Visible Humpback Whales!

There are many Humpback whales in upper Georgia Strait and in many inland waterways. Many of them are visible from land so you don’t necessarily need to be on a boat if you are looking for a whale experience. Humpback whales are more visible when they may be breaching, lunge-feeding, or spy-hopping, and they can be spotted even from a few kilometers away with the naked eye.

Our report includes sightings of Transient Biggs Killer whales, a few of which were seen hunting. Over 20 pods of Pacific White-Sided dolphins were reported, including many large pods that were estimated to include 200 members. Rounding our report are a few sightings of Dall’s porpoises and a couple of sightings of Harbour porpoises. Keep your eyes and ears open when you are on or near the ocean, and let us know what Cetaceans you see.

The Federal Government (DFO) statement about watching whales in the wild: “To address disturbance in the presence of whales, a mandatory 400-metre vessel approach distance for all killer whales is in effect starting June 1, 2020 in all southern British Columbia coastal waters between Campbell River and just north of Ucluelet. The Marine Mammal Regulations continue to remain in effect year-round, including maintaining a minimum 200 metre approach distance from all killer whales in Canadian Pacific waters other than described above, and 100 metres for other whales, porpoises and dolphins OR 200 metres when the animal is in resting position or with a calf.”

WOWs works throughout the year, so please continue to keep your eyes open, and report your sightings to us.