A WOW moment to hear that a Sperm Whale in our inner waters again, and below the top of Vancouver Island! Dept. of Fisheries confirmed the sighting of this lone whale foraging in the Blackfish Sound area for about a week. The last DFO sighting recorded was in 1984. Sperm Whales are extremely deep divers whose favourite food tends to be Humboldt Squid, the species that are also known as giant squid. These whales have also been recorded removing Halibut off commercial fishing gear.
Our reports include two Humpback Whales spotted while Orca in pods of varying sizes are spread around the inside waters with no confirmation as to who they might be, or even if they are Transient Bigg’s or Resident Orca. There were no clear reports of them hunting, so could be either species of Orca.
Pacific White Sided Dolphins too have been back and forth foraging in groups up to as many as around 200 all throughout the Gerogia Strait and into the inlets above.
Susan MacKay, Wild Ocean Whale Society
Cover Image:
Flashback of a close knit family of Killer Whales
Society News & Events
Mark Your Calendars:
Our Earth Week Buffet Event is scheduled for April 26, 2018 at McKinney’s Pub in the Historic Powell River Townsite. Tickets are $25 each with limited seating. More to follow in our next update.
Real Time Monitoring Station Live Update:
Our live camera feed is at YouTube Channel Live Link. Work continues on a resolution for the transmission problems causing the intermittent bouncy images from the Beach Gardens Marina camera. Our second (backup) live stream mounted in Powell River appears when the Beach Gardens camera is down. We appreciate your patience.
Thank You to all our hardworking volunteers and contributors!
Our team of online Volunteers continue to do a great job in making sure all your sightings reports are mapped and published regularly. Would you like to join us? Updated Job Postings are in the works for 2018, so stay tuned.
Review our current Volunteer Job Postings
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ISSUE SIGHTINGS MAP 2018-004
NORTHERN RESIDENT KILLER WHALES
SPECIES SUPPLEMENT
Northern Resident Killer Whales
Northern Resident Killer Whale, A38 or Blackberry, in Nodales Channel, whom is believed to be deceased
Wed, 21 Feb 2018 – 1 items
SPECIES SUPPLEMENT
Northern Resident Killer Whales
Northern Resident Killer Whale, A38 or Blackberry, in Nodales Channel, whom is believed to be deceased
Wed, 21 Feb 2018 – 1 items
UNIDENTIFIED KILLER WHALES
Fri Feb 16 2018
14:38 • 6 Orca heading south at Whirlpool Rapids in Wellbore Channel. Two with big fins, one calf.
Wed Feb 14 2018
13:30 • 4-5 Orca heading south close to the shoreline of Sheer Point, Read Island, Hoskyn Channel.
Tue Feb 13 2018
16:49 • est. 3-4 Orca heading south off Discovery Harbour Marina, Campbell River, Discovery Passage. Maybe more. ▫ From Ferry
12:27 • 8-9 Orca moving quickly, heading south fast towards Coho / Kiddie Point at the NW tip of Texada Island, Malaspina Strait. Disappeared from my sight – went on the west side of Texada Island super fast. Includes two big dudes.
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
09:35 • Orca heading east at Walkem Islands, Johnstone Strait. Along with more PWS Dolphins.
07:42 • 5 Orca heading east off Vansittart Point on the shore of West Thurlow Island, Johnstone Strait. One Orca with big fin. Following at least 100 PWS dolphins.
Mon Feb 12 2018
11:34 • 5-6 Orca heading south mid channel near Okisollo Channel, Discovery Passage.
11:06 • 6 Orca heading north along the shoreline of Sonora Island, Calm Channel.
Sun Feb 11 2018
09:30 • est. 12 Orca between Lund and Savary Island, Malaspina Strait.
Eric Green, Powell River CCG
Sat Feb 10 2018
14:45 • 12 Orca heading north past Hole in the Wall, Okisollo Channel.
12:49 • 5 Orca playing, west side of Dunsterville Islet, Hoskyn Channel. Young Orca.
Fri Feb 09 2018
13:16 • Orca heading north just past the Powell River Ferry Terminal, Malaspina Strait.
Barry Rice, Powell River, BC
11:20 • 5-6 Orca travelling, heading north near Black (Albion) Point south of Powell River, Malaspina Strait. Travelling quickly so observation time was short. One male, females and one young. ▫ Observed from Shore
Liz Kennedy, Powell River, BC
07:25 • 3 Orca near the shore at Mayne Point heading towards Johnstone Strait, Mayne Passage. One male, one female and one calf.
