A few of the Transient Bigg’s Orca that had moved out a while ago seem to have gathered together. The family pods called, T002Cs, T086As, T077s, T101s and the lone T087 were all seen passing Powell River. With the sea lions grouped up to feed by the herring fishery on the Vancouver Island side of Georgia Strait, it’s little wonder the Bigg’s, meat eating Orca, are around. The Harbour Porpoise seen just after these Bigg’s appeared to be resting on the surface, as they tend do after being chased. Some Pacific White Sided Dolphins in some medium sized groups were also in the vacinity.
Last minute word on where the Northern Resident Orca, the A42s, got to was Cape Mudge, just below Campbell River. We also have other Orca reports along both sides of Georgia Strait, from Howe Sound to above Campbell River, that we dodn’t have identifications on. Rumour also has some of the Southern Resident Killer Whales at least in the lower Georgia Strait. Now where are the Humpbacks and Greys?
We also have one report of a whale, possibly a Minke in Boundary Pass. There seem to be more Minke and Fin Whales moving into Georgia Strait over the past few years. Keep your eyes open and let us know what you see!
Susan MacKay, Wild Ocean Whale Society
Cover Image:
Transient Bigg’s Killer Whales, T002Cs, T086As & T101s, in front of Powell River Mill
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
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. We will have tickets available at our information tables set up by Quality Foods March 15, 22 and 29th.
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.
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ISSUE SIGHTINGS MAP 2018-005
TRANSIENT BIGGS KILLER WHALES
Mon Mar 05 2018
14:00 • 3 Biggs Orca heading west at Edith Point at west end of East Thurlow Island, Johnstone Strait. 1 very big fin.
10:12 • est. 12 Biggs Orca ◦T077s; T086As; T087◦ spread out, heading north passing Harwood Island Spit, Malaspina Strait. Possibly same groups as other day.
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
10:10 • est. 2+ Biggs Orca ◦T077s; T087◦ heading north out from Powell River Viewpoint, Malaspina Strait. Two big males, possibly others.
Pam Futer, Powell River, BC
10:09 • 2 Biggs Orca ◦T077s; T087◦ mid strait towards Harwood Island, Malaspina Strait. Only 2 so far.
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
SIGHTING MEDIA
Transient Biggs Killer Whales
Transient Biggs Orca T086As, T077s and T087, heading north passing Harwood Island
Mon, 5 Mar 2018 – 9 items
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
SIGHTING MEDIA
Transient Biggs Killer Whales
Transient Biggs Orca T086As, T077s and T087, heading north passing Harwood Island
Mon, 5 Mar 2018 – 9 items
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
Sat Mar 03 2018
13:34 • Biggs Orca ◦T002Cs; T086As; T101s◦ heading south with last ones passing our webcam at Beach Gardens Marina below Grief Point, Malaspina Strait.
11:56 • Biggs Orca ◦T002Cs; T086As; T101s◦ spread out, in front of Powell River Mill (Pulp & Paper), Malaspina Strait.
SIGHTING MEDIA
Transient Biggs Killer Whales
Transient Bigg’s Killer Whales, T002Cs, T086As & T101s, in front of Powell River Mill
Sat, 3 Mar 2018 – 10 items
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
SIGHTING MEDIA
Transient Biggs Killer Whales
Transient Bigg’s Killer Whales, T002Cs, T086As & T101s, in front of Powell River Mill
Sat, 3 Mar 2018 – 10 items
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
10:29 • Biggs Orca tail slapping, off Atrevida Reef just north of Powell River, Malaspina Strait.
Barry Rice, Powell River, BC
09:41 • est. 10 Biggs Orca heading south past Atrevida Reef just north of Powell River. Two groups.
Pauline Decloedp, Powell River, BC
Tue Feb 27 2018
16:14 • 4-5 Biggs Orca heading east near Eagles Cove, Discovery Passage.
12:26 • 2 Biggs Orca northwest of Turn Island off East Thurlow Island, Johnstone Strait.
