Whales On the Hunt

When Transient Bigg’s Killer Whales are on the hunt, they can be seen very close in to shore as they look for their primary prey of seals and sealions. In this issue they went into Drew Harbour, Quadra Island in search of an easy snack. Prior to that, they had been following, chasing and hunting Pacific White Sided Dolphins. The family known as the T060s are known for their dolphin hunting skills and carry the label as ‘Dolphin Slayers’. When they are on the hunt, their leaps are part of the process and can be spectacular when chasing the fast moving dolphins or Dalls porpoise. After all the excitement and feeding, they like to socialize and even play. Some of that comes with the sharing of their food with the family pod, which all species of Orca do.

Humpback Whales, as well as other cetaceans including other Orca species, are also on the hunt for their next meal, but with the types of food they eat, fish and krill, we call it foraging, not hunting. They will frequently corral krill and chase fish into tighter groups making it easier to feed on.

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.