Tue Feb 06 2018
16:58 • est. 10-12 Orca moving quickly, heading north out of Sechelt Inlet. In three groups. Jumping out of water, lots of blowing. AMAZING.
Jen Stackhouse, Backeddy Resort and Marina, Egmont
Fri Feb 09 2018
12:43 • 2 Humpback Whales heading west abeam Port Neville, Johnstone Strait.
SPECIES SUPPLEMENT
Humpback Whales
Humpback Whales along the coast in the summer
Wed, 21 Feb 2018 – 3 items
SPECIES SUPPLEMENT
Humpback Whales
Humpback Whales along the coast in the summer
Wed, 21 Feb 2018 – 3 items
Mon Feb 12 2018
–:– • 1 Sperm Whales foraging, top of Broughton Strait.
PACIFIC WHITE SIDED DOLPHINS
Mon Feb 19 2018
12:30 • PWS Dolphins heading north in Georgia Strait. A medium-large pod heading towards Vancouver Island. They were observed from Crescent Bay on Texada Island.
Micheline Macauley, Texada Island, BC
Fri Feb 16 2018
16:26 • PWS Dolphins heading south at Gibsons Beach just north of Powell River Mill (Pulp & Paper), Malaspina Strait. Report is of a small group. ▫ Second Hand
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
SIGHTING MEDIA
Pacific White Sided Dolphins
Pacific White Sided Dolphins heading south off of Gibsons Beach
Fri, 16 Feb 2018 – 4 items
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
SIGHTING MEDIA
Pacific White Sided Dolphins
Pacific White Sided Dolphins heading south off of Gibsons Beach
Fri, 16 Feb 2018 – 4 items
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
Wed Feb 14 2018
08:15 • est. 15 PWS Dolphins foraging, at Yorke Island, Johnstone Strait.
Tue Feb 13 2018
12:45 • PWS Dolphins heading south mid channel north end of We Wai Kai Village, Cape Mudge, Discovery Passage. With the tide.
12:17 • est. 50 PWS Dolphins mid channel, off mouth of Campbell River, Discovery Passage.
09:35 • PWS Dolphins heading east at Walkem Islands, Johnstone Strait. Along with Orcas.
09:30 • PWS Dolphins heading east off Chatham Point, Discovery Passage.
07:42 • est. 100+ PWS Dolphins heading east off Vansittart Point on the shore of West Thurlow Island, Johnstone Strait. Followed by 5 Orca.
07:24 • est. 50 PWS Dolphins moving quickly, heading east mid channel off Bear Bight, Johnstone Strait. Eastbound in a hurry.
07:00 • est. 2 PWS Dolphins foraging, off Saturna Island in Lyall Harbour. Watched for about an hour.
Linda Jackson, Victoria, BC
Sun Feb 11 2018
17:32 • est. 200 PWS Dolphins out from Powell River Viewpoint, Malaspina Strait. ▫ Second Hand
Judy Brant, Powell River, BC
17:19 • est. 200 PWS Dolphins foraging, between Powell River Viewpoint and Rebecca Rocks, Malaspina Strait.
Barry Rice, Powell River, BC
16:07 • PWS Dolphins near Blubber Bay, Malaspina Strait. Wish they would come closer.
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
13:09 • PWS Dolphins centre strait out from the Powell River Mill (Pulp & Paper), Malaspina Strait. Large group going back and forth.
Barry Rice, Powell River, BC
12:36 • est. 200 PWS Dolphins observed off Harwood Island Spit, Malaspina Strait. Looks like the dolphins have split up. Some heading towards Rebecca Rocks.
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
SIGHTING MEDIA
Pacific White Sided Dolphins
Pacific White Sided Dolphin off of Harwood Spit Island
Sun, 11 Feb 2018 – 4 items
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
SIGHTING MEDIA
Pacific White Sided Dolphins
Pacific White Sided Dolphin off of Harwood Spit Island
Sun, 11 Feb 2018 – 4 items
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
10:45 • PWS Dolphins heading north just north of Harwood Island Spit. Big group came by.
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
Tue Feb 06 2018
14:01 • PWS Dolphins between Rebecca Rocks and Blubber Bay, Malaspina Strait. More dolphins … might be quite a few.
12:57 • PWS Dolphins heading north out from Powell River Viewpoint, Malaspina Strait. Small group.
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
NEW! WOWs Sightings Archive Explorer
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Archive Explorer takes readers into the Cetacean world of the BC Coast. Easily view all Cetacean sighting reports together with all sighting photos and videos:
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• Check-Out “KC”, the ever popular Humphack and track his whereabouts this past August
• Goto one of 12,000 named locations on the BC and WA State coast
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