Mon Feb 26 2018
13:22 • Biggs Orca ◦T101s◦ between Mystery Reef and Vancouver Island, Georgia Strait. Orca split with 4-6 headed towards Savary Island/Mystery Reef, and the rest headed west towards Vancouver Island. Only managed to confirm one pod quickly.
12:25 • est. 12+ Biggs Orca ◦T101s◦ spread out, between Harwood Island and the middle of Georgia Strait. At least 4 big males northwest bound.
SIGHTING MEDIA
Transient Biggs Killer Whales
Transient Bigg’s Killer Whales between Mystery Reef and Vancouver Island
Mon, 26 Feb 2018 – 10 items
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
SIGHTING MEDIA
Transient Biggs Killer Whales
Transient Bigg’s Killer Whales between Mystery Reef and Vancouver Island
Mon, 26 Feb 2018 – 10 items
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
10:53 • Biggs Orca heading north behind the log boom off Grief Point, Powell River, Malaspina Strait.
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
09:42 • est. 5-6 Biggs Orca heading north off the gravel pits south of Van Anda, Texada Island, Malaspina Strait. Three males and a couple of calves.
Nina Falls, Powell River, BC
09:28 • 8-10 Biggs Orca moving slowly, heading north near Pocahontas Bay, Texada Island, Malaspina Strait.
Bill Taylor, Powell River, BC
NORTHERN RESIDENT KILLER WHALES
Sat Mar 03 2018
14:00 • 6 NRKW Orca ◦A42s◦ travelling; moving slowly, heading north-west and carried on into the shallows off Francisco Point from 1 mile east of Cape Mudge Green Can Buoy, Georgia Strait. One very large male and one very small calf, taking infrequent dives.
Bill Kennedy, Campbell River, BC
SIGHTING MEDIA
Northern Resident Killer Whales
Northern Resident Killer Whales, A42s, heading north-west off of Francisco Point
Sat, 3 Mar 2018 – 1 items
Jamie Farrer, Campbell River, BC,
SIGHTING MEDIA
Northern Resident Killer Whales
Northern Resident Killer Whales, A42s, heading north-west off of Francisco Point
Sat, 3 Mar 2018 – 1 items
Jamie Farrer, Campbell River, BC,
Fri Mar 02 2018
10:50 • est. 6 NRKW Orca ◦A42s◦ moving slowly, heading north off the pier, quite a ways offshore, Davis Bay, Georgia Strait. Seen also from Roberts Creek pier. May be the same Northern Resident A42 pod that has been going by lately. ▫ Observed from Shore
Karen Holland, Gibsons, BC
SIGHTING MEDIA
Northern Resident Killer Whales
Northern Resident Killer Whales heading north off of Davis Bay
Fri, 2 Mar 2018 – 2 items
Karen Holland, Gibsons, BC
SIGHTING MEDIA
Northern Resident Killer Whales
Northern Resident Killer Whales heading north off of Davis Bay
Fri, 2 Mar 2018 – 2 items
Karen Holland, Gibsons, BC
UNIDENTIFIED KILLER WHALES
Sat Mar 03 2018
14:40 • est. 6-7 Orca moving slowly, heading south mid-way between Myrtle Point and Black (Albion) Point near Powell River, Malaspina Strait. Tail lobbing. Two males in group – one very large. One calf and approx. three females. A neighbour reported they had a dolphin so they were possibly Biggs Orca. ▫ Observed from Shore
Liz Kennedy, Powell River, BC
10:00 • est. 3-5 Orca moving quickly, heading south-east mid-channel in Lambert Channel off Hornby Island, Georgia Strait. At least one male with tall fin and two females (?) with shorter dorsal fins. Did not express any interest in many sea lions present. Later (~13:00) saw same pod from Helliwell Park, far offshore (~2 km) to southeast, appeared to be feeding on herring. ▫ From Kayak or Paddleboard
Murray Helmer,
Fri Mar 02 2018
14:43 • 5 Orca between Goose Spit and Royston, Comox Harbour. In amongst the herring.
–:– • 25 Orca off Qualicum Beach, Georgia Strait.
Tue Feb 27 2018
21:30 • 4 Orca tail slapping, heading west off Sunset Marina, West Vancouver, Queen Charlotte Channel. Vocalizing above the water.
