitted – T86A1 is missing from the pod – SM. ▫ On Scene

12:31 • 1 Bigg`s Orca off Powell River. ?T087? Only saw one Orca. He was in a big hurry. ▫ Observed from Shore

17:48 • PWS Dolphins off the viewpoint in Powell River. ▫ Observed from Shore

10:44 • 2-3 PWS Dolphins heading North by the Van Anda Cove shore of Texada Isl. angling towards Blubber Bay in Malaspina Strait. ▫ Observed from Shore

16:14 • PWS Dolphins heading South already by Myrtle Rocks in Malaspina Strait. ▫ Observed from Shore

16:00 • 20 PWS Dolphins heading South quickly off Grief Point, Powell River in Malaspina Strait. ▫ Observed from Shore

18:00 • 10-13 PWS Dolphins turned, heading North in front of Powell River close to viewpoint in Malaspina Strait. ▫ Observed from Shore

REGIONAL & WEST COAST

Each summer, around 200 whales decide that Oregon is the place to be, and rather than go back to Alaska for the summer, they stop in Oregon and hang out until it’s time to return to Mexico.

So how do summer residents pass the time while they’re here? They get frisky. And at 50 feet long, these cetaceans make a big splash.

"They have sex just for the fun of it," says gray whale researcher and whale-watching guide Carrie Newell, based in Depoe Bay. She takes tour boats of whale watchers into Oregon coast waters throughout the year.

There have been 10 births in the last year. Nine calves are surviving, swimming alongside their mothers and aunts. For the southern residents, it’s the biggest baby boom since the 1970s.

Could this mark a turnaround in the health of the orca population? Does it mean conservation efforts are finally paying off?

"What it means," Balcomb said, "is there are nine more mouths to feed and no more fish." He says it will be a miracle if all these babies survive until the summer of 2017.

Last year, Soundwatch counted 1,635 infractions during 393 hours of observation during peak whale-watching season, from May to September. Canadian commercial operators were responsible for 19 percent of the incidents, and US commercial operators for 11 percent. The biggest culprits, although there are also more of them: private recreational boaters, accounting for 60 percent of the breaches. The remainder involved kayakers, aircraft, and government, research, and commercial fishing vessels.

Two distinct populations spend winters in the Bering Sea, then move north as sea ice melts and open water allows them passage into the Beaufort and Chukchi seas. There they feast on Arctic cod, frequently diving to depths of 200 to 300 meters – and sometimes over 900 meters (0.5 miles) – to find food.

View this 3-part Video National Geographic documentary on the Chugath transients of Alaska who were caught up in the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill.
More than two decades after the disaster, the future is bleak for a genetically unique pod of Alaskan orcas.

Two pods of orcas were caught up directly in the spill. One, the so-called resident orcas, lost 14 of its 36 members after the spill. These fish-eating orcas still haven’t recovered. Even worse off is the "transient" pod-orcas that feed on seals and other marine mammals living in the sound. The “Chugach transients,” as they’re called, are the stars of this three part documentary.

Researchers say a third rare, predominantly tropical animal has found its way to a cold British Columbia beach this winter.

This time, the rarely seen Risso’s dolphin was found dead on a Haida Gwaii beach, far away from the warm waters where the animal is normally spotted.

CANADA

NOTE: Runs well in the CBC TV Mobile App

The 45 mins. episode chronicles the beluga of the St. Lawrence beluga whales and the scientists who have worked for decades against long odds to help them.

INTERNATIONAL

Recent expeditions off Madagascar revealed the whales devouring tiny shrimp-like creatures, as well as guzzling large mouthfuls of "dirty water”-a phenomenon scientists can’t yet explain.

Investigations led by the University of Aberdeen, in collaboration with the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme, have shown that a pod of whales stranded in Fife in 2012 had high concentrations of toxic chemicals, some of which had reached the mammals’ brains.

Ninety five dolphins, fin whales and a humpback whale were spotted during one outing by a local whale watch tour group. It is believed that global warming is attracting ever increasing numbers of attractive mammals (and rare birds) to the South West Wexford coast.

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