Davida LeComte, Lions Bay, BC
Mon Feb 26 2018
10:32 • Orca heading south between the Powell River Viewpoint and Harwood Island, Malaspina Strait. One big fin.
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
Sun Feb 25 2018
16:47 • 7-8 Orca off Davis Bay, Georgia Strait.
Sat Feb 24 2018
08:20 • 5-6 Orca heading south off Charles Bay, Mayne Passage.
Fri Feb 23 2018
08:00 • est. 2+ Orca heading north from Black (Albion) Point toward Powell River, Malaspina Strait. One really huge dorsal.
Nina Falls, Powell River, BC
Wed Feb 21 2018
08:15 • 3 Orca heading west off Pebble Beach between Lang Bay and Black (Albion) Point, Malaspina Strait. Two babies off Pebble Beach rocks at west end, about 5m off shore playing in the waves. Adult with very tall dorsal fin about 100m out into the strait. Animal Direction: The babies were playing and frolicking in the waves and shallow water. One baby had a good size white spot very near its dorsal fin. They were both very dark grey, not black yet. They were quite a lot larger than dolphins and with the presence of the adult close by, it was clear they were travelling together.
Julie Gregory, Powell River, BC
Sat Feb 24 2018
11:06 • 2 Humpback Whales between Hernando Island and Mitlenatch Island, Georgia Strait. Blows were observed.
PACIFIC WHITE SIDED DOLPHINS
Sat Mar 03 2018
10:29 • est. 20 PWS Dolphins heading south by Grief Point, Powell River, Malaspina Strait.
Barry Rice, Powell River, BC
09:23 • PWS Dolphins by Blubber Bay, Texada Island, Malaspina Strait. Small group.
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
SIGHTING MEDIA
Pacific White Sided Dolphins
Pacific White Sided Dolphins off of Blubber Bay
Sat, 3 Mar 2018 – 5 items
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
SIGHTING MEDIA
Pacific White Sided Dolphins
Pacific White Sided Dolphins off of Blubber Bay
Sat, 3 Mar 2018 – 5 items
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
08:22 • PWS Dolphins heading north by old quarry south of Van Anda, Texada Island, Malaspina Strait. Small group.
Candi Little, Texada Island, BC
SIGHTING MEDIA
Pacific White Sided Dolphins
Pacific White Sided Dolphins heading north by the quarry close to Van Anda
Sat, 3 Mar 2018 – 2 items
Candi Little, Texada Island, BC
SIGHTING MEDIA
Pacific White Sided Dolphins
Pacific White Sided Dolphins heading north by the quarry close to Van Anda
Sat, 3 Mar 2018 – 2 items
Candi Little, Texada Island, BC
07:30 • PWS Dolphins near the old quarry, south of Van Anda on the east side of Texada Island. Small group.
Candi Little, Texada Island, BC
Fri Mar 02 2018
17:52 • est. 80 PWS Dolphins foraging, out from Powell River Mill (Pulp & Paper), Powell River, Malaspina Strait.
Jodi MacKenzie, Powell River, BC
13:47 • est. 20 PWS Dolphins heading south by Grief Point, Powell River, Malaspina Strait.
Pam Futer, Powell River, BC
11:27 • PWS Dolphins heading north by Rebecca Rocks, Powell River, Malaspina Strait. Large group.
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
Mon Feb 26 2018
13:22 • est. 9 Harbour Porpoise resting, between Grant Reefs and Harwood Island, Malaspina Strait.
Fri Mar 02 2018
13:30 • 1 Species Unsure moving slowly, heading south-west towards Narvaez Bay from off of East Point, Boundary Pass. Not sure of animal species. Definitely NOT a Humpback or an Orca….. but perhaps a Minke? Pygmy Blue whale? It surfaced 3 times with its very small dorsal fin towards the back. All black in colour, and perhaps a squared off mouth. Tail did not break surface. It surfaced 3 times, looked like it was feeding because it was moving slowly. Unfortunately a tug/barge plus a container ship were right behind it, so perhaps it moved along to avoid the noise.
Robin Quaintance, Sidney, BC
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